Pasta all Norcina is a traditional Italian recipe for creamy sausage pasta. A simple weeknight dinner that your whole family will love. Tender pasta in cream sauce with Italian sausage and delicious cheese with a hint of nutmeg.
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Why you'll love this pasta dinner recipe
Pasta alla Norcina is sausage mushroom ragu, a dish from the ancient town of Norcia in the Umbria region of Italy, the country's centralmost region. The town is famous for its truffles and sausage making. The sausage in the region is made without fennel, which is one of the things that makes it unique.
The ingredients for pasta Norcia are easy to find, and substitutions work well. So, there is no need to stress if you can't find the exact cheese or sausage. The pasta dish itself is like an elevated hamburger helper or American goulash but Italian, so it is a very kid-friendly dish.
Even your pickiest eaters should enjoy this dish! The wine can be omitted and swapped out for chicken or beef broth.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is a quick snapshot of the ingredients you'll need for this recipe. Scroll to the recipe card, where you will find the exact measurements.
- Pasta - any large tubular pasta like rigatoni or cavatappi will work well for this recipe. A penne or orecchiette pasta will work as well.
- Cheese - Pecorino Romano cheese is preferred for this recipe, but you can also use Parmesan cheese. Shredded fresh off a block of cheese for best results versus pre-shredded.
- Italian sausage - traditionally, this is made with sausage that contains no fennel, but you can use any Italian sausage for this recipe. Bulk sausage is best to make the crumbled texture, but you can remove sausage from casings to use it if that is what you have. You can also make your homemade sausage with fresh ground pork.
- Mushrooms - use fresh Bella or button mushrooms that have been diced for this recipe for best results and an earthier flavor profile. If you don't care for mushrooms, you can leave them out.
- Heavy cream - there is no substitute for this in the recipe, as the higher fat content is needed for this dish.
- White wine - I used a pinot grigio, but you can use your favorite. You can substitute this with chicken broth or water if you do not want to include the wine.
How to make Pasta Alla Norcina
Preheat a large skillet on medium heat, and then add a small amount of olive oil to the pan. Add the Italian sausage, and crumble with a spatula. Cook until no longer pink.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove. Cook the rigatoni, drain, and reserve a cup of the pasta water.
Dice the mushrooms and onions. Push the sausage to one side of the pan to continue to let it cook.
Add some olive oil, then the mushrooms and onions. If your pan is not large enough to do this, then it can be done in a separate pan.
Smash the garlic with the flat side of a chef's knife and add to the pan. Alternatively, you could slice the garlic. Saute until fragrant.
Mix all the ingredients in the pan. Add the white wine and cook until reduced by at least half.
Add the heavy whipping cream and simmer until thickened and slightly reduced.
Stir in the nutmeg. If the cream sauce is too thick, then add a small amount of pasta water to the mixture. Stir in the pasta, and stir until everything is combined.
Salt and pepper the pasta to taste. Add in the shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted and incorporated.
Tips for a delicious Pasta alla Norcina!
- Don't overcook the pasta since it will be cooking for a few minutes on the stovetop prior to serving.
- Be sure to use a large tubular pasta like rigatoni that can stand up to this heavy sauce.
- Pre-cut your vegetables prior to the start of cooking, as this dish goes by fast.
- Keep the sausage refrigerated until you are ready to cook - keeping the meat cold will prevent the fat in the sausage from separating.
FAQ
Add more pasta water until the sauce is the right consistency.
Use one gallon of water, one teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon of oil. For al dente pasta, cook at the lowest time on the package.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this pasta alla norcina with crusty bread or Italian salad. This main course can also be served with a simple side of broccoli or green beans.
Storage & Reheating
Store for up to one week in an airtight container. Reheat by cooking in the microwave or the oven at 250 degrees.
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Recipe
Pasta all Norcina Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups large tubular pasta Rigatoni, penne, or cavatappi
- 8 ounces mushrooms Bella or button, diced
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage with or without fennel, can use links but will have to remove casings
- ¼ cup olive oil good quality
- 1 onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves smashed
- ½ cup white wine I used pinot grigio
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup reserved pasta water for thinning pasta sauce, may reserve more
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg or season to taste
- ¾ cup Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan, shredded
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet on medium heat. Once preheated add some of the olive oil to the pan.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add some olive water, and the dry pasta to the pan. Cook according to the directions up to the minimum time on the package. Once cooked, drain, set aside, and reserve the pasta water.
- Add the Italian sausage to the pan, and crumble it with a spatula as it cooks. Cook until no longer pink.
- Push the sausage to one side of the pan. Add a little more olive oil to the pan on the empty side. Add in the mushrooms and onions. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add in the smashed garlic and cook until fragrant or about 30 seconds.
- Stir everything together in the pan until combined.
- Add the white wine to the pan and cook until reduce by half.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently so the cream does not stick. Cook until thickened and slightly reduced.
- Add in ½ cup of the pasta water. Stir until combined.
- Stir in the cooked pasta until coated and combined. Add in the cheese, and stir until melted.
- If the pasta is too thick at this point, add in additional pasta water to thin the sauce.
- Serve immediately. You can store the leftovers for up to one week. Reheat in the microwave or the oven at 250 degrees.
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