Pasta with nduja meatballs is a bold, comforting Italian pasta recipe with a rich tomato sauce and tender pork meatballs. Nduja is a spicy, soft, spreadable salami with deep savory flavor. It is usually made with pork, roasted peppers, and a blend of spices, giving it a warm heat and a distinctive taste that works beautifully in sauces, on pizza, over bruschetta, and in meat mixtures.

Although nduja has a spicy character, it is not usually overwhelming. Instead, it adds a rounded heat that melts into the dish as it cooks. In this recipe, the nduja is mixed directly into the meatballs, where it seasons the pork from the inside. As the meatballs simmer in the tomato sauce, some of the nduja slowly melts into the sauce as well, making the finished dish especially flavorful.

This is a satisfying pasta dish for anyone who enjoys spaghetti and meatballs but wants a more robust version. The meatballs are made with ground pork, softened bread, egg, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and nduja. The bread soaked in milk helps keep the meatballs moist, while the cheese and herbs add balance. The sauce is simple but full of flavor, made with olive oil, garlic, onion, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, and parsley.

I served these nduja meatballs over spaghetti, but the sauce also pairs well with other dried pasta shapes. Rigatoni, penne, or bucatini would all hold the sauce nicely. The important part is to cook the pasta until al dente, then toss it with just enough sauce to coat every strand or piece before serving the meatballs on top.

Do not be concerned that the meatballs are not browned before going into the sauce. Cooking the meatballs gently from raw in the simmering tomato sauce creates an exceptionally tender texture. This method keeps the meatballs moist and allows the sauce and meat to flavor each other as they cook. It is a simple technique, but it makes a noticeable difference in the final dish.

This pasta with nduja meatballs is hearty enough for a weekend dinner but straightforward enough to prepare without complicated steps. The sauce needs time to simmer, so the flavors can develop and the meatballs can cook through gently. Serve the pasta hot, with extra sauce, a few meatballs, and grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese at the table.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele

Pasta With Nduja Meatballs

Yield:
Serves 4-6

Prep Time:
15 minutes

Cook Time:
1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour 45 minutes

Nduja, a spicy spreadable salami from Calabria, gives these pork meatballs and tomato sauce a rich, savory flavor with gentle heat.

Ingredients

For The Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 ounces nduja, at room temperature
• 1 medium egg
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

For The Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 (400 gm) cans crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, to serve

Instructions

1. Place the bread pieces in a small bowl and pour the milk over them.
2. Let the bread soak for 10 minutes, then gently squeeze out most of the excess milk.
3. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, soaked bread, nduja, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
4. Use your hands to mix everything thoroughly, taking care not to overwork the mixture.
5. Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring often.
6. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and fragrant.
7. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup of water, oregano, salt, and pepper.
8. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Stir in the parsley and basil.
9. With damp hands, shape the meat mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs and gently place them into the simmering sauce.
10. Continue shaping the remaining meatballs, placing them in different areas of the sauce so they cook evenly.
11. Let the meatballs cook undisturbed for 15 minutes, then gently stir the sauce with a wooden spoon.
12. Continue simmering the sauce for an additional 45 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and tender.
13. While the sauce finishes cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
14. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until al dente.
15. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
16. Add enough sauce to lightly coat the pasta, tossing well so every strand is covered.
17. Serve the pasta in individual bowls with extra sauce and a few nduja meatballs on top.
18. Serve grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese at the table.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 516
Total Fat: 28g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 16g
Cholesterol: 110mg
Sodium: 456mg
Carbohydrates: 36g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 5g
Protein: 30g