A Culinary Visit to Umbria before my Actual Visit to Umbria #ItalianFWT

We are leaving next month on a long-anticipated trip to Italy.  We are flying into Naples, spending time on the Amalfi Coast, and spending a few days in Rome before heading to Umbria and Tuscany.  We will spend a day in Florence before catching our flight home.

Gwendolyn of Wine Predator is hosting our Italian Food, Wine, and Travel event this month and chose Umbria as the destination to explore.  I was excited to spend some time virtually in this area before our actual visit.

While in Umbria, we will visit an olive grove in Spoleto, hunt truffles in the shadow of the Alps, and take a hot-air balloon ride over Assisi.  

The dish that I made to share with you today has its roots in Umbria.  Pasta alla Norcina translates to Pasta from Norcia, a town in Umbria, popular for pork butchery and sausage. 

I purchased two bottles of Umbrian wine from Total Wine and prepared a very loosely adapted version of this local dish.  In Norcia, they use a mild pork sausage.  I used ground pork and flavored it with onions, garlic, and Italian Herbs.  I don't have access to black truffles (yet), so I finely chopped some Cremeni mushrooms for the sauce.  I also used Parmigiano Reggiano cheese instead of Pecorino.

While not authentic, it was still a delicious, warm, comforting bowl of pasta.  I used some of the Bellini Orvieto Classico in the sauce, and also to pair with the dish.  

This bottle of crisp, citrusy white is a steal at only $13 a bottle.  It not only flavored the sauce, but I thought it was a perfect match with the pasta.  This wine is also delicious to enjoy on its own.  I think I may have found a new summer sipper while enjoying our pool and deck.

I also picked up a bottle of Montefalco from Montioni Vineyards in Umbria.  This bottle was priced at $25.  It is a medium-bodied, red blend with spicy notes.  My husband preferred this wine (he always goes for red), but did agree that the white paired better with the pasta.

I am so looking forward to my vacation, where I hope to do a lot of wine tasting and pairings.  Don't miss out on these other articles about Umbria from our gang at Italian FWT......

Katarina Anderson of Grapevine Adventures suggests "Decoding Sagrantino via a Vertical Tasting of Romanelli's Terra Cupa."

Jeff Burrows offers "Versatile Trebbiano Spoletino; a New Star from Umbria" on Food Wine Click!

Susannah Gold shares "Discovering Spectacular Wines in the Green Heart of Italy - Montefalco in Umbria" on Avvinare.

Wendy Klik pens "A Culinary Visit to Umbria before my Physical Visit to Umbria" for A Day in the Life on the Farm.

Camilla Mann of Culinary Cam travels with "Umbrian Wines on a Summer Road Trip with Loved Ones."

Wine Predator Gwendolyn Alley begins with "An Invite to Umbria, A Visit to Montefalco’s Cocco Ilaria, and a Pairing: Orange Spoletino “Ponderata” Paired with Peach Salad + Carbonara" and ends with "Meeting Umbria's Emma Di Filippo + her Vernaccia di Cannara Colli Martani D.O.C. Paired with Nonna's Chocolate Cake."

Entrees, Pasta, Mushrooms, Pork

Entrees, Pasta

Italian

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Pasta alla Norcina

Pasta alla Norcina translates to Pasta from Norcia, a town in Umbria, popular for pork butchery and sausage. 

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 2 T. olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small, sweet onion, diced
• 1 t. Italian Herb Blend
• 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 c. dry white wine
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 lb. Penne pasta
• pinch of grated nutmeg
• Parmesan or Pecorino Romano Cheese for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta per package direction.
2. On an adjacent burner, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven. Add the pork, season with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs, and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink. Add the onions and garlic and cook until fragrant and translucent.
3. Add the white wine, bring to a boil and cook, scraping up any browned bits sticking to the pan, until wine is reduced by half. Stir in the cream, season with the nutmeg, and reduce the sauce to a simmer until the pasta is cooked.
4. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta from the cooking water to the sauce. Stir to combine, adding a little of the pasta cooking water, if needed, to coat the pasta.
5. Pour into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with a handful of cheese before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

746

Fat (grams)

38 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

17 g

Carbs (grams)

67 g

Fiber (grams)

4 g

Net carbs

64 g

Sugar (grams)

8 g

Protein (grams)

28 g

Sodium (milligrams)

161 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

104 mg

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Leftover Pork Ragu

Pasta with Sausage and Eggplant

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