Pasta alla zozzona is a typical dish of Roman cuisine, known for its richness and intense flavor. The name “zozzona” comes from the Roman term “zozzo”, meaning “dirty”, but in this context, it indicates something extremely tasty and abundant. This dish is a combination of three classics of Roman cuisine: carbonara, amatriciana and cacio e pepe, creating an explosion of flavors that will delight your palate and that of your guests.
Certainly not a light dish, but it is so good that we can indulge in it once in a while. Not everyone knows this dish, and I must confess, we have only recently discovered it. Pecorino Romano, egg yolks, guanciale, sausage, and tomato sauce, which are very present in traditional Roman cuisine, give life to a dish that is delectable and robust. But enough chatter, let’s discover right away below the picture how to prepare the pasta alla zozzona!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Pasta alla zozzona
- 11 oz rigatoni
- 7 oz guanciale
- 7 oz sausage (pork)
- 14 oz tomato sauce
- 2 oz onion
- 1.75 oz Pecorino Romano
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 pinches salt
- to taste black pepper (ground)
Tools
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Thermometer
Preparation of Pasta alla zozzona
To prepare pasta alla zozzona, first cut the guanciale into slices and then into strips.
Remove the casing from the sausage and crumble it with your hands.
In a pan with high edges, melt the fat of the guanciale until it becomes transparent.
Place the guanciale and its fat in 2 separate bowls.
In the same pan, brown the sausage for a few minutes and set it aside, leaving its fat in the pan.
Put a large pot of slightly salted water on the stove to cook the pasta.
Finely chop the onion and cook it in the pan with the fat left from the sausages until it becomes almost transparent.
Add the tomato sauce and cook it for about 10 minutes until it becomes thick and hearty.
Turn off the heat and add the sausages and guanciale to the pan, mixing well.
While the pasta is cooking, in a bowl, beat the egg yolks with Pecorino and the guanciale fat until you have a cream.
Gently place the bowl over the pot where the pasta is cooking without letting the bowl touch the water, and always stirring with a whisk, bring the mixture to 140°F, never beyond, otherwise the yolks will curdle.
Drain the pasta in the pan with the tomato sauce, adjusting the salt if needed, and mix to flavor. With the heat off, add the egg cream and Pecorino.
Serve, sprinkling with more grated Pecorino while still very hot.
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