Pasta Alla Zozzona - Classic Roman Recipe!

Zozzona pasta is a combination of three classic Roman pastas, with sausage and guanciale. It's an explosion of flavours and a dish you won't soon forget!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Servings people

Calories 992kcal

Author Pina Bresciani

Ingredients

250 grams rigatoni
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ cups guanciale sliced into strips
2 pork sausage links casings removed and cut into chunks
¼ cup dry white wine
¾ cups grated pecorino romano
3 egg yolks
¾ cups canned cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Heat a large pan over medium heat, and add olive oil. When olive oil is heated, add the guanciale and sausage. Cook until guanciale fat is rendered and sausage is browned, about 10 minutes.
Add salt to the boiling water and add the rigatoni. Cook until al dente.
Deglaze the pan containing the sausage and guanciale with white wine. Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of a pan with a wooden spoon.
Once the alcohol in the wine has evaporated off, add the tomatoes and break them apart with a wooden spoon. Let them cook down for 5-10 minutes. If pasta is not ready yet, turn the heat on the sauce down to low.
While the sauce is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, pecorino romano, a bit of pasta water, and black pepper together. Set aside.
When pasta is cooked to al dente, add it to the pan over medium heat and mix for a few minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, and add the egg/pecorino mixture. Mix one more time the pasta alla zozzona is ready! Plate, and top with additional pecorino romano and serve.

Video

Notes

If you can't find guanciale, you can use pancetta
The only place you need to add salt is the pasta water. Between the guanciale, sausage, and pecorino, there is enough salt in the sauce. You do not need to add any additional salt.
I used the regular pork sausage from my Italian butcher (I used the mild sausage, my butcher also carries a hot version). Also, any pork Italian sausage from your grocery store will work as well.
This recipe calls for canned cherry tomatoes, but if you can't find them, you can use peeled plum tomatoes, passata crushed strained tomatoes, or even fresh cherry tomatoes.

Nutrition