Rigatoni alla zozzona

TIME30 minutes MAKES4 servings PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

Pasta alla zozzona, from the outskirts of Rome, is a quick ‘pantry’ pasta that blends ingredients and techniques from amatriciana and carbonara. The sage in the sausage meat gives the pasta a wonderful herbacious taste, while the egg and cheese result in a wonderfully glossy, creamy tomato sauce.

My version is a hybrid of the Serious Eats and the New York Times recipes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 60g Pecorino Romano (grated)
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns (toasted and ground)
  • 500g beef or turkey sausage
  • 1 small onion (finely diced)
  • Pinch red chilli flakes (optional)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
  • 250ml dry red wine
  • 500g tomato passata
  • 350g rigatoni

STEPS

  1. Beat egg yolks and Pecorino Romano together with a fork until they form a homogeneous thick paste. Add black pepper, and set aside.

  2. Add the onion and red chilli flakes, and fry until soft. Add the tomato paste and lightly caramelize. Add the beef or turkey sausage, breaking it up until evenly brown all over (try and get a nice sear if possible). Add the wine and cook until almost evaporated, and then add the passata. Leave to simmer for 10-20 minutes.

  3. Cook rigatoni until softened on the exterior, but still uncooked in the center (about 3 minutes less than the package directs). Reserve about 200ml of the pasta cooking water.

  4. Add the rigatoni to the passata sauce alongside about 120ml of pasta cooking water, and continue to cook on high heat, allowing the sauce to thicken and coat the pasta. Remove once the pasta is cooked through and al dente.

  5. Add about 60ml of pasta cooking water to the egg mixture, and mix it in to thin out the paste. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the egg mixture, agitating the pasta until it is creamy and emulsified. Serve with extra grated pecorino and black pepper.

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