The pasta ‘nduja and ricotta is a very simple and especially quick first course to prepare, with the sauce ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta, much like classic tuna spaghetti.
For those who don’t know what ‘nduja is (though I doubt it!), it is a very spicy spreadable salami due to its high concentration of chili pepper. The most famous is the ‘nduja of Spilinga in the province of Vibo Valentia, Calabria.
For this dish, besides ‘nduja, I used another typical Calabrian product, the red onion of Tropea, to create the base of the sauce for this pasta, to which I added buffalo ricotta. With its delicate flavor and velvety texture, it tones down the high spiciness of the sauce and makes the entire dish very creamy.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then… let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 11 oz pasta
- 1 cup buffalo ricotta
- 2 oz nduja
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- A few leaves basil
- to taste grated Parmesan cheese
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Pot high sides
- 1 Knife
- 1 Food scale
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Ladle for spaghetti
Steps
To prepare the pasta ‘nduja and ricotta, first bring the water for cooking the pasta to a boil, and in the meantime, focus on the sauce.
Peel, wash, and finely slice an onion, preferably red Tropea onion, and sauté it in a drizzle of oil in a pan.
Let it wilt without burning, then add the ‘nduja in pieces and let it melt over low heat, adding a ladle of cooking water.
When the water comes to a boil, drop the pasta and cook it al dente, then lift it with a skimmer or spaghetti tongs (depending on whether you’re using short or long format) and transfer it directly to the pan.
Toss the pasta with the sauce and cook it, adding a little more cooking water.
Turn off the heat, add the grated cheese and the ricotta.
Mix well until the ricotta forms a nice cream, helping with a little more pasta water.
All that’s left is to plate and finish your pasta ‘nduja and ricotta with more grated cheese and a basil leaf for freshness and color 😋.
Notes
The amount of ‘nduja to use is quite subjective and depends on how spicy you want the dish and the spiciness level of the ‘nduja used.
Variations
It is possible to add a bit of tomato puree to the ‘nduja and ricotta sauce.
