Not-So-Ordinary Zozzona

Ingredients

• 200 g Spaghetti, preferably bronze-die (Dry)
• 3 Egg yolks
• 40 g Grated Pecorino Romano
• 60 g Guanciale (Cut into thin strips)
• 80 g Fresh sausage (Removed from its casing)
• 8 g Tomato paste
• Black pepper (To taste; freshly ground)
• White pepper (To taste; freshly ground)
• Sichuan pepper (To taste; freshly ground)
• Salt (To taste, for the pasta water and preparations)

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the guanciale into thin strips. Place it in a cold skillet and set it over low heat, allowing the fat to render slowly until the strips are deeply browned and crispy.

2. 2

   Remove the crispy guanciale from the skillet and set aside. Carefully strain the rendered fat and reserve it, as it will be used to sauté the pasta.

3. 3

   Remove the casing from the fresh sausage. Place the meat in the skillet and brown it well, allowing it to become almost toasted to develop flavor and texture.

4. 4

   Remove the sausage from the skillet and finely chop it with a knife. Set aside.

5. 5

   In a stainless-steel bowl or another heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks, grated Pecorino Romano, and tomato paste until you obtain a smooth paste.

6. 6

   Place the bowl over a saucepan of hot water, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk the mixture continuously in a bain-marie until it reaches 64 °C. The preparation should be glossy, aerated, and creamy, with a texture similar to zabaione.

7. 7

   Fold the finely chopped sausage into the savory zabaione. Keep the mixture warm, but do not allow it to exceed 65 °C, to preserve its creamy texture.

8. 8

   While preparing the zabaione, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it with salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until very al dente, using the time indicated on the package as a reference.

9. 9

   Drain the spaghetti while it is very al dente. Do not reserve or add any pasta cooking water, in accordance with the original preparation.

10. 10

    Reheat the reserved guanciale fat in the skillet. Add the drained spaghetti and sauté it only in that fat, until thoroughly coated and intensely flavored.

11. 11

    Arrange the spaghetti on the plate in the shape of a nest, using a ring mold or round cutter to help maintain the shape.

12. 12

    Pour the still-hot savory zabaione over the nest of pasta. Finish with the crispy guanciale and a freshly ground mixture of black pepper, white pepper, and Sichuan pepper.

Notes

Temperature is essential: the zabaione must reach 64 °C to pasteurize the egg yolks and stabilize the cream, but it must not exceed 65 °C. Serve immediately while the zabaione is hot and the guanciale remains crispy.

Nutrition per serving

• pasta
• main course
• Italian cuisine
• guanciale
• sausage
• savory zabaione
• pecorino
• single serving