Creamy Nduja Pasta

Creamy nduja rigatoni pasta with Parmesan, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes in a cast iron skillet.

Nduja pasta is creamy, spicy and seriously saucy, with bold Calabrian flavour mellowed by a silky Parmesan cream sauce. Ready in 30 minutes!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings Servings

Ingredients

12 ounces (340 g) paccheri pasta
1 tsbp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot finely diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 ounces (85 g) nduja at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
¾ - 1 cup reserved pasta water
salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
fresh basil thinly sliced, for serving

Instructions

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just al dente according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened slightly. Add the nduja and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until it has melted into the shallot mixture.
Reduce the heat to low and pour in the heavy cream. Stir until smooth and fully combined. Add the Parmesan and stir until melted. Gradually stir in about ¾ cup of the reserved pasta water, adding more as needed, until the sauce is silky and coats the back of a spoon.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet and gently toss until well coated. Cook for another minute, adding another splash of pasta water if needed to keep the sauce loose and glossy.
Taste and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper as needed. Serve immediately topped with additional Parmesan and fresh basil.

Notes

Nduja varies in heat. Different brands can pack very different levels of spice, so keep yours in mind before adjusting the amount.

Paccheri is ideal here. Its wide tubes catch plenty of creamy sauce inside and out. If you can’t find it, use another sturdy tube shaped pasta such as rigatoni.

Grate the Parmesan fresh. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as smoothly and can leave the sauce grainy.

Save that pasta water. You may not need the full cup, but having it handy is key for loosening the sauce to a silky, glossy consistency.

Keep the heat low once the cream goes in. Avoid aggressively boiling the sauce, especially after adding the Parmesan.

Season at the end. Nduja and Parmesan are both salty, so taste before reaching for extra salt.

Store leftovers for up to 3 days. Refrigerate in an airtight container and reheat gently with a splash of cream or milk to loosen the sauce.

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