I have several pasta dishes to share and this new family favorite seems like the perfect place to start. I have actually made this fabulous dish a couple of times since last fall.
This dish is a classic Roman pasta dish (where have I been?) that is a combination of cheesy, egg-rich pasta alla carbonara and spicy, tomatoey pasta all’Amatriciana. Google notes that the word zozzona “derives from the Roman word ‘zozzo’, which has multiple meanings. In fact, in Rome, in addition to meaning dirty, it indicates something particularly rich, caloric, substantial.” It’s no wonder this dish is a crowd-pleaser! The article describes it as “a dirty mess of delicious stuff.” 🙂
This recipe was adapted from chef Andrea Dell’Omo of Mamma Angelina, a trattoria in Rome, via Milk Street, contributed by Courtney Hill. The dish is simple but a few techniques ensure its success- the pasta is cooked in a minimal amount of water to add creaminess from the starchy water, the tomatoes deglaze the pan after cooking the meat, and the pan temperature is reduced prior to adding the eggs to prevent them from curdling. Perfect.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
- 1 pound rigatoni
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve
- 4 ounces pancetta or guanciale, chopped
- 8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed (I used 2 hot and 1 sweet sausage)
- 1 13.8 oz box or 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes 14 1/2-ounce can crushed tomatoes (I used Pomi)
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 oz finely grated pecorino Romano cheese (1/2 cup), plus more to serve
- fresh basil, for garnish, optional
- In a large pot over medium-high, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil.
- Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve about 2 cups of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain; set aside. (The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.)
- In the same pot over medium-high, combine 1 tablespoon oil and the pancetta. Cook, stirring, until it has rendered some of its fat and begins to brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer half of the pancetta-sausage mixture to a small bowl; set aside.
- Into the pancetta-sausage mixture in the pot, stir the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer over medium and cook, stirring, until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, then the pasta. Cook, stirring and tossing, until the pasta is al dente, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the egg and yolks, pecorino, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. (It is important that the pasta water has cooled slightly so that it doesn’t curdle the eggs.)
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Add the egg mixture and reserved pancetta-sausage mixture. Stir until the sauce thickens slightly and clings to the pasta, about 2 minutes. If needed, add reserved cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time to adjust the consistency.
- Taste and season with salt. Serve sprinkled with basil, additional pepper and cheese, and drizzled with additional oil, as desired.
thebrookcook 
Looks delicious
Worth every indulgent bite! 😉
😎
Looks delicious 😋