If you have some seriously good and ripe tomatoes, replace the passata with 1kg of them and cook them down in the same way.
'Nduja recipes · Italian recipes
Ziti spezzati nduja e ricotta (ziti with ’nduja and salted ricotta)
’Nduja – a spicy, sweet and soft salami – has taken the UK by storm over the past few years, but it’s the small Calabrian town of Spilinga that we have to thank for it. Such a flavourful ingredient needs nothing more than a simple tomato sauce and a sprinkling of cheese shine in this pasta dish from chef Francesco Chiarelli. “Every dish in Calabria is an expression of the territory and speaks its own language,” says Francesco. “Each place follows its own tradition. This is what makes my home region so special.” Browse our full guide to the gourmet delights of Calabria. Francesco grew up in Calabria, where he gained his culinary qualifications, working in local hotels and restaurants. He moved to London in 2012 to work with another renowned Calabrian chef, Francesco Mazzei, at L’Anima. Francesco Chiarelli went on to become sous chef at the Italian restaurant Sartoria, in Mayfair, before moving to Fiume in Battersea as head chef. He returned to Sartoria as head chef in 2019, where he manages a team of 20 and creates refined Italian menus.
Serves4
Hands-on20 min . Simmering time 1 hour 15 min
Oven1 hour 15 min
DifficultyEasy
Method
Put 2 tbsp of the oil in a saucepan over a low-medium heat, then add the onion. Cook for 15 minutes until very soft, then tip in the passata and season with a pinch of salt. Leave to very gently simmer for 1 hour or until the sauce is thick, rich and glossy (add a splash of water if it starts to catch).
Once cooked, add the remaining oil to another saucepan over a low-medium heat. Add the garlic, sizzle until golden, then stir in the basil. Immediately pour the oil into the tomato sauce, stir, then pour the sauce into a sieve set over a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to push the smooth sauce through the sieve – you should end up with around 250g in total.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. In the same saucepan you used to infuse the oil, add the ’nduja and put over a medium heat. Cook until the ’nduja melts, then pour in the tomato sauce and two thirds of the cheese. Stir and leave to gently simmer while you boil the pasta for a few minutes less than it states on the packet instructions (or until al dente).
Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of cooking water, then add it to the sauce. Stir vigorously, adding splashes of the pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Divide the pasta among bowls, then serve with the remaining cheese, some fresh basil leaves and a final drizzle of olive oil.
Nutrition
| Calories | 683kcals |
|---|---|
| Fat | 27g (6.8g saturated) |
| Protein | 20g |
| Carbohydrates | 83g (14g sugars) |
| Fibre | 7.6g |
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