PASTA ROMANA ALLA ZOZZONA

Mix Amatriciana and Carbonana sauces with
Italian sausage, guanciale and onions,
together with various spices and you just
might get a little skeptical about the results.
But the end result is that you have a delicious Roman
dish called Zozzona which translates to dirty.

Guanciale is an Italian cured meat product prepared from the jowl part of the pig. It come from the Italian word guancia which translates to cheek or jowl. This can be found in Italian specialty stores. It is carried at E. 48^th Street Market in Dunwoody, GA.

Slice the guanciale into strips and then dice. Heat the oil in a 10-inch heavy duty pan, add the guanciale and heat on medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue until the fat is rendered and the meat is starting to brown – about 5 minutes.
Add the sausage together with the onion and cook while using a wooden spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces. Continue to cook until the sausage is no longer pink – about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and slowly pour in the passata. Cover and simmer until the fat is fully incorporated.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the pasta, stirring so that it does not stick to the bottom. Cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and add to the pot of guanciale sauce, stir until well coated.
Whisk Pecorino Romano, egg yolks and freshly ground black pepper in a medium bowl until all is well combined. Slowly whisk ½ cup of the reserved cooking water into the egg yolk mixture. Remove the cooked pasta from heat, stir egg mixture into pasta for about 1 minute, until sauce is slightly thickened.
Pour into individual bowls and serve immediately.
Pass extra grated cheese for sprinkling.

NOTE: The meats create a heavy sauce so this dish can be filling with just a side salad added. If you can’t find guanciale, pancetta will be a milder substitute. Passata can be found next to the Italian sauces and pastas.

BUON MANGIATA!