Weekend Cooking

Spicy Salami Spaghetti

by:
March 14, 2022
4.7
11 Ratings
Spicy Salami Spaghetti
Photo by Ty Mecham. Prop Stylist: Alya Hameedi. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog.
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • Serves 3 to 4
Author Notes

Salami hive, this recipe is for you. Inspired by classic aglio e olio but with a porky twist, this weeknight dinner involves very few ingredients and almost no effort. In fact, you can whip up the sauce in about as much time as it takes to boil pasta. For that reason, I highly recommend prepping the ingredients while the water comes to a boil. Once the pasta goes into the pot, queue the 10-minute dinner countdown.

Genoa’s got that quintessential salami vibe while still being mild—a blank meat canvas, if you will. But, feel free to play around with different varieties. Swapping in soppressata results in a spicier dish. Subbing the salami for pepperoni is perfect for nights when you can’t decide between pizza or pasta. Why choose?

For some spiciness, I added some chopped Calabrian chile peppers. If you can’t find a jar in your store (or you don’t have any on hand), use crushed red pepper flakes instead. Just add them to the oil along with the garlic so the heat permeates the dish.

Want to throw in some greens? You totally can. Thinly sliced fennel, shredded radicchio, or wilted kale are all welcome. But for me, six cloves of garlic and a sprinkle of parsley is all the vegetable matter I need. —Grant Melton

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Spicy Salami Spaghetti
Ingredients
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 12 ounces spaghetti
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 8 ounces pre-sliced Genoa salami
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
  • 1 teaspoon chopped jarred Calabrian chiles
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
Directions
  1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, generously salt. Add the pasta and cook to al dente, reserving ½ cup of cooking liquid before draining.
  2. Meanwhile, thinly slice the garlic. Slice the salami circles into ¼-inch strips and separate any stuck-together pieces. In a large sauté pan over medium-high, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and salami and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the garlic is soft and the salami is starting to crisp. If the garlic begins to brown, you can lower the heat.
  3. Drop the heat on the sauce to low, then add the cooked pasta, reserved cooking water, Parmesan, and Calabrian chiles. Toss and stir the pasta to coat evenly with the sauce.
  4. Divvy the pasta into serving bowls and top with parsley, freshly ground black pepper if you’d like, and more Parmesan.
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9 Reviews

Mee
Mee October 26, 2023
Love this super fast and delicious recipe. I used thin spaghetti and 1/4 cup of olive oil instead of 1/3 cup to cut down on the grease but it was still a bit too oily for my taste. I put about a 1 cup of baby spinach leaves instead of the parsley. I can't wait to make this again and use even less oil.
 
FrugalCat
FrugalCat June 26, 2022
Absolutely delicious. I used crushed red pepper (no jarred Calabrian chilies in my house) and rigatoni (I don't twirl). There was enough meatiness from the salami for my husband to accept this as a main rather than a side dish.
 
J
J April 27, 2022
I added some chopped sun-dried tomato packed in oil to the salami and garlic in the pan. Everyone loved this pasta dinner-
 
J
J April 27, 2022
Forgot to say I added the dried tomato because I didn't have the Calabrian chili on hand...
 
JenniferFuller
JenniferFuller April 17, 2022
Easy, breezy yummy goodness! I doubled the pepper and added red chili flakes. Thank you for this fast recipe that I’ll definitely make my busy family again!
 
Jessamin
Jessamin April 2, 2022
So simple and good. Great back-pocket recipe for busy weeknights. Ate A LOT of salami during the slicing process, A+ Friday night.
 
Judy
Judy March 18, 2022
I’m looking at the recipe and don’t find directions for sauce…no tomatoes?
 
rox L.
rox L. March 18, 2022
Nope, pasta water and ingredients combined will sauce and melding of flavors
 
sdcrowder
sdcrowder April 13, 2022
🤦‍♂️