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!
If you are an adventurer at heart and love spicy food, it’s a great idea to have on hand spice blends that span the globe, including harissa, berbere, garam masala and green curry paste. Each has the mojo to blow the flavor profile of a dish into stratospheric deliciousness and they can keep in the freezer or refrigerator for months.
Another one of my favorite spice blends, one I use in all kinds of Italian dishes, is this Calabrian chili paste. It’s a fiery, five-ingredient concoction with the ability to set your tongue ablaze while also causing it to dance with pure joy.
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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.
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).
Why you will love this recipe
- Better than store bought. You can buy a Calabrian chili paste off the shelf or online, but nothing beats the flavor of a homemade chili paste with fresh ingredients.
- Simple and delicious. It takes all of five minutes or less to make this Calabrian spice blend, and you can keep it around for months to flavor your favorite Italian dishes.
- Good for you! Eating chili peppers is known to boost the metabolism, and chili peppers are also loaded with nutrients, including Vitamin A. The olive oil, garlic and basil make this spice paste even more nourishing.
- Soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan. If you are a heat lover, you will fall head over heels for this Calabrian chili paste! But if you are cooking for kids or for someone with health problems that are exacerbated by spice, exercise caution and common sense.
Ingredients
- Calabrian chili peppers. 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.
- Fresh basil. Some versions of Calabrian chili paste don’t use basil, but I really love the depth, sweetness and complexity that basil adds to this recipe.
- Garlic. The garlic adds even more spice and that incredibly appetizing aroma to this Calabrian chili paste.
- White vinegar. A bit of acidity from the vinegar cuts through the intense spice. You can use lemon juice instead.
- Extra virgin olive oil. The fruity, aromatic oil also helps cut through the spice and makes the paste healthier.
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.
Recipe 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.
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.
Storage instructions
- Store the Calabrian chili paste in the refrigerator for up to three months or in the freezer for up to a year.
More spice blends
If you love this Calabrian chili paste, be sure to check out more sauces and condiments on Holy Cow Vegan!
Calabrian Chili Paste Recipe
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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Servings: 4 uses (approx)
Calories: 140kcal
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Instructions
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Place all ingredients for the Calabrian chili paste in a food processor or blender jar.
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Process until the paste is fairly smooth, but still has a little bit of texture.
Recipe 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.
Storage instructions
- Store the Calabrian chili paste in the refrigerator for up to three months or in the freezer for up to a year.
Nutrition
Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1304IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.5mg
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