Calabrian Struncatura with Dried Tomatoes and Nduja

La Struncation is one of the oldest and most characteristic pasta formats of Calabria, once considered "pasta of the poor" and now revalued as a regional excellence. Paired with the sun-dried tomatoes in oil and to the nduja of Spilinga, becomes an explosive first course of flavor, spicy to the right degree and deeply rooted in the culinary tradition of Southern Italy.

Ingredients

• 320 g of Calabrian Struncatura
• 80 g of nduja from Spilinga
• 100 g dried tomatoes in oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 tablespoons of Calabrian extra virgin olive oil
• Grated Calabrian pecorino cheese q.b.
• Calabrian chili pepper q.b.
• Salt to taste.

Proceedings

1. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil and cook the Struncatura al dente following the times indicated on the package.
2. In a large skillet, heat EVO oil with crushed garlic over medium heat.
3. Add the nduja and melt it into the oil, stirring, until creamy and aromatic.
4. Add the dried tomatoes cut into strips and saute for 2 minutes.
5. Drain pasta al dente, retaining a ladleful of cooking water.
6. Stir the pasta into the sauce, adding the cooking water to mix.
7. Serve with plenty of grated Calabrian pecorino cheese and a drizzle of raw EVO oil.

Tips

Nduja melts easily in the heat of the oil, releasing all its spicy aroma. If you prefer a milder flavor, reduce the amount of nduja and add a few leaves of fresh basil at the end of cooking.