Kevin Cooks: Rigatoni Alla Zozzona
This recipe just looked good. Upon further review, this pasta dish married 4 classic dishes from Roma (Rome), Italy. It combines the styles of amatriciana, cacio e pepe, carbonara and gricia. The name itself offers more context - zozzona roughly means “dirty” in Italian. Specifically, it combines the egg yolk + parmesan, black pepper, tomatoes, and pork fat together.
Ingredients
Box of rigatoni (or your pasta of choice).
1 onion
spicy Italian sausage
guanciale (substitute pancetta or bacon)
Canned tomatoes + Italian seasoning + garlic OR substitute jar marinara if you want - like Rao’s
Freshly grated parmesan
4-5 egg yolk
Salt
Black pepper
Directions
Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil and adding lots of salt to it.
Add the rigatoni once the water boils and continue boiling until al dente (around 12 minutes)
While the rigatoni is cooking, cut your guanciale (or bacon/pancetta) into cubes. Fry it in a pan until the fat renders out and the bits get crispy.
Remove the bits from the pan but leave the rendered fat in it (or as much as you want if that grosses you out too much).
Cube an onion and remove the Italian sausage from its casing (if applicable)
Start by cooking the Italian sausage in the same pan you cooked the guanciale in. Add onions when the Italian sausage begins to cook. Continue cooking until onion gets a soft and translucent.
Add the canned tomato, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning to the pan OR add the pre-made marinara sauce. I just like to make my own for some reason. Let that simmer.
Once the rigatoni is done, save a cup of the pasta water as needed and drain the rest. Add the strained pasta to the pan and add pasta water until the sauce coats the pasta well.
In a separate bowl, start grating the parmesan. Add 4-5 egg yolks and mix with a fork. The texture should be a very viscous yellow-cheesy blob (somewhat like play-doh). If it’s too dry, add more egg yolk. If it’s too runny, add more grated parmesan. Add that mixture to the sauce and incorporate.
Plate the pasta and add some more grated parmesan on top along with basil or any garnish you like!
