Zozzona
And here we are, the final entry in our pasta filled journey through the alphabet, which means it’s time to finish things off with the final letter, which is, of course, Z. The list of Z ingredients and dishes is limited, but not zero.
Zucchini, classic Italian squash but didn’t really inspire me, baked ziti, also a classic but considering I did a baked pasta dish for R it didn’t feel right, za’atar, a Mediterranean spice blend, and of course zest.
However, my mind is set on a classic Roman dish that brings delight and wonder to anyone who eats it, rigatoni Zozzona. I’ve made this for the blog before, but in case you need a recap, Zozzona is a very unique pasta dish consisting of sausage, tomatoes, and a touch of guanciale, and the sauce is thickened with just a touch of egg yolk. It’s sort of a cross between pomodoro, carbonara, and meat lovers.
Considering my limited options, it seemed perfect.
Serves 6
Salt
4 oz diced pancetta or guanciale
5 mild or hot Italian sausage links, casings removed
2 large shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
A pinch of chili flakes
1 (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes
1 pound rigatoni
4 egg yolks
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a wide frying pan, cook the pancetta over medium low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the pancetta is brown and has rendered it’s fat. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towels, then set aside.
Crumble up the sausage meat, then add that to the pan with the reserved pancetta fat and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the sausage meat is browned and no longer pink in the middle.
Add the shallots, garlic, and chili flakes, and cook for another minute, or until the shallots soften. Make a little well in the center of the pan, then add the tomato paste and cook for another minute, or until the paste starts to darken. Add the crushed tomatoes, bring that to a simmer, then let it cook for about 10 minutes, or until thickened.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta for about 7-9 minutes, or until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, combine the egg yolks, Parmigiano and pepper in a medium heatproof bowl. Ladle out a bit of pasta water, then stir that in as well.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and stir that into the sauce until combined. Remove from the heat and add egg mixture, then cook for another minute, tossing, until the sauce thickens even more. Top with the reserved pancetta, then serve.
Much like all of the dishes in ABCs of Pasta, this dish is bound to bring lots of joy and flavor to whoever you serve it to.
