JOIN! 12 Weeks for $1

Rigatoni alla Zozzona

4 to 6 Servings

40 minutes

Made This Recipe? Write a Review.
Thank you for submitting your review! A member of our team is confirming the review meets our site's Community Guidelines. It will be posted on the site shortly.

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.

4 to 6

Servings

Tip

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.

40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1

    pound rigatoni

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions

Pardon the interruption

You need to be a Milk Street Digital Member to see the full recipe

JOIN MILK STREET DIGITAL & PRINT
12 WEEKS FOR JUST $1

and get access to all of our recipes and articles online, as well as in print.

GET DIGITAL & PRINT
How we use your email.

Your email address is required to identify your subscription. We will use it for customer service as well as other communications from Milk Street. We will not share, or rent your email address.

Reviews
Dennis M.
February 25, 2024
Superb Dish
It was very easy to make and came together quickly with fantastic results. I will definitely be making it again.
Michael F.
September 16, 2023
Great dish
Followed the recipe exactly. If you love Amatricciana and Carbonara, this recipe is as if these 2 dishes had a baby. My family and I really enjoyed it.
Bill O.
April 21, 2024
Great dish
I made some changes in proportions, because I try to stay lower carb. I halved the amount of pasta and doubled the sausage, going half hot and half mild. My wife thought some broccoli rabe might enhance it, so we'll add some next time. Really enjoyed it, though
Burt C.
April 21, 2024
Everyone clamored for more
Surpassed expectations. Definitely going into the rotation.
Denny L.
March 22, 2024
Perfection!
I had been making the ATK version which is more work (calls for onion and passata) and not better. This is the perfect weeknight meal when you want dinner done with minimal fuss and maximum taste. Also, I'm in the south and this means local supermarket chains all carry cured pork jowl aka guanciale for less than $5/lb. That is what I call a win!