Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce ($2.99 for a 6.7 oz. jar) is one of the items I’ve been looking forward to most this summer. Calabrian chile paste adds a nice kick to a whole host of dishes, but I usually have to go to an Italian specialty market to pick it up. I add it to pork meatballs, to pasta, and as a spread on sandwiches with fresh mozzarella.
You can also dab it on pizza, or toss it with Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi for heat that goes further than just pepper flakes.
Calabrian chiles are considered medium spicy on the Scoville scale, roughly 25,000-40,000 units. Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce packs a legit spicy punch, so proceed with caution. I spread just a couple of teaspoons on the cheese in this open face sandwich, and the pasta recipe took just 2 tablespoons. You can always add more later if you want more heat.
The sandwich is simply grilled Italian bread layered with Jacobs Farm Dry Farmed Early Girls, Ferndale Farmstead Mozzarella, and roasted red bell peppers. Slather the cheese with a little chile paste. It’s topped with arugula, then drizzled with olive oil. Each layer gets a little kosher salt.
For the pasta, I adapted Giada de Laurentiis’ Calabrian Chile Pasta. All done in one pan, it’s a great recipe for weeknight cooking. The pasta cooks in a small amount of water that leaves you with a nice starchy base for a light sauce. The tomatoes cook slightly from the residual heat in the pan, so it’s perfect for summer. It’s lemony, spicy, and gets a nice saltiness from the Pecorino. This is one recipe where you definitely want Pecorino Romano (versus Parmigiano Reggiano) for its saltiness and slight funk. Add cubes of fresh mozzarella to stretch it further, if you like.
I’m definitely stocking up on this one. At $2.99 you really can’t beat it.
Crushed Calabrian Chile paste gives everything from pizza to pasta a gorgeous spicy kick. This pasta recipe is adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' link: Calabrian Chile Pasta.
In a 10-inch saute pan, bring 4 c. water to a boil. Add the salt. Cook the penne to al dente, ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally. There should still be a little bit of water remaining in the pan. Turn off the heat. Stir in the pecorino. Add the Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce, 3/4 of the cherry tomatoes, green onions, lemon zest and lemon juice and stir until evenly combined. The heat from the pan will slightly cook the tomatoes.
Garnish with parsley and basil. Drizzle with olive oil.
You can also add some fresh mozzarella, either diced or ciligine cut in half, to stretch the meal further.