I think I found my new favorite pasta dish. I recently served this to my parents and husband, and they all seemed a little caught by surprise at how flavorful and tasty this Pasta alla Norcina is!
I’m so used to only thinking of sausage and pasta with a red sauce, but this dish has forever changed my mind. Inspired by a local vendor at one of our farmers’ markets in the area, I’m so glad I gave this combination a try! Let me know what you think in the comments.
What is Pasta alla Norcina?
Pasta alla Norcina is a typical recipe from Umbria; specifically the ancient town of Norcia, famous for its sausages and cured meats. You could normally make this pasta with Norcia sausage, but I’m using Italian sausage since it’s available here.
Best Pasta to use for Pasta alla Norcina
To keep this recipe real food approved, make sure whatever pasta you do use is whole-wheat. I like to use fettucini, but you can certainly use penne or rigatoni.
Do I Have to Use Dried Mushrooms?
No, there are many different variations for this recipe and a lot of them don’t call for mushrooms at all. Feel free to omit them if you can’t find them or don’t want to include them.
More Favorite Pasta Recipes
One of the best things about pasta dishes is that they usually take no time at all. Perfect for busy weeknights, here are some of my other favorite pasta recipes.
Pasta alla Norcina (sausage + cream sauce)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (can sub water)
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 ounce pack dried chantrelle mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion cut into a small dice
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage (mild or spicy, depending on what you like!) or sausage links with casings removed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces whole-wheat fettucini (or other shape), cooked according to package directions
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh Italian parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the wine, water, and dried mushrooms in a small pot. Simmer over low heat until the mushrooms have softened, about 10 minutes. To remove any sediment, strain the liquid through a fine sieve or coffee filter (and reserve the liquid) and rinse off the mushrooms in fresh water. Set aside for the sauce.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onion and stir occasionally until translucent and soft but not brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the sausage and cook while breaking it up with a spoon, until brown and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard the fat.
- Add in the mushrooms, mushroom liquid, heavy cream, and parmesan, stir to combine. Stir in the cooked noodles and bring to a simmer for a few minutes to help thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with fresh parsley (and additional parmesan, if desired), and serve immediately.
Notes
- We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
- Can be gluten-free if using GF pasta.
This was quite yummy!! Should definitely give it a try!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! – Nicole
This looks delicious! I will definitely be trying this for dinner sometime
Great! Let us know how it turns out when you do. – Nicole
I will give this a try soon! I am planning to cook for my husband (which will definitely be a surprise for him) for his birthday this July. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for this recipe. My hubbie use to love a sausage and pasta dish from a local restaurant that had way too much fat and sodium in it. I’ll give this a try soon
Let us know how this one turns out for you! – Nicole
This sounds amazing and we love cream sauces!! We’ve noticed one of our kids doesn’t handle the heavy cream well – do you have any recommendations on what we can sub to still get a great consistency and flavor?