Calabria / Cosenza
Fileja alla ’Nduja
Hand-rolled Calabrian pasta in a spreadable chilli salami sauce

From the Ro & Ti kitchen — Fileja alla ’Nduja in motion.
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
25 minutes
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Region
Calabria
What you’ll need
Ingredients
- 14 oz fileja, busiate, or another twisted dried pasta Dried Fileja →
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil →
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2⅞–3½ oz ’nduja 'Nduja →
- 2⅞ cups passata or peeled tomatoes, crushed (about 5–6 medium tomatoes) Tomato Passata →
- Sea salt
- Grated pecorino crotonese or ricotta salata, to serve Aged Pecorino →
At the stove
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil.
- 2
Warm the olive oil in a wide pan and cook the onion gently for 6–8 minutes until translucent.
- 3
Add the ’nduja and break it up with a wooden spoon; it will melt into the oil and turn it deep red.
- 4
Add the tomatoes, season lightly, and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the fat separates slightly.
- 5
Cook the pasta until just short of al dente, then transfer it to the pan with a ladle of pasta water and toss for a minute so the sauce coats every twist.
- 6
Serve with grated cheese; the sauce is already well seasoned by the salami.
Recipe notes
’Nduja varies in heat and salt from producer to producer. Start with 2⅞ oz and taste before adding more.
The dish needs no garlic or herbs — the salami carries the flavour.
Context
’Nduja is a soft, spreadable pork salami from Spilinga in the province of Vibo Valentia, and has become one of Calabria's best-known exports. Fileja is a traditional Calabrian pasta shape rolled around a thin rod.
Sources: Editorial adaptation of documented Calabrian regional cooking, Ro & Ti Kitchen
To serve alongside
Bread, and Something Light
Bread came to the table with the main course, so the side stayed light — a salad or a plate of vegetables, dressed simply and eaten at the same time.
Keep cooking






