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Pasta alla Norcina

Pasta alla Norcina is a rich and unbelievably delicious pasta dish from Umbria. Made with Italian sausage and white wine in a creamy truffle sauce topped with Pecorino cheese. It's indulgent, decadent and full of incredible flavour plus it's ready in just 30 minutes!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4 - 6 servings
Calories: 668 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 14 oz (400g) penne pasta
  • 4 Italian sausages (around 350g/12oz)
  • 1 white onion finely chopped
  • ½ cup (125ml) white wine (we used Pinot Grigio)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) heavy (double) cream
  • truffle paste or truffle oil to taste (see notes)
  • pecorino romano
  • salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Finely chop the onion.
  2. Heat a large pan on a medium heat. Remove the sausages from their casing and brown in the pan for 2-3 minutes breaking them with the side of a wooden spoon,
  3. Once browned, add the finely chopped onion and saute with the sausage until caramelised, about 7-8 minutes. Do this on a medium heat, the onion should go soft and translucent then start to turn golden but don’t let it burn.
  4. When the onion is done add your pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
  5. Next, add the white wine to the pan to deglaze. Scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce by half.
  6. Once reduced, add the cream and bring to a gentle simmer until the pasta is ready.
  7. Just before adding the pasta stir the truffle paste or oil into the creamy sauce. We recommend adding a little at a time and taste, it shouldn’t be overpowering.
  8. Add a grating of Pecorino cheese then add the pasta and toss to coat in the sauce.
  9. Serve in bowls topped with more grated Pecorino cheese.

Notes

  • Top tip - caramelising the onion and sausage together really adds a lot of flavour. Do this on a medium heat until the onion is soft, translucent and starting to turn golden but don’t let it burn. When you deglaze the pan with wine make sure to scrape all those brown bits from the bottom of the pan, there’s so much flavour there!
  • Adding truffle - if you are using fresh black truffle just grate or finely slice it over each bowl of pasta at the end. If using truffle paste or oil you can use white or black truffle but just make sure to add it sparingly especially if using oil as it can be quite pungent. Add it to taste to make sure it doesn’t overpower the other flavours.
  • Italian sausages - try to avoid sausages with fennel or chilli flakes as they’ll change the flavour of the dish.
  • Leftovers - because this is a crea-based sauce it’s best eaten immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated in a pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
  • Top tip - caramelising the onion and sausage together really adds a lot of flavour. Do this on a medium heat until the onion is soft, translucent and starting to turn golden but don’t let it burn. When you deglaze the pan with wine make sure to scrape all those brown bits from the bottom of the pan, there’s so much flavour there!
  • Adding truffle - if you are using fresh black truffle just grate or finely slice it over each bowl of pasta at the end. If using truffle paste or oil you can use white or black truffle but just make sure to add it sparingly especially if using oil as it can be quite pungent. Add it to taste to make sure it doesn’t overpower the other flavours.
  • Italian sausages - try to avoid sausages with fennel or chilli flakes as they’ll change the flavour of the dish.
  • Leftovers - because this is a crea-based sauce it’s best eaten immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated in a pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
  • Freezing - I do not recommend freezing this pasta or sauce.

Nutrition Information

Calories 668kcal (33%) Carbohydrates 79g (26%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 24g (37%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 10g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 61mg (20%) Sodium 550mg (23%) Potassium 512mg (15%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 68IU (1%) Vitamin C 4mg (4%) Calcium 41mg (4%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4- 6 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 668

% Daily Value*

Calories 668kcal 33%
Carbohydrates 79g 26%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 24g 37%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 550mg 23%
Potassium 512mg 11%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 68IU 1%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 41mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.