Anna Maria's Ziti alla Genovese (Pasta with Stewed Beef from Naples) by Vicky Bennison

‘Think of the sauce as onions with meat. And the onions are important.'

Excerpted with permission from Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking: Traditional Family Recipes from Italy's Best Home Cooks by Vicky Bennison:

I am often asked how we find our grandmothers, and the answer is: we ask everyone – from mayors to hotel receptionists – if they can suggest a nonna. In this case, the Pasta Grannies team were staying in a rented apar…