Italian Sausage Pasta - Norcina
Servings: people
A comforting bowl of Italian sausage pasta straight from the heart of Umbria—this is our homemade take on the legendary Pasta alla Norcina we tasted in Norcia.
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni sub your favorite pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 10 oz Italian sausage fresh
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano sub Parmigiano Reggiano
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté 1 small onion (chopped) in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat (5 min). Add 1 clove garlic (grated) and cook 30 sec.Add 10 oz Italian sausage to the onion, removing skin, breaking it up, until fully cooked and browned (7-8 min).
- Deglaze with ½ cup dry white wine, scraping the pan; simmer 3 min.Stir in 1 cup whole milk ricotta, adding pasta water as needed for a creamy sauce. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Cook 12 oz rigatoni in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.Combine pasta with sauce, toss to coat. Turn heat off and stir in ½ cup Pecorino Romano. Serve immediately.
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS
- Rigatoni — or penne, mezzemaniche, tagliatelle, or tagliolini
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion, finely chopped
- Garlic (optional, for garlic lovers)
- Italian sausage (no fennel) — or half sausage, half guanciale
- Dry white wine (optional)
- Whole milk ricotta — or sheep’s ricotta, if available
- Pecorino Romano — or Parmigiano Reggiano / Grana Padano
- 🐷 Sausage & Guanciale: Use half sausage and half guanciale. Crisp the guanciale first, then cook the sausage in its fat. That’s how I had it in a few traditional spots in Norcia.
- 🍂 Black Truffle: Stir truffle paste into the ricotta or finish with a drizzle of truffle oil. Fresh truffle shaved on top? Pure Norcia magic.
- 🍄🟫 Sausage & Mushrooms: Sauté mushrooms (like cremini or porcini) after the onions and garlic, then add the sausage. They bring a deep, earthy flavor that fits right in.
- Use high-quality Italian sausage: Choose a fresh Italian sausage—avoid anything too spicy or heavily herbed, which can overpower the delicate balance of the sauce.
- Sauté low and slow: Cook the onions gently until they're soft and sweet, not browned. This builds a flavorful base. Add the garlic just at the end to avoid burning it.
- Deglaze with dry white wine: While this is optional, a splash of dry white wine helps lift all those delicious browned bits from the pan and balances the richness of the sausage and ricotta. Let it simmer and reduce before adding ricotta.
- Season with caution: Sausage and pecorino are already salty, so taste the sauce before adding more salt. A few cracks of fresh black pepper go a long way.
