Pasta alla zozzona is one of the most delicious Roman pastas you've never heard of before, but have probably tasted! That's because Zozzona is a combination of the four classic Roman pastas - carbonara, amatriciana, gricia, and cacio e pepe, oh and plus sausage for good mesaure! Once all the ingredients come together, you are left you with an explosion of flavours and a dish you won't soon forget!
I love an authentic cacio e pepe. And carbonara. And roman amatriciana. And let's not forget about pasta alla gricia.
In fact, I love them so much I wish I could have them all at the same time. Impossible, you say? Well, what if I told you it were not only possible, but absolutely delicious?! Yes, it is true, you can have all three classic Roman pastas at the same time, and it will be amazing!
That is the magic of this pasta alla zozzona recipe. By combining all four Roman dishes, you get a taste experience unlike any other!
It's all in the name
In Italian, "zozzona" means dirty, or filthy - which could be why this pasta is called zozzona, because all its ingredients together make for a 'dirty' dish! As for pasta alla zozzona itself, I think the name refers to the fact it is a very full, flavorful, and comforting dish, similar to the English equivalent of a classic 'greasy' dish that everyone loves.
Full of flavor
I have to admit, when I first thought of zozzona, I was a bit hesitant to combine carbonara elements with cacio e pepe, and amatriciana. I just thought it would be too much, and the end result would be too overloaded with the cheese, egg, tomatoes, pasta, and guanciale, AND sausage. However, I was pleasantly surprised that after putting it all together, I had a beautiful, creamy, silky sauce with an amazing combination of flavours!
The sausage and guanciale gave wonderful flavours with the fat rendered. Then, the sauce, with the mixture of cheese, egg, and tomatoes, created a delicated coating that gave the dish a fantastic creamy texture. It was such a great dish, and in these quantities, not over the top or too stuffing.
How to make it
Recipe
Pasta Alla Zozzona - Classic Roman Recipe!
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.
Recipe Video
Recipe 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.
- 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.
Joel says
This recipe looks lovely, it's a combination of some of the best pasta recipes but what kind of sausage are you supposed to use?
Pina says
Hi Joel! Thank you! I just used the regular pork sausage that I got at my local Italian butcher - the mild one (also comes in hot).
Any Italian sausage you get at the grocery store will also work fine. Adding this to the notes section of the blog post as well!
-Pina
Roberto says
You’re s perfectionist
Well done
Brit says
Found this on your tiktok months ago and I now make it regularly! My husband is obsessed I have used bacon or pancetta in place of the guanciale, but today I lucked out at found some! Delicious!
Pina says
Thanks so much Brit! I'm glad you liked it. It's such a good one!
Natalie says
Hi, can this be reheated? I realize it's only 2 servings, but if cooking for one I'd like to know if, with the egg yolks, it can be reheated without compromising the integrity of the dish? TIA
Pina says
Hi Natalie! Yes it can be reheated. It will not be the exact same as eating it as soon as it's cooked, but it will still be good!
Hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions.
Pina