Garganelli alla Norcina an elegant recipe combining handmade pasta with a rich, flavourful sausage sauce. The dish features delicate egg pasta tubes paired with a creamy fennel and Italian sausage ragù. While it requires some effort to make the pasta from scratch, the result is a restaurant-quality meal that’s perfect for impressing guests or enjoying a special dinner at home.
Preparation time
over 2 hours
Cooking time
10 to 30 mins
Serves
Serves 4
By Angela Hartnett
From Saturday Kitchen
This dish is high in protein and contains some vegetables, but its high fat content from egg yolks, sausage, and cream contributes to a lower nutritional score. The inclusion of fennel and herbs adds some beneficial nutrients, but the overall calorie density is high. more about nutri-score
Ingredients
For the pasta garganelli:
- Free-range egg yolks: 9 medium
- ’00’ flour: 300g/7oz
- Semolina flour: for dusting
For the alla Norcina:
- Olive oil: 2 tbsp
- White onion: 1, finely chopped
- Garlic cloves: 2, chopped
- Fennel bulb: ½–1, cored and finely sliced or chopped
- Italian fennel sausages: 4, meat removed from skins
- Dried red chilli flakes: ½–1 tsp
- Fennel seeds: ½–1 tsp
- Fresh rosemary: 2 sprigs, leaves removed and chopped
- White wine: 100–150ml/3½–5fl oz
- Double cream: 150ml/5fl oz
- Parmesan: 50g/1¾oz, grated, plus extra for garnish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper: to taste
Method
Prepare the Pasta Dough
- Blend egg yolks and flour in a food processor until it forms a dough.
- Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Shape the Garganelli
- Roll pasta dough through a machine to thickness setting 5.
- Cut into 4–5cm/1½–2in squares.
- Shape each square into a tube using a gnocchi board and wooden dowel.
- Rest shaped pasta for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Prepare the Alla Norcina Sauce
- Sauté onions, garlic, and fennel in olive oil for 5 minutes.
- Add sausage meat and brown.
- Incorporate chilli flakes, fennel seeds, and rosemary.
- Deglaze with white wine and reduce by half.
- Add cream and cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Finish with Parmesan and season.
Cook and Serve
- Boil garganelli in salted water for 2–3 minutes.
- Add pasta water to the sauce to create desired consistency.
- Toss cooked pasta with the sauce.
- Serve in warm bowls and garnish with extra Parmesan.
Nutri-score Health Check
This garganelli alla Norcina recipe receives a Nutri-score of D, indicating it’s less healthy due to its high fat and calorie content. The egg yolk-rich pasta, fatty sausage meat, and double cream contribute significantly to the saturated fat content. However, the dish does offer some nutritional benefits from the vegetables (onion, garlic, fennel) and herbs, providing fibre and essential vitamins. The protein content from the eggs and sausage is substantial. To improve the score, consider using leaner sausage, reducing the amount of cream, and increasing the vegetable content. Additionally, serving with a side salad could help balance the meal’s overall nutritional profile.
