This deliciously hot Calabrian chili paste needs just five ingredients, is super easy to make, and is so, so versatile. You can use it to spice up all your favorite Italian dishes, including pasta, soups and stews!
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What is Calabrian chili paste?
Calabrian chili paste (also called "Calabrese chili paste") is a spicy condiment or sauce from the Calabria region of southern Italy. The cuisine of this region is known for its bold, rich flavors and Calabrian chili peppers or "peperoncino Calabrese" are a common pantry staple, used to flavor sauces, soups, pasta dishes and marinades.
The chili paste is made by blending Calabrian chili peppers with a few other ingredients, including olive oil and garlic. The small, extremely spicy, bright red peppers add a uniquely fruity, smoky taste to the Calabrian chili paste. And they are a very nutritious food, like all chili peppers, because they're loaded with vitamins and nutrients.
You can buy Calabrian chili paste off the shelf or online, but nothing beats the flavor of a homemade chili paste with fresh ingredients. My recipe is a fiery, five-ingredient concoction with the ability to set your tongue ablaze while also causing it to dance with pure joy. Calabrian peppers have a Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) rating that ranges from 25,000 to 40,000, which makes them several times spicier than jalapenos (2,500 to 8,000 SHUs) albeit less spicy than habaneros (100,000 to 350,000 SHUs). Keep that in mind and adjust the amount of chili peppers in the recipe up or down depending on your tolerance for heat. The heat will dilute a bit when you add it to recipes like this vegetable stew.
If you love prepping meals ahead of time, keeping several spice blends on hand is a great idea. Spices don't just add flavor, they are also great for you. I always make room in my fridge or pantry for jars of harissa, berbere, garam masala and green curry paste. They make meals delicious with very little effort, and most take just minutes to make, like this Calabrian chili paste. Better yet, they last in the fridge or pantry for months.
-Vaishali
Recipe card
Calabrian Chili Paste Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Calabrian chili peppers
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped. Reduce the garlic if you want a lesser garlic flavor. I love lots of garlic here)
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients for the Calabrian chili paste in a food processor or blender jar.
- Process until the paste is fairly smooth, but still has a little bit of texture.
Notes
- Add the chili paste to pasta sauces, especially tomato-based sauces. It can even work as a pasta sauce by itself, although it would be very, very spicy.
- Stir the chili paste into stews and soups to give them a huge flavor kick. I have a vegetable stew recipe where I use Calabrian chili paste and I will share that with you soon. It's one of the tastiest things I make!
- You can use a small bit of the paste to smear on bread for sandwiches. Make sure the eater is able to tolerate the heat. You can also mix it into vegan mayo.
- Store the chili paste in the refrigerator for up to three months or in the freezer for up to a year.
Nutrition Information
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How to make Calabrian chili paste
Place all ingredients for the Calabrian chili paste in a food processor or blender jar.
Process until the paste is fairly smooth, but still has a little bit of texture.
Calabrian chili paste FAQs
You can find Calabrian chili peppers at any Italian grocery store or market. I usually buy them online, and I'll leave an Amazon affiliate link for the kind I use in the recipe card below. Use the jarred peppers for this recipe, which are sold packed in olive oil or, sometimes, vinegar. You can also use dried Calabrian chili peppers but if you do, you will need to reconstitute them by soaking them in warm water for about an hour.
Yes, this is a very spicy paste and trying to take a bite of the chili pepper or the paste itself could likely have you racing for the water. But when you add it to recipes the heat mellows down considerably. Make sure you add only a little at a time so you don't end up with a dish that's super hot for you to eat.
The fruity, spicy, slightly acidic flavor of Calabrian chilis is perfect in this paste and gives it a unique flavor. If you can't find these, substitute with a mix of Fresno chili peppers and arbol peppers. Fresno peppers have a flavor profile similar to Calabrian chili peppers and arbol peppers have a similar heat profile. As a last resort, you can use red pepper flakes.
How to use Calabrian chili paste
- Add the chili paste to pasta sauces, especially tomato sauces. It can also work as a pasta sauce by itself if you love a spicy pasta!
- Mix it into pizza sauce or use as a pizza sauce by itself.
- Stir the chili paste into sauces, stews and soups to give them a huge flavor kick. I have a vegetable stew recipe where I use Calabrian chili paste and I will share that with you soon. It's one of the tastiest things I make!
- You can use a small bit of the paste to smear on bread for sandwiches. Make sure the eater is able to tolerate the heat. You can also mix it into vegan mayo first.
Pam says
Could this be made with fresh Calabrian peppers from the garden? Sounds delicious!
Vaishali says
Yes, fresh peppers would be great in this.
Gina says
Yes! Love these little chilis. Great idea to make a paste, especially with the ingredients in this recipe, which sounds mouth-watering. I will put this to good use in many of the dishes I make: lentil burgers, lasagne, tomato soup, stuffed peppers; so many possibilities. Thanks for this recipe!
Vaishali says
Great ideas and yes, the paste is great with just about anything. 🙂 Hope you try the recipe and love it!