Pasta alla norcina

Pasta alla norcina

Umbria is famous for its pork products, and this indulgent pasta dish from the town of Norcia is a local speciality. Golden nuggets of fried sausage and earthy porcini mushrooms infuse the cream sauce with all their wonderful flavours, coating each piece of pasta in chef Masha Rener’s unapologetically rich recipe.

Pasta alla norcina

“Umbria is one of the few Italian regions without access to the coast, which makes it a little mysterious – difficult to reach yet breathtakingly beautiful. This land of saints, named the green heart of Italy for the ancient woods that cover it, is home to a slow way of life, tied to tradition,” says Masha. “This dish is typical of its regional cuisine, which will amaze you with its intense flavours.”

Born in a remote valley between Tuscany and Umbria, Masha grew up on her parents’ organic farm and restaurant, La Chiusa, where she learnt to cook. At 19, she moved to London, where she discovered Soho’s Italian deli, Lina Stores. Today, after running her own restaurant in Italy, Masha is at the helm of Lina Stores’ restaurants.

Discover everything there is to know about the food of Umbria, including its star cheeses and wines, in our full guide to the region.

  • Serves icon Serves 4
  • Time icon Hands-on time 30 min. Simmering time 10 min

Umbria is famous for its pork products, and this indulgent pasta dish from the town of Norcia is a local speciality. Golden nuggets of fried sausage and earthy porcini mushrooms infuse the cream sauce with all their wonderful flavours, coating each piece of pasta in chef Masha Rener’s unapologetically rich recipe.

“Umbria is one of the few Italian regions without access to the coast, which makes it a little mysterious – difficult to reach yet breathtakingly beautiful. This land of saints, named the green heart of Italy for the ancient woods that cover it, is home to a slow way of life, tied to tradition,” says Masha. “This dish is typical of its regional cuisine, which will amaze you with its intense flavours.”

Born in a remote valley between Tuscany and Umbria, Masha grew up on her parents’ organic farm and restaurant, La Chiusa, where she learnt to cook. At 19, she moved to London, where she discovered Soho’s Italian deli, Lina Stores. Today, after running her own restaurant in Italy, Masha is at the helm of Lina Stores’ restaurants.

Discover everything there is to know about the food of Umbria, including its star cheeses and wines, in our full guide to the region.

Nutrition: Per serving

Calories
944kcals
Fat
50g (24g saturated)
Protein
37g
Carbohydrates
83g (5.6g sugars)
Fibre
6.7g
Salt
1.3g

Ingredients

  • 30g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 500g pork sausages
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 10g plain flour
  • 400ml single cream
  • 400g dried rigatoni or other tubular pasta
  • Finely grated parmesan to serve
Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. Put the mushrooms in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, split open the sausages and crumble the meat into a wide non-stick saucepan. Put over a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until golden and crisp all over.
  2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Drain the mushrooms, then chop into smaller pieces. Add them to the pan with the garlic and fry for a few minutes, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well.
  3. Pour in the cream, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions
  4. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, mixing well. Divide among bowls and finish with some parmesan.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
944kcals
Fat
50g (24g saturated)
Protein
37g
Carbohydrates
83g (5.6g sugars)
Fibre
6.7g
Salt
1.3g

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

Masha Rener

Subscribe

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Rate & review

Rate

Reviews

Share a tip

Or, how about...?

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Homemade pasta

Malloreddus with veal ragù

Chef Antonio ‘Lello’ Favuzzi shares a classic recipe from his...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Spaghetti

Chitarrone alla teramana (square spaghetti with mini meatballs)

Everyone thinks spaghetti with meatballs is an Italian-American invention –...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Chestnuts

Creamy sausage pasta with watercress and chestnut pesto

Our speedy sausage pasta recipe, with chestnuts and watercress, serves...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Summer pastas

Sicilian sausage pasta

Spice up your midweek suppers with this super speedy Sicilian...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Friday night dinners

Pasta with sausages, fennel seed and mozzarella ragù

This cumberland sausage and mozzarella ragù from Debbie Major takes...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Vegetarian comfort food

Baked gnocchi with cream, mushrooms and blue cheese sauce

This recipe of soft, pillowy gnocchi baked in a creamy...

Subscribe to our magazine

Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.

Subscribe

Unleash your inner chef

Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter

We treat your data with care. See our privacy policy. By signing up, you are agreeing to delicious.’ terms and conditions. Unsubscribe at any time.