Skip to content

Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Penne Norcia

Norcia is a town in Central Italy known for boar and sausages. It’s one of the main dishes I serve to company. The key is to use the absolute best sausage you can find (or prepare). The Norcia base would actually work as a filling for a killer Sloppy Joe sandwich if one used ground beef instead of sausage.

Ingredients

1 lb. Dry penne pasta
1 gallon Water
¼ cup Kosher salt
½ cup Chicken stock (see recipe)
4 cups Norcia base (see recipe)
¼ cup Reserved pasta water
Extra virgin olive oil as needed.
Grated Pecorino Romano as needed.

Norica Base:
2 TB Extra Virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups Diced red onion
2 lbs. Ground Italian sausage
1 (6 oz. can) Tomato paste
1 cup Dry white wine
1 cup Chicken stock, heated
½ cup Milk, heated
¼ tsp Crushed red pepper

Instructions

Prepare penne according to the instructions on the package.

Add the chicken stock and Norcia base in a large skillet over medium heat.  Stir frequently until hot, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add reserved pasta water and hot penne pasta and combine thoroughly.

Divide among 6-8 serving bowls and finish each with extra virgin olive oil and grated cheese as desired.

Norcia Base

Heat olive oil. Add onions and cook until soft, about 6-8 minutes, being careful not to brown them.

Add Italian sausage and cook until all the sausage is browned. Drain excess fat.

Add tomato paste to the pan surface and stir 4-5 minutes to caramelize the paste. Return sausage and onion mixture to pan and stir into the paste.

Add the wine and reduce until nearly dry, stirring frequently.

In a separate pan, heat the stock and milk, then add heated mixture to the sausage mixture. Reduce until still moist, not completely dry.

Stir in crushed red pepper and remove from heat.

Yield: 5 cups

Recent Recipes

Salsa

Makes about 3 cups Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse several…

Read more

Pastel de Huevo

OK, so it’s a quiche. But “Mexican Quiche” just didn’t sound right. I’ve already thrown in an Italian version in this book. I don’t want to do even more to insult the Francophiles. So, we’ll just call it an egg pie. If you have a Mexican market nearby, purchase your chorizo there (unless you make your own). Substitute queso cotija or queso chihuahua for a little more depth in the flavor profile. Leftover salsa can be used for a topping on scrambled eggs or a dip with chips later in the day.

Read more

Baked Potato Quiche

I call this recipe “Comfort quiche.” It’s perfect for a cold December evening. The great thing about quiche is that it can be prepared in advance and held cold in the refrigerator or frozen up to a couple of weeks. When the holidays are hectic and the house is crowded, this quiche is perfect as a lap meal in front of the fireplace served alongside a light salad.

Read more