This pasta from Norcia, in the Umbria region of Italy, is made with a crumbled fresh sausage which is traditionally made without fennel and seasoned with garlic and white wine.
The only difference in this pasta recipe is you will make your own sausage, as the sausage used traditionally in Norcia is not normally available outside of Italy.
When I first stumbled across this pasta recipe, I was intrigued. But, when I realized that the sausage that is essential to this dish is not readily available outside of Italy I decided I would do some research and figure out a way to make my own. It was well worth the effort.
I like using a standup mixer to blend the sausage together, but you can also do it by hand.
What’s the history of Pasta alla Norcina?
While this pasta is normally served with shaved black truffles and often made with sheep‘s milk ricotta, I find that this method works very well and is very easy to pull together.
Looking for some other pasta recipes?
Stanley Tucci’s Favorite Zucchini Pasta- Spaghetti alla Nerano
Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
Homemade Italian Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
Pasta all’Amatriciana- North End Version
Lemon and Walnut Pasta Sauce Recipe
Authentic Sunday Sauce: A Step by Step To Create A Family Tradition
Creamy Penne Carbonara- Easy Italian Comfort Food:
And of course, My Favorite Recipes
Ingredients:
Sausage:
16 oz ground Pork, chilled
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
Freshly grated Nutmeg
2 1/2 Tbsp dry White Wine, chilled
Pasta:
1lb dried Pasta, rigatoni, penne or ziti
2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 small Onion
3/4 cup White Wine
1 cup Heavy Cream
Sea salt and freshly ground Black pepper, to taste.
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus extra for serving.
Preparation:
You want to begin by making your sausage and giving it some time to rest in the refrigerator. Combine all of your sausage ingredients, using a standup mixer or by hand. You want it to get a tacky consistency. Cover and give it time to rest in the refrigerator. A minimum of 3 to 4 hours, but ideally overnight. It’s a lot better after an overnight rest, and you can easily go up to 24-48 hours if you want.
To make your sauce, break your sausage into little pieces and fry in the olive oil then take the sausage out of the sauté pan.
In the fat from the sausage, sauté the onion until just slightly caramelized. Add back your sausage with all the juices, add your white wine to deglaze and reduce by half. Add your heavy cream and gently simmer.
Cook your pasta until very al dente, drain and add back to the sauce. Finish with Pecorino Romano and sprinkle with more to serve.
This article is part of The Pasadena Chef Cooking School. Explore more cooking lessons, techniques, and ingredient guides here. The Pasadena Chef Cooking School
Pasta alla Norcina: Authentic Creamy Sausage Pasta from Umbria
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- You want to begin by making your sausage and giving it some time to rest in the refrigerator. Combine all of your sausage ingredients, using a standup mixer or by hand. You want it to get a tacky consistency. Cover and give it time to rest in the refrigerator. A minimum of 3 to 4 hours, but ideally overnight. It’s a lot better after an overnight rest, and you can easily go up to 24-48 hours if you want.
- To make your sauce, break your sausage into little pieces and fry in the olive oil then take the sausage out of the sauté pan.
- In the fat from the sausage, sauté the onion until just slightly caramelized. Add back your sausage with all the juices, add your white wine to deglaze and reduce by half. Add your heavy cream and gently simmer.
- Cook your pasta until very al dente, drain and add back to the sauce. Finish with Pecorino Romano and sprinkle with more to serve.