PASTA ZOZZONA
If you’re looking for a dish rich in irresistible flavors, pasta alla zozzona is for you! With a perfect combination of traditional Italian ingredients, this recipe is a real feast for the palate.
Pasta ALLA ZOZZONA is topped with a delicious sauce made with crispy guanciale, tasty sausage, tomato, and a creamy mixture of egg yolks and pecorino. The result? A tasty mix of flavors and textures that will literally make you lick your lips.
Pasta alla zozzona is one of the iconic dishes of Roman cuisine, and with this recipe you can prepare it comfortably at home. Whether you’re an expert in the kitchen or a beginner, following the step-by-step instructions will ensure culinary success.
As tradition dictates, I used rigatoni, but you can replace them with another type of short pasta of your choice, preferably ridged. You can also try some small variations, replacing the tomato puree with canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes; you can omit the sausage or guanciale, or use bacon instead. I’ll leave all the variants at the end of the recipe, but don’t tell any Roman, they might never speak to you again!
And if anyone thinks that Pasta alla Zozzona is too rich, greasy, and caloric, well, I can’t blame them, but once in a while, you can indulge in some exceptions as long as you don’t overdo the quantities.
Prepare your pot, sharpen your knives, and get ready to conquer the taste buds of family and friends with this extraordinary pasta alla zozzona. The pleasure of an extraordinary meal is within reach!
If you love Lazio and Roman recipes in general, also check out:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 763.43 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 73.64 (g) of which sugars 2.52 (g)
- Proteins 40.69 (g)
- Fat 35.93 (g) of which saturated 6.72 (g)of which unsaturated 4.43 (g)
- Fibers 3.45 (g)
- Sodium 1,992.44 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni
- 1 small yellow onion
- 9 oz sausage
- 7 oz pork cheek
- 2 cups tomato puree
- 2.8 oz Pecorino Romano
- 4 egg yolks
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- to taste black pepper (ground)
Tools
- Bowl
- Knife
- Spoon
- Pan
- Pot
Step-by-step preparation of pasta alla zozzona
Clean the onion and finely chop it, separate the yolks from the whites, grate the Pecorino Romano, remove the casing from the sausage and coarsely crumble the meat, finally cut the guanciale into strips or cubes.
Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a large pan, add the chopped onion and sauté until it becomes translucent. Put the guanciale in the pan and cook until it releases its fat and becomes crispy. Add the crumbled sausage and continue cooking until it is well cooked and browned.
Pour the tomato puree into the pan with the sausage and guanciale, mix well and let cook over medium-low heat for about 10-15 minutes, the sauce should slightly thicken. Adjust salt and pepper. Turn off and set aside for a moment
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni al dente according to the package instructions (for al dente cooking, consider 2 minutes less than indicated). Drain the pasta and transfer it directly to the pan with the sauce. Mix well to coat the pasta, let it flavor over medium heat for 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the grated Pecorino Romano and mix until the cheese melts into the sauce, making it creamy. Finally, add the egg yolks, mixing quickly to incorporate them into the rest of the sauce and pasta without cooking them. Serve the pasta alla zozzona immediately, still hot, garnishing with more grated Pecorino Romano and/or a sprinkle of black pepper if desired.
Variations and additions to the original pasta alla zozzona recipe
As with any good traditional dish, there are variations and preferences for Pasta alla Zozzona: some prefer tomato puree while others prefer canned tomatoes, some use only sausage or only guanciale, some substitute Pecorino with Parmesan, and others deglaze guanciale and sausage with red wine: the choice is yours, of course. Here are some suggestions and possible substitutions.
PASTA: As tradition dictates, I used rigatoni, but you can replace them with another type of short pasta of your choice, preferably ridged, or opt for spaghetti or bucatini if you prefer long pasta.
TOMATOES: You can replace the tomato puree with canned tomatoes, peeled tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes.
GUANCIALE: The original recipe calls for guanciale only, but if you can’t find it, fatty bacon can be a good substitute.
PECORINO: Pasta alla zozzona is a traditional Roman recipe that uses Pecorino, but for a milder and less intense flavor, you can substitute it with grated Parmesan.
As with any good traditional dish, there are variations and preferences for Pasta alla Zozzona: some prefer tomato puree while others prefer canned tomatoes, some use only sausage or only guanciale, some substitute Pecorino with Parmesan, and others deglaze guanciale and sausage with red wine: the choice is yours, of course. Here are some suggestions and possible substitutions.
PASTA: As tradition dictates, I used rigatoni, but you can replace them with another type of short pasta of your choice, preferably ridged, or opt for spaghetti or bucatini if you prefer long pasta.
TOMATOES: You can replace the tomato puree with canned tomatoes, peeled tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes.
GUANCIALE: The original recipe calls for guanciale only, but if you can’t find it, fatty bacon can be a good substitute.
PECORINO: Pasta alla zozzona is a traditional Roman recipe that uses Pecorino, but for a milder and less intense flavor, you can substitute it with grated Parmesan.
STORAGE
It’s recommended to consume pasta alla zozzona immediately. If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for 1 day and gratinate them in the oven or make a rich pasta frittata.
Tips for perfect pasta alla zozzona
Let the onion wilt slightly in the oil without browning too much; otherwise, it might develop a slight bitter aftertaste.
To make the sauce more fluid, use a little of the pasta cooking water, but lukewarm and not boiling: this way, you avoid cooking the egg yolk and having a “frittata effect” instead of a creamy sauce.
Origins of pasta alla zozzona
Everyone knows that the cornerstones of Lazio cuisine are CARBONARA, BUCATINI alla MATRICIANA, and CACIO e PEPE, now considered classic national dishes. A perhaps lesser-known specialty but definitely worth discovering is PASTA alla ZOZZONA.
A tasty and substantial first course that skillfully combines the ingredients and flavors of all three classic recipes mentioned above: pasta, guanciale, sausage, tomato, and pecorino, hence the name “zozzona” for its richness, which is certainly not a boon for the waistline but undoubtedly satisfies the palate and is worth preparing every now and then.
Pairings and suggestions for serving pasta alla zozzona
The intensity and complexity of Pasta alla Zozzona pair well with structured red wines with a decided character. A Chianti Classico or a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo are excellent choices, as their acidity and tannins beautifully balance the richness of the sauce, guanciale, and sausage.
History and curiosities about pasta alla zozzona
Pasta alla zozzona is a typical dish of Roman popular culinary tradition, composed of the ingredients that characterize the typical pasta dishes of the area: carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and gricia, the latter being the historical version of the former. Usually, the sauce obtained is used to dress rigatoni. In the Roman context, the word “zozzo” related to food indicates something delicious, abundant, fatty, saucy, and caloric.
It is considered a poor man’s recipe: it has been hypothesized to have been conceived to avoid wasting leftovers of other sauces. It can be found, with variations that include, for example, bell peppers, at least since the 1960s; in Italy, it is not widely diffused outside Lazio, where it enjoys a certain popularity in the trattorias of Rome and among the fraschette of the Castelli Romani.
Health and wellness in pasta alla zozzona: nutritional values and benefits
For the nutritional values table of Pasta alla Zozzona, click HERE
