Pasta Alla Zozzona

Pasta alla zozzona is a traditional Roman dish. Typical Roman pastas are usually made with a few simple ingredients but not zozzona, which means something like “a big mess.”

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 12 oz. Pennine rigate or rigatoni
• Olive oil
• 5 ozs. chopped pancetta or guanciale
• 1 small, minced onion
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 3 hot or sweet Italian, casings removed
• 3 cups tomato passata or puree
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until almost al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then drain pasta.

For the sauce:  Add the olive oil to a deep, large pan and heat medium low. Add the pancetta or guanciale and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat to a small dish and set aside. Transfer the pan drippings to a small bowl, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the skillet.

Stir the onion into the pan and add the tomato paste. Blend and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, season with salt and black pepper and break up the sausage meat into small pieces. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sausage has browned.

Stir in passata and the red wine. Cover the sauce with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and stir. Cook uncovered for 5 more minutes.  Add the pancetta to the simmering sauce and stir to coat.

In a bowl combine the 3 egg yolks, ¼ cup cheese, the pepper and the reserved guanciale drippings. Stir 2 tablespoons of the hot pasta water into the egg mixture to temper it (otherwise you might wind up with scrambled eggs when you add it to the hot sauce). Stir the egg mixture into the pasta until coated and glossy, adding a bit more pasta water if you feel the sauce is too thick. Add the pasta to the sauce, stir and finish cooking. Serve the pasta and top with additional cheese.

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