Pasta alla Zozzona is a traditional Roman pasta dish that’s rich, meaty, and covered in a silky egg yolk based sauce. It’s simple to make and its flavor payoff is unmatched!
This underrated Italian pasta dish is the pinnacle of comfort food. It takes all the great aspects of the four famous Roman pasta dishes – carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe, and pasta alla gricia – and combines into one delightfully meaty dish.
The flavors from the guanciale and spicy Italian sausage are infused into tomato passata, then egg yolks are added to create a luscious, creamy sauce. Thanks to the yolks and a hefty amount of pecorino romano, there’s no need for cream in this recipe.
We like to serve ours with more freshly grated pecorino, cracked black pepper, and basil. It’s also really good with a glass of Lyre’s Classico!
For more Italian recipes, try our Calabrian Chile Meatballs and Lamb Bolognese. If you’re up for dessert afterwards, our Italian Carrot Cake is a favorite as well as our Pistachio Panna Cotta!
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and their quantities is in the recipe card below. Here you’ll find notes on specific ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- Elicoidali or Rigatoni Pasta: We like elicoidali which is similar in shape to rigatoni except it has a slight curve and curved ridges that are great for clinging onto pasta sauce.
- Guanciale: This fatty cut of meat is one of the key ingredients in pasta alla zozzona, and it comes from the pork jowl/cheek. If you can’t find any, the best alternative is pancetta.
- Hot Italian Sausage: We use 2 regular sized links of spicy Italian sausage which is about 10 oz or 283 g.
- Yellow Onion: This adds more flavor to the sauce.
- Egg Yolks: The richness of the egg yolks is what builds a luscious sauce that requires no cream!
- Pecorino Romano: Another key part of this pasta dish. The pepperiness of the pecorino adds a sharp flavor to the sauce.
- Freshly Cracked Pepper: For an added bite of flavor.
- Tomato Passata: This creates a smooth sauce. It’s uncooked and strained which makes it different from tomato puree.
- Fresh Basil: Not all recipes for pasta alla zozzona use fresh basil, but we like to add it to ours. You can omit it if you want.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
STEP 1: Cook the onions and meat. Sauté the onions in olive oil then cook the guanciale until it starts to brown. Add the spicy Italian sausage and cook until all the meat has browned. This is also a good time to start cooking your pasta.
STEP 2: Add the passata and basil. Reduce the heat and add the tomato passata. Tear up the basil leaves, add them to the pan, and stir. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes.
STEP 3: Prep the egg mixture. While the tomato sauce is simmering, whisk together the egg yolks, pecorino, a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper, and ¼ cup (60 ml) of pasta water. It should form a loose paste.
STEP 4: Combine everything. Add your cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Turn off the heat and add the egg yolk mixture. Quickly mix everything around until a creamy sauce forms. If you wait too long to stir, the egg yolks will start to scramble.
STEP 5: Serve immediately. Top the pasta with more freshly grated pecorino and cracked black pepper.
Expert Tips
- Prep your ingredients before starting. As with most recipes, prepping all your ingredients beforehand makes the cooking process more seamless. Each step in this recipe goes by fairly quickly, so you’ll want to have everything on hand for when you need it.
- Use pre-cut guanciale. If you can find any, using pre-cut pieces of guanciale helps to cut back on prep time.
FAQ
In Italian – or specifically the Roman dialect – the word “zozzona” or “zozzo” means dirty or filthy. In this case, it’s a slang term meant to describe a dish that’s rich, fatty, and indulgent.
Yes, you can use any short-cut pasta like paccheri, penne, or vesuvio. Bronze-die cut pastas are best since the rough outer texture clings to the sauce better.
Whisking hot pasta water into the egg yolk mixture tempers the yolks, making them less likely to scramble. You’ll also want to immediately stir it into the pasta with the heat off to prevent the mixture from clumping.
It’s not quite the same as when you have it fresh, but you can still reheat it later. Just add a splash of water and heat it for about a minute in the microwave or on the stove over medium-low heat.
If you made this Pasta alla Zozzona recipe, please let us know by leaving a star rating and review down below. We’d love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Pasta alla Zozzona
Ingredients
- 12 oz (340 g) rigatoni or elicoidali pasta
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 oz (113 g) guanciale finely diced*
- 10 oz (283 g) spicy Italian sausage 2 sausage links, casings removed
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup (56 g) freshly grated pecorino romano packed
- Freshly cracked pepper
- 1 cup (250 ml) tomato passata
- ⅔ cup (18 g) basil leaves packed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent.
- Add the guanciale and cook until it starts to brown. While it's cooking, chop up the Italian sausage.
- When the guanciale starts to brown, add the spicy Italian sausage and break it up further with a wooden spoon. Cook until all the meat has browned.
- While the meat is cooking, generously salt the boiling water then cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions.
- Once the meat has browned, turn the heat down to low and add the tomato passata. Tear up the basil and stir it into the sauce. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- Once the pasta is al dente, reserve 1 cup (250 ml) of pasta water and drain the pasta.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, pecorino, a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper, and ¼ cup (60 ml) of pasta water. Whisk until a loose paste forms.
- Add the pasta to the tomato sauce and toss until coated. Turn off the heat and add the egg yolk mixture. Quickly toss everything around until a rich, creamy sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more pasta water.
- Serve immediately with freshly grated pecorino, cracked black pepper, and basil (optional).
Notes
- Guanciale: If you can find any, we recommend getting pre-cut guanciale to cut back on prep time. For substitutions, the best alternative is pancetta.
- Serves 4-6 depending on how big your portions are.
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