Ziti alla Zozzona

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Pasta alla zozzona is a pasta dish combining Roman pastas (cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, and gricia), plus spicy sausage. This recipe can be served as a stovetop pasta or baked ziti.

To make baked ziti, reduce pasta cooking time as it will continue to cook in the oven, add extra pasta water to the combined pasta and sauce mixture, transfer to a baking dish, top with mozzarella and pecorino, and bake at 375°F for 20-30 minutes. Broil after baking for an extra crispy top.
Pasta
Main Dish
Spicy
Dinner

Red Sauce

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces guanciale chopped into fine matchsticks
  • 8 ounces hot Italian sausage
  • 1 yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • parmigiano rind optional
  • 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes hand crushed
  • tomato paste - cup
  • 1 tablespoon chopped Calabrian chilis
  • kosher salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper
  • olive oil

Preparation

  1. Heat a large dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the guanciale and a splash of olive oil to a cold pan and cook until the fat renders out and pork is golden brown.
  2. Turn off heat and remove guanciale with a slotted spoon; set aside. Pour pork fat into a separate container, leaving about a tablespoon in the pan, and set aside.
  3. Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Break up the ground sausage into 2-3 inch pieces and sear until outsides are golden and caramelized. Break up the sausage into a fine mince. Transfer sausage to the same bowl as guanciale and set aside.
  4. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, a tablespoon of pork fat, and a pinch of salt. Scrape browned bits from the pan as the onions cook until soft and translucent, then add garlic and cook for about 60 seconds.
  5. Add the tomato paste and more pork fat if needed. Cook until tomato paste caramelizes and sticks to the bottom of the pan.
  6. Add the hand crushed tomatoes, Calabrian chilis, sausage, and guanciale to the pan. Mix, bring to gentle boil, then reduce to low simmer.
  7. Add parmesan rind if using. Simmer partially covered for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping bottom to avoid scorching.
  8. Remove parmesan rind and taste for seasoning.

Pasta and Egg Mixture

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces dried tubular pasta
  • 4 egg yolks
  • freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese - cup plus more for serving
  • fresh cracked black pepper lots

Preparation

  1. Cook pasta al dente in boiling salted water, about 2 minutes less than package instructions.
  2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pasta directly into red sauce and save pasta water.
  3. Simmer pasta in red sauce for about 2 minutes.
  4. In a large heat-safe bowl, combine egg yolks, cheese, and fresh cracked black pepper. Whisk to combine.
  5. Gradually add about 1/4 cup hot pasta water into the egg mixture, whisking continuously to temper eggs and prevent scrambling.
  6. Taste pasta for doneness. Simmer longer if needed, adding more pasta water as required.
  7. Once pasta is fully cooked, turn off heat and immediately pour in egg mixture. Toss to combine, adding more pasta water as needed until consistency is slightly loose, as it will tighten as it sits.
  8. To serve, top with more pecorino and fresh cracked black pepper.