• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Flavor of Italy

  • HOME
  • PODCAST
    • Food Episodes
    • Wine Episodes
    • Food & Wine Episodes
    • Travel Episodes
    • Lifestyle & Culture Episodes
    • Artists & Artisans Episodes
    • All Episodes
  • TRIPS & TRAVEL
    • My Top Travel Picks
    • When in Rome
    • Day Trips in Italy
    • Weekend Trips in Italy
    • Week-long Trips in Italy
    • Discover the Italian Regions
  • RECIPES
    • Trending Recipes
    • Antipasti (Appetizers)
    • Primi (First Course)
    • Pasta (First Course)
    • Secondi (Main Course)
    • Contorni (Side Dishes)
    • Breads
    • Desserts
  • ABOUT
  • EBOOKS
  • Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Post Type Selectors
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
  • HOME
  • PODCAST
    • Food Episodes
    • Wine Episodes
    • Food & Wine Episodes
    • Travel Episodes
    • Lifestyle & Culture Episodes
    • Artists & Artisans Episodes
    • All Episodes
  • TRIPS & TRAVEL
    • My Top Travel Picks
    • When in Rome
    • Day Trips in Italy
    • Weekend Trips in Italy
    • Week-long Trips in Italy
    • Discover the Italian Regions
  • RECIPES
    • Trending Recipes
    • Antipasti (Appetizers)
    • Primi (First Course)
    • Pasta (First Course)
    • Secondi (Main Course)
    • Contorni (Side Dishes)
    • Breads
    • Desserts
  • ABOUT
  • EBOOKS
  • Connect

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • ×

    April 28, 2020

    Peperoncini and ‘Nduja, the darlings of Calabrian Cuisine

    Peperoncini - hot chili peppers - and ‘Nduja, the darlings of Calabrian Cuisine, are used to add delightful heat to dishes in Calabria and throughout Italy.

    Summer peperoncini Drying in a bowl

    Italians add heat to their food with peperoncini, or hot chili pepper. The peperoncino is a mainstay in Calabrese cuisine and is celebrated each September in the lovely coastal town of Diamante during an almost weeklong peperoncino festival.  When you stroll along the streets of Diamante you’ll see locals sitting outside their shops stringing up peperoncini:

    Flavor-of-Italy-Calabria-Food-Tour-Stringing up peperoncini

    Probably the best known dish that uses peperoncini is Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino and many pasta dishes are based on that simple combination of ingredients.
    Peperoncini are also used to make sweet desserts like crostata del diavolo.
    Olio santo - olive oil with peperoncini - is used to drizzle on dishes to add some heat. Make your own or buy some.
    One of the most delicious and aromatic Calabrese foods is ‘nduja, a marriage of peperoncini with a spreadable aromatic pork sausage.
    'Nduja word origin
    ‘Nduja is often used to spread on bread or crackers, and it’s also frequently incorporated into recipes:
    ‘Nduja Spaghetti with Slivered Zucchini and Arugula

    Serving ‘Nduja Spaghetti with Slivered Zucchini and Arugula


    ‘Nduja Stuffed Squid, an April Bloomfield dish at The Spotted Pig in NY
    Orecchiette with ‘Nduja, at the Bocca di Lupo restaurant
    Where to purchase ‘Nduja
    The City Saucery in NYC has created a vegan version of ‘nduja: a delicious thick paste combination of sweet tomatoes and peperoncini, full of heat, flavor and umami.

     

    I earn a modest commission from purchases made via links on my website. Rest assured, prices remain the same for you. Choosing to buy through my links directly contributes to sustaining my efforts in providing you with exceptional recipes, podcast episodes, and valuable culinary and travel insights.

    You may also be interested in:

    Share On:

    More Food Facts & Information

    • male zucchini flowers
      The top 5 ways to pollinate your vegetable garden for a guaranteed bumper crop
    • Rigatoni all’Amatriciana is a delicious and hearty pasta dish with a hint of heat and lots of umami flavor
      How Italy Protects Its Food and Wine - Podcast Episodes 12 & 153
    • Pecorino Cheese: what is it anyway?
    • honey in food
      Italian Honey & the Honey Sommelier

    Reader Interactions

    Please leave your comment here. Your feedback is important!Cancel reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    About

    Wendy at Roscioli
    I’m American and I’ve lived in Italy for nearly four decades with my Italian family. My passion and strength lies in sharing Italian stories, recipes and unique travel insights on my blog, my Flavor of Italy trips and tours, newsletter and podcast. Continue Reading...

    Follow Flavor of Italy

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Latest Additions

    • Cycling Tours Italy: A Journey for the Connoisseur Rider
    • A Marian Apparition and Memory
    • The Power of Documentary Photography in Italy
    • The Blue Crab Crisis in Italy
    • Pope Leo and the People's Conclave: A New Era Begins
    • Bomarzo Monster Park
    • Discovering the Biblioteca Angelica
    Generic selectors
    Exact matches only
    Search in title
    Search in content
    Post Type Selectors

    Footer

    Flavor of Italy

    Email: wendy@flavorofitaly.com

    • Home
    • Trips & Travel
    • When in Rome
    • Italian Cooking Classes
    • Privacy Policy

    Enter your email to receive our latest posts direct to your inbox. You can also subscribe to our newsletter for more insights, news and promotions by clicking here.

    © 2005–2025 Flavor of Italy

     

    Loading Comments...