Provola And Nduja Recipes - Calabrese Food

Provola and Nduja recipes are an obvious combination delight. Provola Silana and Nduja sausage from Spilinga are two typical Calabrese food both originating from the central region. Nduja is a spicy, creamy sausage, and Provola is a stretchy, gooey, nutty cheese. When melted together, they create a perfect balance of flavor and texture.

Jump to:

• What is Provola
• What is Nduja
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• More recipes with Provola
• More recipes with Nduja
• Equipment
• How to store Provola
• How to store Nduja
• Top tip
• FAQ
• 📋Provola and Nduja lunch recipes

Product	Regional origin	Historic context
'Nduja	Calabria	Likely introduced during the Napoleonic era (19th century), inspired by the French "andouille." Features chili peppers, a product of the Columbian Exchange (post-15th century).
Provola cheese (Sila)	Calabria	Originating from Calabria's Sila plateau, Provola reflects ancient pastoral traditions dating back to the Byzantine era, with the cheese benefiting from the region's rich pastures and shepherding culture.

What is Provola

Provola is a spun-paste cow's milk cheese made in the South of Italy, where stretched curd cheeses are common.

This cheese-making process is called filatura and it is similar to the mozzarella. It is a traditional cheese making practice that goes back to the medieval times.

Provola is very different from Provolone which is a more matured cheese with a more decisive, sometimes spicy flavor.

While Provola originated in the South of Italy, Provolone was subsequently created in the North of Italy. It is made using the same filatura method and adapted to the large quantity of milk produced in the North.

In fact Provolone means large Provola, which is at least three times bigger than a Provola.

Provola usually has a long shape. It is stringy but less chewy and has a subtler and sweeter taste than the scamorza or the Provolone. A similar cheese to Provola is Caciocavallo.

Provola and Caciocavallo are locally produced in different southern Italian regions and their taste might slightly vary.

Like the mozzarella, they can be used for more sophisticated dishes and combined with more delicate flavor .

My favorite is the Calabrese Provola Silana, not only because I grew up with it.

Its flavor is nutty, buttery and sweeter than Provolone, awesome melted with a sunny side up egg and sourdough bread.

What is Nduja

Nduja is a spreadable spicy salami produced in Calabria in the town of Spilinga.

This salami is produced during the cold months using the fat cuts of the pig: lard, bacon, and guanciale (jowls bacon).

During the winter Calabresi celebrate the maialata, the killing of the pig, and after the meat is removed, all the remaining parts of the pig are used to honor its death.

The pig fat is mixed with spicy Calabrese peppers, which are locally grown and extremely spicy. The Nduja is then smoked and matured inside pig guts.

Because of its high content of spicy pepper, the Nduja doesn't need any additional artificial preservatives. It is made with all-natural ingredients and lasts for a long time.

Due to its high-fat content, this salami is spreadable and can be used instead of butter or olive oil in many recipes.

Besides the Nduja, another traditional dish made with the remaining pig fat and rinds are called Frittole. They are cooked in a large cauldron and offered to family and friends during large banquets or sold at village feasts.

Ingredients

The combination of Provola and Nduja can be used in many recipes, but the best way to appreciate them together is with an easy recipe made with simple ingredients:

• Crusty Bread: a nice fresh sourdough bread loaf with a crunchy crust and a soft inside is the best bread to serve with Provola and Nduja. The stringy and gooey consistency of the Provola, needs a bread with a strong crust and texture, not a soft smooth brioche.
• Fresh eggs: I have my own chickens so I always have fresh eggs at home
• Salad: simple green or tomato salad seasoned with only extra virgin olive oil and salt. There is no need to use complex salad dressing or sweet balsamic vinegar. The sweetness of the Provola and the spicy taste of the Nduja don't need any additional flavor.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Making the toasted sandwich

1. Place 2 slices of bread in a baking tin covered with parchment paper
2. Bake at 355 F - 180 C for 5 minutes until the bread is slightly toasted
3. Spread the Nduja on one slice of bread
4. Cut the Provola in slices
5. Place the Provola over the Nduja
6. Cover with the other slice of bread
7. Bake in the oven at 355 F - 180 C for 5 minutes until the cheese is all melted
8. Serve immediately with a fresh salad

Provola and Nduja with egg

1. Cut the Provola in slices
2. Lay the Provola slices in a small frying pan
3. Add a tablespoon of Nduja
4. Once the Provola starts to melt, turn it upside down and add an egg
5. Cover the pan and cook until the egg is cooked as desired, soft or hard.

Hint: Cover the pan to make sure the egg cooks also on top. If you like your egg runny, do not cook it for too long

6. Serve immediately with a slice of rustic sourdough bread
7. The provola will be melted on top and formed a crispy crunchy crust in the bottom

Substitutions

If you don like spicy, or you want to serve this to children, you can make the same recipes with only Provola cheese.

If you cannot find Provola, you can substitute it with scamorza, caciocavallo or Provolone cheese. However, those cheeses have a stronger flavor.

For a vegetarian version of these recipes, you can use a vegan spicy paste called Bomba Calabrese.

This is a spicy sauce made with spicy Calabrese peperoncino, sun-dried tomatoes and other herbs and spices, meat.

More recipes with Provola

Provola cheese can be used in any recipes that use mozzarella: pizza, pasta and potatoes, piadina or grilled like a scamorza.

It can also be added inside layered casseroles like lasagna, Eggplant Parmigiana, potato pie Gateau, Baked pasta Anelletti or rice timballo.

More recipes with Nduja

You can use Nduja in many more recipes. As Nduja is made of pig fat and spices, you can actually use it in any recipe by using it instead of butter or olive oil.

• Pizza: just add some pieces of Nduja over the pizza topping before you cook it. The Nduja will melt over the cheese.
• Pasta or risotto: use the Nduja instead of butter and olive oil to stir fry the vegetables you use for the pasta or risotto. If you make tomato sauce for pasta, just melt some Nduja in the pan before you pour the tomato sauce.
• Meatloaf, stew or Casserole: stir fry the Nduja with the meat as you would do with bacon.
• Soup: Use the Nduja to stir fry a mix of soffritto (carrot, celery and onion), then add the rest of the vegetables and the stock.
• Stir-fried vegetables: it can be used instead of red pepper flakes to spice up stir-fried vegetables.

Equipment

You don't need any special equipment to prepare this delicious toast or sunny side up egg. A regular pan and an oven is enough.

As the cheese will melt out of the bread, it is best to cover the baking tin with parchment paper

If you have a panini press, you can use it but it is not necessary.

How to store Provola

Provola can be stored in the fridge for several days if it is still sealed into its packaging.

The industrial Provola cheese are covered with wax to protect the outer skin, while the artisan Provola are only sealed in plastic. Once the package is open, the outer skin will harden, so I remove it and give it to my dog; he loves it.

Once opened, cover the Provola with cling foil and store in the fridge in the cheese compartment. It will keep for 4 to 5 days or even longer.

The skin harden and may becomes whitish. I just remove it but still use the cheese.

If the Provola is kept in the fridge for a very long time, it ferments, and several holes form inside the cheese. The provola gets an acidic taste and it looses its sweetness. I would not use it.

How to store Nduja

Nduja preserves for a long time without additional preservatives as it is made with abundant spicy peppers and salt and has been smoked.

If it is still packaged, it can be stored in a fresh dry place for 5 to 3 months. Check the package for the exact expiring date.

The best way to preserve the Nduja is to keep it wrapped in its own skin, so do not cut off the skin when you use it.

Once opened, it should be stored in the fridge inside its skin and covered with cling foil, so it doesn't dry.

Like any other salami, Nduja is unsuitable for the freezer as the ice formed inside the meat can stimulate mildew.

Top tip

• You can eat both Provola and Nduja raw, or you can use it in any recipes:
  • Nduja replace any form of fat like butter or olive oil.
  • Provola can replace melted cheese like mozzarella, cheddar, Gruyere or Emmental.

FAQ

If you are using Provola Silane cheese and spicy Nduja salami, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.