Every once in a while I find a recipe worth repeating. If it’s not a 10 out of 10 and it’s not my own, I don’t bother posting it. What I want to know is, where has this recipe been all my life? This is another Roman pasta dish that is fantastic. Like it’s brother’s and sister’s dish Pasta Carbonara and Cacio e pepe, Pasta alla Zozzona is a true classic. It has been gaining popularity online so I had to try it. I was not disappointed. This is a creamy pasta dish with plenty of zing.  If my Uncle Sal Belluardo was still alive I would have shown this recipe to him if he already didn’t find out about it. He was wonderful about making new dishes we never heard of at the time, like when he introduced the family to Pasta alla Puttanesca. It’s made like a carbonara, with the egg and Pecorino cheese, but adds sweet Italian sausage, guanciale and tomato sauce. It’s just a powerhouse of flavors. The creamy consistency comes from the egg yolk and cheese combined with a few splashes of pasta water, completing the dish.

This recipe serves 2. Just double if you are using a full pound of pasta.

• 8 ounces rigatoni
• 4 ounces sweet Italian Sausage, casing removed
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 4 ounces of guanciale or pancetta, cut into a small dice
• 2 egg yolks
• 8 ounces of tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• Black pepper (to taste)
• No salt is necessary in this dish

Heat a large fry pan over low heat and slowly render the guanciale or pancetta until crisp. Don’t rush this. The process is low and slow. Remove the guanciale and set aside, keeping the flavor of the fat in the pan.

In the same pan saute the onions for a minute then add the sausage, over medium heat, breaking the sausage apart with your spoon,  until the sausage is browned. Pour the tomato sauce in the pan and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, in a small bowl combine the egg yolks and Pecorino cheese and mix into a fine paste. Add a good helping of black pepper to the egg and cheese mixture.

While the sauce is simmering, transfer the drained pasta to the pan with the sausage, onion and pancetta. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the egg paste mixture, mixing quickly to create a creamy sauce. Add a ladle of pasta water for a more creamy sauce. Sprinkle the guanciale over the top and serve with extra Pecorino cheese and black pepper.