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How to Make Italian Pasta alla Norcina

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Pasta Alla Norcina is a pasta dish that made with Orecchiette (“Little ears”) and flavorful pork sauce, with a light cream sauce. The small round orecchiette pasta becomes a tiny bowl, that holds the sauce– and we love the slight chewy texture.

 This creamy comfort dish originated in the Italian village of Norcia, located in the southeastern part of the Umbrian region of Italy. Umbrian sausage is the traditional ingredient for this cream sauce, but it’s not easy to find. To “mimic” this sausage, this recipe uses ground pork, seasoned with garlic and herbs. Finely minced mushrooms and white wine helps to round out the flavor of this cream sauce, with minced cooked pork “sausage”.

There are so many versions of pasta that I have yet to discover. A few years ago, I made a Sardinian Pasta with Semolina Gnocchi. That was fun to do, and also delicious!  In this month’s issue of Cook’s Illustrated, a recipe for Pasta alla Norcina was one of the many recipes that intrigued me.

Norcia, in the mountains of southeastern Umbria, is famous for it’s black truffles and pork, particularly sausages and salami. This  recipe, created to highlight Umbria’s delicious sausages can be found all across the region. Umbrian sausage is the traditional ingredient for this cream sauce, but it’s not easy to find.  I always find it interesting to read how Cook’s Illustrated finds a workaround when a particular ingredient isn’t readily available in our local supermarket.


Their solution was by starting with store-bought ground pork and making a strong brine with salt to speed its effect. To ensure the juiciest (and most flavorful) possible sausage, they added baking soda and seared the sausage in the form of a patty (seasoned with garlic and rosemary) on both sides before chopping it into small pieces and gently finishing it in the sauce of cream, wine, and mushrooms.


I hoard all kinds of pasta, and orecchiette (“little ears”) is one of my personal favorites.
When cooked to just “al dente” we like their thick, slightly chewy texture.
 I love how the orecchiette has little pockets that fill with the creme sauce and bits of sauce.
The recipe wasn’t very  difficult to make, and I was able to serve this to my family in about 45 minutes.  There’s some washing of bowls and a food processor to deal with, though, so I wouldn’t say this is “fast food”. Please forgive that there isn’t any fancy kind of food styling to this dish– this is a work night, after all, and I’m blogging in real time!  
TASTING NOTES:  My son really liked the cream sauce.  Some of you might be asking if you trim back the calories, by using a low-fat milk or half and half. The answer is– I don’t know! I don’t make cream sauces on a regular basis, but to me, there is nothing like the silky texture and rich flavor that comes from heavy cream.  Pecorino Romano cheese. Instead, I used Parmigiano Reggiano. Either way, I suggest adding only half the cheese to the sauce, and giving it a taste. The Parmigiano Reggiano is a bit on the salty side, so I’m glad that I didn’t go crazy with it.  The lemon juice, to me is crucial as the acidity balances out the saltiness from the cheese.  One more thing– adding red pepper flakes is something I would suggest. I like how it kicks up the flavor a notch or two.  
This is a comforting dish, and a nice change from ordinary spaghetti with a tomato sauce. This made four helpings. It’s a good thing, because my son went back for seconds. TO REHEAT:  If you have leftovers, I splashed in a little chicken broth and reheated in the microwave. I then dumped all the reheated pasta into a skillet, and splashed some fresh heavy cream and reduced it for a couple of minutes. Perfect!
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Pasta alla Norcina

This creamy comfort dish originated in the Italian village of Norcia, located in the southeastern part of the Umbrian region of Italy. Umbrian sausage is the traditional ingredient for this cream sauce, but it's not easy to find. To "mimic" this sausage, this recipe uses ground pork, seasoned with garlic and herbs. Finely minced mushrooms and white wine helps to round out the flavor of this cream sauce, with minced cooked pork "sausage".
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: main
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: orecchiette, Pasta alla Norcina
Servings: 6
Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 ounces ground pork
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons fresh rosemary minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms trimmed
  • 7 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 pound orecchiette
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 1/2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese* grated (3/4 cup) (I substitued Parmigiano Reggiano)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • Parmigiano Reggiano to taste

Instructions

  • Grease large dinner plate with vegetable oil spray. Dissolve 1⅛ teaspoons salt and baking soda in 4 teaspoons water in medium bowl. Add pork and fold gently to combine; let stand for 10 minutes.
  • Add 1 teaspoon garlic, 3/4 teaspoon rosemary, nutmeg, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to pork and smear with rubber spatula until well combined and tacky, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer pork mixture to greased plate and form into rough 6-inch patty.
  • Pulse mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, 10 to 12 pulses.
  • Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add patty and cook without moving it until bottom is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip patty and continue to cook until second side is well browned, 2 to 3 minutes longer (very center of patty will be raw).
  • Remove pan from heat, transfer sausage to cutting board, and chop into 1/8- to 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer sausage to bowl and add cream; set aside.
  • Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
  • While pasta cooks, return now-empty skillet to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, mushrooms, and ⅛ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons oil, remaining garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, and ½ teaspoon pepper (and red pepper flakes, if using); cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
    Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until completely evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
    Stir in sausage-cream mixture and ¾ cup reserved cooking water and simmer until meat is no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes.
    Remove pan from heat and stir in Pecorino (or Parmigiano Reggiano) until smooth.
  • NOTE: You might want to add half of the cheese and taste, at first. Sometimes, the cheese can add a lot of salty flavor. Add more, if you desire.
  • Add sauce, parsley, and lemon juice to pasta and toss well to coat.
  • Before serving, adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

NOTE: You might want to add half of the cheese and taste, at first. Sometimes, the cheese can add a lot of salty flavor. Add more, if you desire.
Recipe source: Very slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!
debby

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Comments

  3. Big Dude says

    Growing up in a town with about half Italians, it is my favorite food, even though we don't eat it that often. This dish sounds super good and must me tried – like you, I like the way the little ears hold the sauce.

    Reply

  4. Bill says

    I'm with you on pasta! It's one of my favorite comfort foods. I'm trying to lighten things up post-holiday, but I'm keeping this recipe in mind for when I get my weight back in control! Great post, Debby!

    Reply

  10. Maggie says

    I saw this last week on America's Test Kitchen. I loved the recipe and am making it today for 5 friends. I'm making a double batch for the big appetites that are coming. They are my guinea pigs and happy about it! Where I live the tastes are simple. Near the beach on the Eastern Shore and lots of farm country, there isn't a lot of "gourmet" cooking going on around here (except for me 🙂 So it was nearly impossible to find the orecchiette. I went to every grocery store within 15 miles (there are only a few) and no one had any. So I was going to have to settle for pipettes. But as the little hats are also one of my very favorites, I made on last ditch effort and drove another 25 miles to a Harris Teeter and found my beloved orrecchiette!!! I don't think the dish would be quite the same without them.

    Reply

  12. Catherine Court says

    I made this on a cottage retreat with my husband. Comfort food at its finest. It was delicious! We paired it with a wonderful Montepulciano. Oh, and I used chanterelles in my recipe.

    Reply

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