‘Nduja Sausage Recipe: 7 Ways to Use ‘Nduja in Your Cooking
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jul 3, 2023 • 4 min read
Flavored with fatty pork and Calabrian chilis, spicy ‘nduja sausage is the perfect addition to your next Italian feast.
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What Is ‘Nduja?
‘Nduja (pronounced en-doo-ya) is a spicy cured Italian sausage with a soft, spreadable, pâté-like texture. Hailing from Calabria in Southern Italy, home cooks traditionally make this bold red salami with pork fat (and various other cuts of pork), Calabrian chili peppers, salt, and spices. The traditional preparation method for the sausage involves mincing and seasoning the pork, stuffing it into a beef bung cap—made from the cow’s intestine—and curing it in a climate-controlled chamber.
What Does ‘Nduja Taste Like?
‘Nduja has a spicy, savory, umami-rich flavor reminiscent of chorizo or andouille sausage. Pork shoulder and back fat give the sausage its savory, meaty flavor. Calabrian chili makes it slightly spicy. However, the specific peppers, herbs, spices, and additional seasonings that home cooks choose to add to this meat product will also influence its flavor.
7 Ways to Use ‘Nduja
Here are some popular ways to use this spreadable pork sausage:
- 1. Add it to baked goods: Stir crumbled pieces of ‘nduja into the batter of any savory baked goods—like biscuits, scones, muffins, and croissants—to add a rich, meaty flavor.
- 2. Add it to omelets and frittatas: Dress up your omelet, frittata, or scrambled eggs with a spoonful of this spicy spreadable salami.
- 3. As a pizza topping: Use ‘nduja as the base for a homemade pizza sauce, or sprinkle it over the top for a flavorful pie topping. Learn how to make homemade pizza.
- 4. As part of a charcuterie board: ‘Nduja will be right at home on a board beside prosciutto, pepperoni, and soppressata on a salumi board. Learn how to craft a charcuterie board.
- 5. In soups and stews: Infuse your soups and stews with deeply spiced, savory flavor by incorporating your homemade ‘nduja into the base.
- 6. Make ‘nduja pasta sauce: Add ‘nduja to your favorite pasta dish or pasta sauce (from classic tomato sauce to creamy alfredo) for a boost of savory flavor.
- 7. Spread it onto sandwiches: Coat a slice of sourdough bread with this spreadable sausage and top it with your favorite Italian cold cuts and cheeses for a complex and savory sandwich.
How to Store ‘Nduja
Store homemade ‘nduja in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Note that storing ‘nduja in the fridge will extend its shelf life up to a year, but the high-fat content makes the ingredient prone to absorbing other flavors. To prevent this, wrap the ‘nduja tightly in plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container in the fridge, away from any other aromatic ingredients.
Alternatively, store your ‘nduja in an airtight container in a cool part of your pantry. This method maintains the sausage’s spreadable texture and prevents it from absorbing other flavors. However, your sausage will spoil faster at room temperature than in the refrigerator, and it will only keep for up to two weeks.
Homemade ‘Nduja Recipe
makes
4 sausagesprep time
40 mintotal time
40 minIngredients
Note: The total time does not include at least 1 week of inactive time.
- 1
Add your ox bung casing and curing salt to a large bowl and fill it with enough water to submerge the casing. Soak the casing for 4 hours.
- 2
When the casing is almost done soaking, prepare the sausage mixture. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork back fat, pork shoulder, Calabrian pepper paste, minced garlic, smoked paprika, fine sea salt, fennel seeds, sugar, and black pepper. Use your hands to stir the ingredients until they form a thick, sticky orange mixture. Alternatively, mix the ingredients in a stand mixer fitted using the paddle attachment.
- 3
Drain the casing and rinse it with fresh water. Find the opening to the end of the casing and insert your arm inside of it to stretch it out.
- 4
Using your hands, scoop up a portion of the ‘nduja filling and push it into the end of the casing. Continue filling the casing until there is no more sausage mixture left. Tie off the end of the casing with a knot.
- 5
With the filled casing laying flat, visually mark it to form four sausages, which will determine where to tie off your ‘nduja.
- 6
Starting at the end of the casing, create the first sausage by using your thumb and index finger to pinch where the first quarter of the casing ends. Twist the first casing around a few times, and tie a string tightly around the twisted portion to finish the first ‘nduja sausage. Twist the casing a few more times to create a ½-inch gap between the finished sausage and the next one. Repeat this process with the remaining length of the casing until you have 4 equal sausages.
- 7
Using a knife, separate each sausage by slicing through the excess casing between each sausage.
- 8
Using a long piece of string, wrap each sausage from top to bottom and side to side (like you would wrap a present with string). Coil the string around each sausage 4 times before securing it at one end with a knot. Leave a loop of string at the top to hang the sausage.
- 9
Hang the ‘nduja in a fermentation chamber set to 60–70 degrees Fahrenheit and 80–90 percent humidity for 1–3 weeks. Alternatively, cold-smoke your ‘nduja immediately for 8 hours and store it in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to use it.
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