You will definitely enjoy this rich and creamy pasta alla Norcina from Umbria, Italy. It only takes 40 minutes to make and uses just a handful of ingredients. This pasta recipe is perfect for a family dinner and is impressive enough to wow your guests.
History
Pasta alla norcina is a typical recipe from Umbria, specifically the ancient town of Norcia, which is famous for its sausages and cured meats.
There are actually two versions of pasta alla norcina. This one is made with Norcia sausage crumbled into a pan with oil, onion, fresh cream, truffle, and Pecorino. It’s a very simple recipe with few ingredients but so flavorful and creamy that you’ll want to make it part of your regular pasta menu.
The other version of pasta alla norcina is usually made with long pasta like spaghetti or tagliatelle, which is dressed with only black truffles, garlic and anchovies, to which you can also add foraged mushrooms. I’m looking forward to giving that version a try soon. But for now let’s talk about this one!
Norcia is a little town with a big culinary reputation!
Umbria is well-known for its pork, hams, sausages, and other cured meats. The best of these come from Norcia, also known as Nursia in English.
This ancient town has become so famous for its method of pork butchery and preparation of cured meats, that butchers across Italy now use the term ‘norcino’ to refer to all kinds of meat preserved in the ‘Norcia’ way and the name ‘norcineria’ is used for butchers that specialize in preparing, curing and selling pork products.
Norcia is also famous for black truffles. In fact, the truffles found around Norcia are highly prized and considered a gastronomic gem. Every year, at the end of February or the beginning of March, there is an important Italian Black Truffle fair in the town.
Visitors to the fair can taste all the gastronomic specialties of Umbria cuisine, and especially those with truffles, of course. These specialties include cured meat and cheese seasoned with truffles, as well as pasta dishes like pasta alla norcina.
Ingredient Notes
Pasta: This recipe is usually prepared with short pasta such as penne or rigatoni. I used Italian maccheroni made by La Molisana, but you can also use other types of short pasta.
Italian Pork Sausages: Since Norcia sausages can be hard to come by outside of Italy, feel free to substitute them for another type of high-quality Italian pork sausage. I would try to find Italian sausage without fennel but with garlic if possible, or rosemary.
Onions: They’re finely chopped to add a subtle sweetness and depth to the sauce.
White Wine: A dry white wine is preferred to enhance the sauce with added flavor and slight acidity that balances the richness of the cream.
Fresh Cream: Creates the creamy, indulgent base of the sauce that pasta alla Norcina is known for.
Black Truffles (optional): They bring a luxurious depth with an earthy and rich taste, elevating the dish.
Pecorino Cheese: Grated Pecorino is added to the sauce to add richness and also grated on top of the pasta. If Pecorino is unavailable, you can substitute it with Parmigiano Reggiano or Granda Padano.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil to add the most flavor.
How to remove the sausage casing
In many traditional Italian sausage pasta recipes, including pasta alla Norcina, Italians remove the casing from the sausages and use the richly flavored ground meat. It’s incredibly delicious and easy to do:
- Cut the Casing: Use a sharp knife to make a lengthwise cut along the sausage.
- Peel Away the Casing: Starting from one end, use your fingers to gently peel the casing away from the meat. It should come off easily.
- Break Up the Meat: Once you’ve removed the casing, you can break up or crumble the sausage meat into small chunks.
Step by Step Instructions
1) In a large bowl, remove the casings from the sausages and crumble the meat. Discard the casings and bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
2) In a large frying pan or skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened. Add the crumbled sausage to the pan. Cook until browned, breaking any large pieces with a spatula.
3) Add white wine, stirring constantly, and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes.
4) Lower the heat, cover, and simmer the sausage for 10 minutes in its juices. Season with salt and pepper.
5) Uncover, add fresh cream and truffle shavings (if using), along with half of the grated pecorino cheese. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, then remove from heat.
6) Meanwhile, salt the pasta water and bring it to the boil again. Then, cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve some cooking water before draining.
7) Add the drained pasta to the sausage sauce, mixing over low heat. If needed, adjust the consistency with reserved pasta water.
8) Plate the pasta, topped with the remaining pecorino, fresh black pepper, and more truffle shavings if desired.
Storage and Leftovers
Storing Leftovers: After enjoying your meal, let any remaining leftovers cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Properly stored, it can last for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Place a portion of the pasta Norcina in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it. Heat on medium power for 2 minutes, then stir. Continue heating in 30-60 second intervals, stirring in between, until the pasta is hot throughout.
FAQs
To be honest, rather than using truffle oil, I’d probably leave the truffle out. Although, you could try just a tiny amount of truffle oil or perhaps some truffle paste. However, even in Umbria, this dish is often served without truffles when they’re not available or out of season. I used frozen truffles as I’m lucky enough to source truffles from the area I live in and often freeze them for later use!
The dish is named after Norcia, a small town in Umbria that is famous for its sausages and ham made from wild boar and pork.
You can enjoy the same white wine used in the recipe. A medium-bodied or full-bodied dry white wine, such as an Italian Pinot Grigio, will really complement the Norcina sauce.
More recipes you may like:
If you’re interested in more delicious recipes like this one, have a look at my favorite Italian sausage pasta recipes.
If you make this pasta Norcina recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Buon appetito!
Pasta alla Norcina (sausage pasta recipe)
This sausage and cream pasta recipe from Umbria is a very simple to make and has very few ingredients but it’s so flavourful and creamy you’ll want to make it part of your regular pasta menu.
Ingredients
- 14 oz penne or other short pasta
- 2-3 Italian pork sausages
- 1 onion white or yellow
- 1-2 black truffles I used 2 small ones (optional)
- 7 fl oz fresh cream
- ½ glass white wine
- 2 oz pecorino cheese grated
- 3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a large bowl, remove the casings from the sausages and crumble the meat. Discard the casings and bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
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In a large frying pan or skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened. Add the crumbled sausage to the pan. Cook until browned, breaking any large pieces with a spatula.
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Add white wine, stirring constantly, and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes.
-
Lower the heat, cover, and simmer the sausage for 10 minutes in its juices. Season with salt and pepper.
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Uncover, add fresh cream and truffle shavings (if using), along with half of the grated pecorino cheese. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, then remove from heat.
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Meanwhile, salt the pasta water and bring it to the boil again. Then, cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve some cooking water before draining.
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Add the drained pasta to the sausage sauce, mixing over low heat. If needed, adjust the consistency with reserved pasta water.
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Plate the pasta, topped with the remaining pecorino, fresh black pepper, and more truffle shavings if desired.
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Notes
The original recipe is made with Norcia sausage but a good Italian pork sausage would work well too. I would try to find sausage without fennel but with garlic if possible, or rosemary.
Black truffles are often added when they are in season but this dish is often made without. Truffle oil isn’t a great substitute in this recipe as it may smother the other flavours. But you could try a little or some truffle paste.
Nutrition
Calories: 894kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 27gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 583mgPotassium: 475mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 792IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 205mgIron: 2mg
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If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of one of my pasta recipe cookbooks or checkout some recommended pasta making tools?
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