1. Home
  2. Recipes
  3. Chili Pappardelle Pasta

Calabrian Chili Pappardelle

Featured in: Make Fresh Pasta from Scratch

Soft pappardelle paired with fennel, sausage, and Calabrian chilies in a creamy tomato-based sauce. Great for spicy pasta lovers.
Pin it Share it Send it Print it Jump To Recipe
A woman in a kitchen with a stove and oven.
Updated on Mon, 12 May 2025 15:07:48 GMT
Pasta bowl with meaty sauce, cheese, and herbs; cheese and garlic shown nearby. Pin it
Pasta bowl with meaty sauce, cheese, and herbs; cheese and garlic shown nearby. | cookingkitchn.com

This from-scratch Velvety Calabrian Chili Pappardelle with Sausage and Fennel brings a warm hug in pasta form for cold seasons. You'll fall for these thick pappardelle ribbons swimming in a rich, spicy tomato cream sauce loaded with zesty Calabrian chili, aromatic fennel, and tasty Italian sausage - it's the cozy meal you need when temperatures drop.

What Makes This Dish Special

You'll adore how this pasta balances hot, creamy and meaty elements perfectly. The luxurious sauce wraps around every pasta strand while the browned sausage and fennel bring amazing flavor depth. There's just enough heat from those Calabrian chilies to make things interesting without overwhelming your taste buds. It comes together fast and tastes great with some crusty bread and a simple green salad on the side.

What You'll Need For Calabrian Chili Pappardelle

  • Pappardelle: These broad, flat egg noodles really catch and hold the sauce beautifully.
  • Italian sausage: Pick sweet or hot based on what you like for a meaty addition.
  • Fennel: Cut into thin slices, adding a gentle licorice-like sweetness.
  • Calabrian chili peppers: Diced up for their fiery, slightly tangy flavor punch.
  • Shallots & garlic: Key flavor builders that start your sauce off right.
  • Butter: Gives a smooth richness and helps cook your veggies.
  • Tomato paste & purée: Creates that deep tomato foundation.
  • Heavy cream: Transforms everything into velvety goodness.
  • White wine: Brings a touch of brightness against the creamy elements.
  • Parmesan cheese: Finely shredded, adding that wonderful savory finish.
  • Fresh oregano: Gives a pop of garden-fresh flavor.
  • Olive oil: Gets your sausage nicely caramelized.

Creating Your Flavorful Sauce

Cook Your Sausage
Warm olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Cook the Italian sausage until it's nicely browned and fully done, then take it out and set it aside.
Cook Vegetables
Drop butter into the same pan and toss in your thin fennel slices and shallots. Let them cook until they're soft and golden, then throw in your garlic and Calabrian chili peppers and cook about 1–2 minutes until you can really smell them.
Create Your Base
Mix in tomato paste and let it cook for 2 minutes to get deeper flavor. Pour in white wine to loosen all those tasty bits from the pan bottom, then add your tomato purée, heavy cream, and fresh oregano. Let it bubble gently until everything comes together smoothly.

Putting It All Together

Cook your pappardelle in well-salted water until it's firm to the bite, and save a cup of that starchy cooking water. Drop the drained pasta right into your sauce with a splash of the saved water to help everything stick together nicely. Mix in your grated parmesan and browned sausage, tossing until every strand gets properly coated.

A steaming bowl of thick pappardelle pasta coated in rich meat sauce with sprinkled cheese, set on a warm wooden table background. Pin it
A steaming bowl of thick pappardelle pasta coated in rich meat sauce with sprinkled cheese, set on a warm wooden table background. | cookingkitchn.com

Secrets To Amazing Pappardelle

Don't fully cook your pasta in the water since it'll finish cooking in the sauce. Try to find quality egg pappardelle for the best eating experience. If you can't handle too much heat, just cut back on the Calabrian peppers. Want more freshness? Sprinkle some extra oregano or chopped parsley on top before serving.

How To Enjoy And Keep Leftovers

This spicy cream pappardelle tastes best right away, alongside some leafy greens and bread for sauce-mopping. Got leftovers? They'll stay good in a sealed container in your fridge for about 3 days. When you want to eat them again, warm them slowly on the stove and add a little cream or saved pasta water to bring the sauce back to life. Don't try freezing this one - the cream sauce won't hold up well, so it's better eaten fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ What exactly are Calabrian chilies?
These are peppers from Italy's Calabria area with spicy yet fruity notes. They're amazing for pasta flavor or sauces.
→ Can I use different pasta here?
Other wide pastas—like fettuccine or tagliatelle—also work fine! Choose types that hold thick sauce well.
→ Why does pasta water matter?
It helps the sauce stick to noodles, providing creaminess thanks to its starch content. Don't skip it!
→ Got options if I skip fennel?
Try celery as a swap, or increase onions. However, fennel’s subtle taste blends perfectly with sausage.
→ Is this dish very spicy?
The chilies bring heat but it's adjustable. Start small and spice it up more if you like!

Conclusion

Soft pappardelle paired with fennel, sausage, and Calabrian chilies in a creamy tomato-based sauce. Great for spicy pasta lovers.

Chili Pappardelle Pasta

Tender pasta ribbons mixed with fennel, sausage, and a spicy, creamy Calabrian tomato sauce. A flavorful bold twist!

Prep Time
20 Minutes
Cook Time
30 Minutes
Total Time
50 Minutes
By: Sophia

Category: Homemade Noodles

Difficulty: Intermediate

Cuisine: Italian

Yield: 8 Servings (1 big pot of pasta)

Dietary: ~

Ingredients

01 As much olive oil as you need for cooking.
02 1 pound of raw, mild Italian pork sausage.
03 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
04 1 small onion, chopped into small pieces.
05 2 small fennel bulbs, cut into small cubes.
06 1 pound of egg-based pappardelle pasta.
07 6 garlic cloves, finely minced.
08 1/4 cup tomato paste.
09 2 tablespoons Calabrian chili peppers.
10 1/2 cup of white wine.
11 One 24-ounce jar of pureed tomatoes.
12 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.
13 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, chopped.
14 Half a cup of grated parmesan cheese, with more for serving.
15 As much freshly ground black pepper as you like for finishing.

Instructions

Step 01

Fill a big pot with water, add a lot of salt, and bring it to a rolling boil.

Step 02

Grab a 3-quart stainless steel sauté pan and put it over medium-high heat. Pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom once it’s hot. Drop in the sausage and use a wooden spoon to break it apart into chunks. Sprinkle a little salt on, then let it cook until browned for around 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to move it to a plate and set aside.

Step 03

Lower the heat to medium. Toss the butter into the pan, letting it melt. Add the onion and fennel, stirring often while they soften and caramelize over about 8 minutes. Don’t forget to sprinkle on a generous pinch of salt.

Step 04

Put the pappardelle into the salted boiling water. Stir it a couple of times to separate the strands, and cook according to the ‘al dente’ timing on the package.

Step 05

Add the minced garlic to the softened veggies and cook for about half a minute. Stir in the tomato paste and Calabrian chili paste, cooking for another minute. Pour in the white wine and give it 2 minutes to cook down.

Step 06

Into the pan, pour tomato purée, cream, oregano, and the browned sausage. Grab 1 cup of the pasta cooking water (with a tad more, just in case) and mix it in. Combine everything well, let the sauce bubble a bit, then turn it to medium-low and cook it down for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then.

Step 07

Drain the cooked pappardelle and toss it back into the pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta, stirring to coat it nicely. Sprinkle in the grated parmesan bit by bit, mixing until the cheese melts into the sauce and sticks to the noodles.

Step 08

Taste and tweak the salt if needed. Serve individual portions hot, topped with extra parmesan and cracks of black pepper.

Notes

  1. If the sauce ends up too thick, thin it with more pasta water. If it’s too runny, let it simmer longer.

Tools You'll Need

  • A large pot.
  • 3-quart sauté pan made of stainless steel.
  • A wooden spoon.
  • A slotted spoon.

Allergy Information

Please check ingredients for potential allergens and consult a health professional if in doubt.
  • Contains dairy.
  • Made with eggs.
  • Includes wheat.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: ~
  • Total Fat: ~
  • Total Carbohydrate: ~
  • Protein: ~