italian pasta recipes: fileja with 'nduja

Fileja with 'nduja is the latest in my autumnal pasta series that spice lovers will fall in love with - It's from the first Vol of the Pasta & Magic series, Oil Sauces, which you can buy here: https://www.pastaandmagic.com/buypastaandmagic

There are many ways of using 'nduja in pasta dishes to add a little heat. Here we're going for the no-holds-barred approach of adding JUST the 'nduja, which of course makes for a hotter tasting pasta! If you'd like a milder version of this dish, look up the variation using a base sauce of tomato polpa and onions on my Instagram profile.

what is 'nduja?

Calabrian ‘nduja (ANN-DO-YAH) is a soft spreadable sausage made of pork and smoked chillis and was relatively unknown in the UK until a few years ago. Today you can find it in many supermarket chains, but it’s worth exploring what your local delicatessen has to offer - you may find a range of intensity in both smoky flavour and heat!

what are fileja?

Fileja (FEE-LAYYAH) are really quite unique - a shorter pasta from Calabria that has the bite and feel of a longer shape. Fileja are sometimes difficult to get hold of in supermarkets in the UK, but online delicatessens like Fratelli Camisa stock varieties like the excellent Astorino Fileja, which is what I used for this recipe. If you can’t get hold of any, busiate or casarecce are an acceptable substitute.

ingredients

FOR FOUR PEOPLE

• 1-2 tablespoons 'nduja

• pangrattato

• pecorino

  
  

  PASTA

• 400g (14oz) dry fileja / casarecce / busiate

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what you'll need to do

• make some pangrattato

• melt the 'nduja

• boil the pasta

• combine, plate and serve

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making pangrattato

Pangrattato is breadcrumbs fried with olive oil. Old ciabatta-type bread is best; if you only have fresh then give it 20 min in the oven to crisp up a bit, then pulse in a blender until you have uniform crumbs. For 200g bread, at least 3 or 4 tablespoons of oil. Don’t go too greasy, but do make the pangrattato taste of something! (I sometimes add a chopped-up anchovy or two and/or smoked paprika).

Cook the pangrattato in a non-stick pan gently and slowly. It’s done when it has a golden brown look to it and a slightly nutty flavour.

melting the 'nduja

Obviously, if you're cooking for children or anyone averse to spicy food, maybe consider leaving the 'nduja out of this recipe! If you haven't got any 'nduja, hot smoked paprika or cayenne pepper are alternatives. To make the 'nduja drizzle, gently warm a small amount of ‘nduja in a frying pan and add small amounts of pasta cooking water until it melts.

cooking the fileja and combining

Boil and cook the fileja.

When it’s just past al dente, fish the pasta out and combine with the melted ‘nduja in your pasta tossing pan, with perhaps a small amount of cooking water from the pasta. Don’t let the pasta coating get too starchy; go velvety, not wallpaper paste. Light to no mantecatura.

Serve immediately with the pangrattato sprinkled on the top, and pecorino if you want some cheese too.

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what's the best pasta to use for fileja with 'nduja?

I’ve used striped the traditional Calabrian fileja, but casarecce, busiate, long or giant fusilli or even penne would work as an alternative. For long shapes, consider tuscan pici, bucatini or the thickest spaghettoni you can find.

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You can order your copy of Pasta & Magic: Oil Sauces here: https://www.pastaandmagic.com/buypastaandmagic