Fileja di Tropea with Calabrian Sausage and Tomato Ragù

The Quintessential Calabrian First Course

Fileja di Tropea is the quintessential Calabrian pasta: a short twisted shape, bronze-drawn, that magnificently holds rich and flavorful sauces. Paired with a Calabrian sausage and tomato ragù, it becomes an irresistible first course that tells the whole soul of Southern Italian cuisine.

Ingredients

• 320 g Fileja di Tropea bronze-drawn pasta
• 300 g fresh Calabrian sausage
• 400 g peeled tomatoes
• 1 Tropea onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• Calabrian extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Calabrian chili pepper to taste
• Fresh basil
• Grated Calabrian pecorino to taste
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Remove the sausage casing and crumble roughly.
2. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the sliced onion and garlic for 3 minutes.
3. Add the crumbled sausage and brown over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add the crushed peeled tomatoes, chili and salt. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
5. Cook the Fileja in plenty of salted water following the package instructions.
6. Drain al dente and toss in the ragù for 2 minutes.
7. Serve with fresh basil and plenty of grated pecorino.

Tips

Bronze-drawn Fileja di Tropea has a rough surface that perfectly holds the ragù. Do not overcook: it must remain al dente. For an even more intense flavor, add a spoonful of Nduja to the ragù during cooking.