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 three classic Roman pastas, with sausage and guanciale. 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 cacio e pepe. And carbonara. And Amatriciana. 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 three Roman dishes, you get a taste experience unlike any other!
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Zozzona pasta – history, etymology and flavor
History of Zozzona
The origins of zozzona pasta is somewhat of a mystery. It is definitely a Roman pasta dish, though not as famous as its siblings, carbonara, amatriciana, and cacio e pepe. It could be that because it is a blend of all three, most people are just familiar with them on their own. Or, it could be that others might be intimidated by the thought of having all three pasta dishes put together. Either way, it’s time to give Zozzona its place on the stage!
What does Zozzona mean?
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.
The Taste
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, and the season and spices provided a great punch. 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.
After I finished this plate of pasta, I knew I found a winning dish. That’s what I love about Roman pastas, they build off one another and then you find little gems worth exploring, like pasta alla zozzona. I know I’ll keep exploring to find more Roman pasta dishes when they taste this amazing!
Ingredients
- Guanciale
- Rigatoni
- Sausage links (casings removed and cut into chunks)
- Dry white wine
- Grated pecorino romano
- Egg yolks
- Canned cherry tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil (optional)
♨️ How to make it – step by step
Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the guanciale and sausage (photo 1).
Cook until guanciale fat is rendered and sausage is browned, about 10 minutes (photo 2).
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 (photo 3).
Once the alcohol in the wine has evaporated off, add the tomatoes and break them apart with a wooden spoon (photo 4).
Let them cook down for 5-10 minutes (photo 5).
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 and black pepper together (photo 6). Set aside.
When pasta is cooked to al dente, add it to the pan over medium heat and mix for a few minutes (photo 7)
Remove the pan from the heat, and add the egg/pecorino mixture (photo 8) Mix one more time the pasta alla zozzona is ready! (photo 9) Plate, and top with additional pecorino romano and serve.
💭FAQs
Guanciale is an Italian cured meat made from the pork jowl, or cheeks of a pig. Its name comes from ‘guancia’, which is the Italian word for ‘cheek’. It is usually cured with a mix of salt, dried herbs, and pepper.
Guanciale tastes almost like bacon, but with a softer, and richer flavour. Because of its higher fat content, guanciale has an amazing, intense flavour that comes to life when the fat melts.
Pancetta comes from the belly of a pig, while guanciale comes from the cheek or jowls of the pig; guanciale also has a stronger flavor than pancetta. Once cured, pancetta is more commonly eaten as is, whereas guanciale is generally fried and used in pasta sauces.
Top tips
- 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.
- Optional: While the pan is warming up, you can add about 2 tsp of olive oil to the pan to help the guanciale and sausage cook. I did not add any olive oil, as the guanciale releases tons of fat on its own, but you can add it if you’d like.
More authentic Italian recipes
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Recipe
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!
Ingredients
- 250 grams rigatoni
- 3/4 cups guanciale sliced into strips
- 2 sausage links casings removed and cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cups grated pecorino romano
- 3 egg yolks
- 3/4 cups canned cherry tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp olive oil optional- see notes
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Heat a large pan over medium heat and 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 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 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.
- Optional: While the pan is warming up, you can add about 2 tsp of olive oil to the pan to help the guanciale and sausage cook. I did not add any olive oil, as the guanciale releases tons of fat on its own, but you can add it if you’d like.
- 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.
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