15 Min Nduja Penne Pasta
If you don’t know what Nduja is, you better get familiar! It is a spicy Calabrian salumi spread that is used in so many awesome ways. It’s made with pork shoulder and belly, roasted peppers, and several spices. Spread Nduja on crusty bread, stuff it in dates, top it on pizza, and my personal favorite; turn it into a pantry pasta dish that cooks in TEN MINUTES.
If you are strapped on time or feeling particularly lazy, this is the perfect meal. It’s great for a mid-week dinner party too! Just serve with a really good red wine blend, a mixed greens salad with a tangy vinaigrette and you are ready to go. You don’t even need to prep; just make sure you have all the ingredients before you get home. Your friends will think you are a culinary genius… hey, it’s what I’m here for.
Pasta is ALWAYS a good idea.
6 main ingredients - salty, acidic, fatty and spicy! Samin would be proud.
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15 Min Nduja Penne
Prep: 5 Min Cook Time: 10 Min
Serves 4
Ingredients:
12oz Pasta such as Penne or Rigatone
4oz Nduja
Castelvetrano Olives – handful, chopped
Cherry Tomatoes - handful
2-3 cloves garlic
¼C parmesan
Bread Crumbs - optional
1 Lemon – zested
2tbs Olive Oil
Method:
Set a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
Smash garlic, chop olives. Set aside.
Zest 1 lemon and add to a small bowl. Add parmesan and bread crumbs. Season with pepper to taste. Add 1tbs olive oil and mix to combine. Set aside.
In a large sauce pan, heat 1tbs olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until golden. Add Tomatoes and let blister. Add Olives and cook 1-2 min. Add Nduja and break it down with the back of the spoon. Smash the tomatoes with the back of the spoon. Stir and cook until Nduja starts to render all the fat and cooks down to a sauce. Add ¼ of a cup of pasta water to thin it out and create a binding for the pasta. Reduce heat to low.
Drain pasta when it is cooked to ‘al-dente’ about 9 min. You want this pasta to be just slightly more firm so that it can finish cooking in the sauce without becoming overcooked. Add pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Top with cheese and broil 5 min or until cheese starts to turn golden and edges are a little crispy. Top with fresh herbs such as chopped parsley, oregano, or basil. Enjoy!
So simple and delicious - serve it right out of the pan
