Rigatoni alla Zozzona
This Roman mash-up of carbonara and Amatriciana is, as Claudia Rinaldi describes it, “a dirty mess of delicious stuff.”
- Makes4 to 6 servings
- Cook Time40 minutes
- 13
Rigatoni alla zozzona is a classic Roman pasta dish—a mashup of cheesy, porky, egg-rich carbonara and spicy, tomatoey Amatriciana. At Mamma Angelina, a trattoria in Rome, chef Andrea Dell’Omo taught us his version. The sauce requires only a handful of simple ingredients, almost no knifework and comes together speedily. It begins with spicy Italian sausage and cured pork cooked in olive oil; Dell’Omo used guanciale (pork jowl), but pancetta is equally good and easier to source. Canned crushed tomatoes simmer into a savory-sweet sauce. Eggs beaten with pecorino and a little reserved pasta water are added at the end; gentle residual heat cooks everything just enough so it has a rich velvetiness.
Don’t boil the pasta until al dente. Drain it when it’s just shy of al dente, as it will finish cooking directly in the sauce. Also, be sure to reserve some of the cooking water before draining the pasta; you will need it to make the sauce. Finally, don’t add the ¼ cup reserved pasta water to the egg mixture before the water has had a chance to cool slightly. If it’s scalding hot, it will curdle the eggs.
To access this recipe, you need to be a member.
Join Milk Street and get instant access to over 3,500 recipes for just $1.