This Salsiccia Pasta Is the Only Recipe You’ll Want This Summer

If summer had a flavor, for the Zarrella family, it would be salsiccia pasta simmered in a creamy tomato sauce and finished with silky mozzarella.

This rustic recipe—straight from the kitchen of Clementina Zarrella, mother of social media chef Stefano Zarrella—is not only a family favorite but a powerful reminder that the best meals come from simple ingredients and generations of care.

Clementina’s approach is textbook Italian: don’t overcomplicate it.

Let quality sausage, ripe tomatoes, and a few well-chosen extras speak for themselves.

The Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for two generous servings:

• 300 g Italian sausage (salsiccia)
• 400 g passata (strained tomatoes)
• 125 g classic mozzarella
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1–2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 40 g grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• A few sprigs of fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 250 g burrata for extra creaminess
• Your favorite pasta (rigatoni or penne recommended)

Step-by-Step

Start by preparing your flavor base: sauté finely diced onion in olive oil until soft and translucent. Meanwhile, peel the sausage and crumble it into bite-sized chunks. Add it to the pan and cook until golden, seasoned simply with salt and pepper.

As your sausage browns, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just al dente. Be sure to save a cup of the cooking water—it’s liquid gold for your sauce.

Once the sausage is set aside, toss the fresh tomatoes into the still-hot pan for a quick fry. Then, for the magic moment: blend the tomatoes with basil, passata, and burrata (if using) until smooth and velvety. This becomes your creamy, sun-kissed sauce.

Pour it back into the pan, stir in the cooked pasta, and gently add splashes of pasta water until the sauce clings just right. Fold the browned sausage back in, stir well, and let everything warm through.

To Serve: The Italian Way

Plate it up with a flourish of Parmesan, a few extra bits of sausage or tomato for texture, and a fresh basil leaf or two. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil for that glossy Italian touch.

It’s comfort food that doesn’t weigh you down—just enough indulgence to satisfy, but fresh and vibrant enough for the warmest of days.