Description
A comforting dish combining short pasta, savory meats, and a creamy cheese sauce, perfect for weeknight dinners or gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more to serve
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 pound short pasta (Nodi Marini recommended)
- 1/4 pound diced pancetta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)
- 2 shallots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups tomato passata
- 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano until well combined. Set aside.
- Boil a large pot of water, generously salting it.
- While the water heats, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add pancetta and cook over medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet, add the Italian sausage. Cook, breaking it into pieces, for around 7 minutes until browned.
- Add diced shallots, garlic, and salt to the skillet. Sauté until soft, approximately 3 minutes.
- Pour in the tomato passata and stir in the Calabrian chili paste. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente (about 11 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce, adding 1/2 cup of pasta water and tossing to combine. Adjust sauce consistency with more pasta water as needed.
- Temper the egg mixture with 1/4 cup of the hot pasta water, stirring continuously to avoid scrambling.
- Remove the skillet from heat and quickly stir in the egg mixture and pancetta until creamy and well-coated.
- Serve immediately with extra cheese if desired.
Notes
For a spicier dish, increase the amount of Calabrian chili paste. Substitute bacon for pancetta if needed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 280mg
Keywords: pasta, comfort food, creamy pasta, weeknight dinner