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Penne with Pancetta, Provolone and Salami (Penne alla Silana)
This substantial pasta dish comes from the Sila area of Calabria in southern Italy, a region known for bold, intensely flavorful ingredients. Pasta alla silana combines cured meats and two kinds of cheese, along with tomatoes, chili and onion. Classic versions also include porcini mushrooms, but we found the dish to be loaded with flavor without the porcini, so we left them out. The regional pasta for this is fileja, an elongated tubular shape formed by rolling dough around a slender rod. It’s difficult to find in the U.S., but penne works perfectly.
4 to 6
Servings
Tip
Don’t use hard salami, as its texture is too chewy for this dish. Opt for a softer variety, such as Genoa salami, which usually is sold by the pound at the supermarket deli counter. Since the salami is cut into ¼-inch cubes for tossing with the pasta, ask for it to be cut as a chunk rather than thinly sliced.
30 minutes
Ingredients
-
1
pound penne or fileja pasta
-
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
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01In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain and return the pasta to the pot.
Reviews
February 23, 2026
A very tasty meal
I have made this twice now. The second time I added a pound of ground Italian sausage that we had in the freezer for a long time. Easy to make and delicious.
February 17, 2026
Very satisfying and not too rich
I was worried about the combination of meats but this was really fantastic and well balanced. We used Guanciale cubed instead of pancetta but followed the rest of the recipe religiously. Rich and full flavored but not fatty tasting. We'll certainly make this again on a weeknight. Tip: taste it before adding salt as the meats can be quite salty - we didn't need to add any salt in the end. Absolute winner I'd serve to guests as well!
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This was such a home run. Skeptical children in my house devoured it.