Pasta alla Zozzona is a less well known Roman dish that combines guanciale, tomato, egg, Pecorino Romano, and sausage to create a velvety sauce that’s tossed with pasta. It’s easy to make and perfect for any night of the week!
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Pasta alla Zozzona may be more elusive than the big 4 Roman pastas: pasta carbonara, pasta amatriciana, cacio e pepe, and alla gricia, but it’s every bit as delicious.
I like to think of Pasta alla Zozzona as a child of the big 4, more specifically the offspring of carbonara and amatriciana with a sausage thrown into the mix.
While the Roman pastas are known for their simplicity, the sausage in Zozzona adds a bit of complexity and the combination of the egg and tomato yields an incredibly rich and creamy sauce whose taste is anything but simple.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Pasta. I prefer to use rigatoni or paccheri for pasta alla zozzona but you can definitely use ziti or penne too. I find the shape of the tubular pastas are best for this sauce, but feel free to use long pasta if that’s what’s available to you.
- Eggs. Fresh eggs are an essential ingredient in pasta zozzona. Use the best quality eggs you can find.
- Pork. Traditionally, this dish is made with guanciale, but you can also use pancetta if that’s all you have access to. Zozzona also includes Italian sausage. Bulk sausage will save you prep time, but if you can’t find it, buy the sausage links and simply remove the sausage from the casing by cutting a slit in the sausage.
- Cheese. The Roman pastas all use Pecorino Romano, a salty sheep’s milk based cheese.
- Tomato. I prefer to use passata (pureed tomato) for zozzona because of its smooth texture.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and heat a large pan to medium heat. Saute the guanciale or pancetta until most of the fat has rendered, then transfer it to a plate and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the sausage to the same pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the sausage starts to brown, use a wooden spoon or meat masher to break it up.
- Add the onion and continue to cook for a few minutes until the sausage is cooked through and the onions are translucent.
- Add the crushed red pepper and saute for 30 seconds, then add the white wine and cook until it reduces by half.
- Add the passata to the pan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat to medium-low and let the sauce cook uncovered while boiling the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the salted water and cook until 1 minute less than al dente taking care to reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water. In a bowl, beat together the egg and egg yolks with the Pecorino Romano and a good amount of black pepper to form a paste and set aside. Add the pasta to the sauce and cook until the pasta reaches al dente, about 1 minute. Stir well to ensure the pasta is coated with the sauce.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg mixture, tossing to coat. Add a splash of pasta water if it’s too dry.
- Taste test and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve in bowls topped with the crispy pancetta or guanciale and more Pecorino. Enjoy!
Top tips
- Egg mixture. Be sure to add the egg mixture after the pan has been removed from the heat. The residual heat of the pasta will gently cook the eggs.
- Save your pasta water! Pasta water is great for loosening up the pasta after adding the egg mixture and if it dries out at all while you’re waiting for your family to get the table to eat!
- Guanciale vs. pancetta. Guanciale is made from cured pork jowls and is traditional in the Roman pastas but can be difficult to source depending on where you live. It also has an intense pork flavor. Pancetta is easier to find and has a more mellow flavor, so use what you have access to and what works for your palate.
More pasta recipes
If you love the flavors in pasta alla zozzona, give these other recipes a try.
If you’ve enjoyed this Pasta alla Zozzona recipe, give it a 5-star rating.
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Pasta alla Zozzona
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454g) Rigatoni or paccheri, ziti, penne, etc
- 6 ounces (180g) pancetta or guanciale
- 3/4 pound (340g) bulk Italian sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
- 1 24-ounce jar (700g) passata
- 1/2 cup (45g) grated Pecorino Romano plus more for serving
- 1 large egg
- 2 egg yolks
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup (240ml) pasta water will most likely not need all of it
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Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Heat a large pan to medium and saute the pancetta until most of the fat has been rendered. Remove the pancetta to a plate and set aside.
- Add the sausage to the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high. Once it starts to brown, break it up with a wooden spoon or meat masher. Add the onion and continue to cook for another few minutes until the sausage is cooked through and the onions are translucent.
- Next, add the crushed red pepper to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Add the white wine and cook until reduced by about half.
- Next, add the passata to the pan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the sauce cook uncovered while boiling the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to 1 minute less than al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- In a bowl, mix the egg, egg yolks, grated pecorino, and a good amount of black pepper to form a paste.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and cook until the pasta reaches al dente (about 1 minute). Stir well and make sure the pasta is absorbing the sauce.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the egg mixture and toss to coat. Add a touch of pasta water if too dry. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls, topping with the reserved crispy pancetta and offer more Pecorino. Enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 4 large or 6 moderate sized portions
- Guanciale or pancetta can be used for this recipe.
- The egg should be added after the pan is off the heat. The residual heat of the sauce will cook the eggs.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was really amazing! I had this in a restaurant a few weeks ago and was thinking about trying to make it. Then your e-mail popped up with the recipe! I made it for 4 of us for a Sunday dinner and it was more than enough. The only thing I might try the next time is cut back on the sausage to 1/2 pound. I love sausage but thought I would see how it is using a little less.
Thank you!!
We’re so happy you liked this one too, Dino! Thanks for the comment!
Very simple. Very filling. Simply delicious!
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Wolfgang!
I love your programe and the really excellent recipes!
We’re so happy to hear that, Denis!