Pasta with Nduja: the first course that brings Calabria to the table.

There Artisan Pasta with Nduja It is one of the most representative dishes of Calabrian cuisine: simple, quick and with a unique intensity of flavour. Scialatielli PGI from the Vecchio Pastificio di Gragnano they match perfectly with the Nduja Delights of Calabria, a spicy spreadable salami that melts in the sauce, giving it an intense red color, enveloping fattiness and an unmistakable aroma.

This dish proves that the quality of the ingredients makes all the difference: the scialatielli, with their flat, elongated shape that holds the seasoning, and the nduja, made with select pork and plenty of Calabrian DOP chili pepper, together create a first course that needs nothing more.

PGI Scialatielli from the Vecchio Pastificio di Gragnano

The Scialatielli PGI of the Old Gragnano Pasta Factory They are a type of dry pasta typical of Campania. Their rough surface, obtained from the bronze wire drawing, and their slightly irregular cross-section make them ideal for holding thick, flavorful sauces like this tomato and nduja one. Gragnano pasta, thanks to its slow air-drying process, has a structure that holds up perfectly to cooking.

Nduja: Calabria's most authentic spreadable salami

There Nduja Delights of Calabria It is a typical cured meat from Spilinga (VV), in Calabria. It is distinguished by its soft and spreadable consistency and its bright red colour given by the abundant presence of Calabrian chili pepper, rich in capsaicin. Slowly melted in the onion sauté with extra virgin olive oil, it transforms into a creamy and enveloping sauce that colors everything red. caciocavallo grated at the end of cooking, it balances the spiciness with its delicate, milky flavor.

Artisan Pasta with Nduja

There Nduja it is a typical product of the Calabria.

This is a spicy, spreadable sausage made with pork and chili pepper. Soft, it is traditionally eaten spread on bread or as a condiment for Artisan Pasta

The preparation of Nduja is A long and complex process. The pork is finely minced and mixed with salt, chili pepper, and other spices, such as fennel and oregano. The mixture is then stuffed into natural pork casings and left to cure for several weeks., during which it develops its characteristic spicy flavour.

It was originally invented as a way to preserve leftover pork, using chili pepper as a natural preservative. Today, Nduja It is produced in an artisanal way throughout Calabria, but the city of Spilinga, in the province of Vibo Valentia, is considered the home of Nduja

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Main door

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 people

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

320 g Scialatielli PGI The Old Pastificio di Gragnano
80 g Nduja Calabrian delights
1 Onion
350 g Tomato Pulp
qb Olive oil extra virgin
qb Basil
50 g Caciocavallo
qb salt

Instructions

Chop the onions and sauté them in a pan with oil.
Remove the casing from the nduja, break it into pieces and place it in the pan.
Add a ladle of hot water and mix.
Now add the tomato pulp and cook for 15 minutes, mixing well.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water and drain it al dente, then put it in the pan with the sauce and mix
Prepare some caciocavallo flakes and chop the basil.
Add both to the pan and sauté the pasta for a couple of minutes.
Your pasta with nduja is ready to be served.

Keyword Nduja, Pasta, Artisanal Pasta, Pasta with Nduja

Tips for a perfect dish

Quantity of nduja: 80g for 4 people is an optimal balance between flavour and spiciness — reduce it to 50g if you don't like spicy dishes, increase it to 100–120g for a more intense version
Dissolving the nduja: add it over medium heat to the sautéed onion and EVO oil, crushing it with a spoon — it will melt in about 2 minutes, releasing its aromatic oils
Final creaming: set aside a ladle of the pasta cooking water and add it when you combine the pasta and sauce — it helps create a creamy and enveloping sauce
The caciocavallo: use freshly grated semi-mature caciocavallo, which is tastier than the pre-packaged product

Pairings

This dish pairs perfectly with a structured red wine from Southern ItalyA Calabrian Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore or a Primitivo di Manduria balance the fattiness of the nduja and the savoryness of the caciocavallo with their tannic structure. For a regional pairing, also try a Calabrian Magliocco or a Gaglioppo.