Daily Italian Recipe · Pizza
Pizza Diavola with 'Nduja
Bring Calabrian heat to pizza night with fiery ’nduja, tomato and creamy Italian mozzarella on a hand-stretched base. Get the key ingredients from The Italian Club Hong Kong, with delivery across Hong Kong via SF Express and Lalamove.
Total time
99 minutes
Serves
2 people
Difficulty
Easy
Origin
Calabria
Pizza alla diavola takes its devilish name from its chilli heat and is commonly topped with spicy salami. This Calabrian variation uses ’nduja instead: small dollops melt into the tomato rather than forming a layer of sliced salami.
Closely associated with Spilinga in Calabria, ’nduja is a soft, spreadable pork salume seasoned generously with red chilli. Its richness calls for restraint—just enough tomato, well-drained mozzarella and a light hand with the toppings.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
1. Let the dough relax
Start with fully thawed dough; if frozen, thaw covered in the refrigerator according to its label. Keep the two 300 g dough balls covered at room temperature for about 60 minutes, until relaxed and easy to stretch.
- 2
2. Heat the baking surface
Meanwhile, place a pizza stone, baking steel or sturdy inverted metal baking tray in the upper-middle part of the oven. Preheat at 250°C conventional, or up to 275°C if your oven and equipment allow, for at least 45 minutes.
- 3
3. Drain and portion the toppings
Tear the mozzarella into small pieces and drain in a sieve in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes, then blot dry. Divide the mozzarella, tomato sauce and ’nduja equally between two pizzas: 100 g mozzarella before draining, 70 g sauce and 30 g ’nduja per pizza.
- 4
4. Stretch the first base
Use a little of the 15 g flour to dust the work surface and a pizza peel. Press one dough ball from the centre outwards, leaving a 1–2 cm rim untouched. Stretch gently over your hands to approximately 28–30 cm across; do not use a rolling pin.
- 5
5. Top lightly
Place the stretched base on the floured peel and check that it slides freely. Spread with 70 g tomato sauce, leaving the rim bare. Add half the drained mozzarella and distribute 30 g ’nduja in small, widely spaced dollops. Add no extra salt or oil: the toppings already provide seasoning and richness.
- 6
6. Bake and repeat
Slide onto the hot baking surface and bake for 8–12 minutes, checking from 8 minutes and rotating if necessary. The rim should be browned, the underside firm and coloured, and the cheese bubbling. Prepare and bake the second pizza in the same way, topping it only just before baking. Rest each pizza for 1 minute before slicing.
Chef's secret
Small dollops of ’nduja are better than large spoonfuls: they melt into little pools of chilli-rich flavour without leaving heavy, oily patches. Thoroughly drained mozzarella is equally important in a home oven.
Did you know?
’Nduja is a cured salume, not a fresh sausage. Its soft texture lets it dissolve into sauces and pizza toppings, spreading both chilli heat and savoury richness.
Common mistakes
- Using wet mozzarella or too much sauce, which leaves the centre soggy.
- Rolling the dough flat and crushing the air from the rim instead of stretching it by hand.
- Overloading with ’nduja or adding extra oil, which makes the topping greasy and overwhelms the tomato.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate leftover pizza in a sealed container within 2 hours of baking, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C. Eat within 2 days. Reheat on a preheated metal tray at 200°C for approximately 6–10 minutes, until hot throughout and crisp underneath. Avoid microwaving if you want to preserve the crust.
Shop the recipe
Delivered across Hong Kong by SF Express or Lalamove.
FAQ
Is ’nduja traditional on a Diavola?
Spicy salami is the usual topping. Using Calabrian ’nduja is a regional variation that keeps the characteristic chilli heat while giving the topping a softer, melting texture.
Can I make it less spicy?
Yes. Reduce the ’nduja to 30 g total, using 15 g per pizza. Keep the other quantities unchanged rather than adding extra cheese, which can weigh down the base.
Do I need a pizza stone or peel?
No. Preheat a sturdy inverted metal baking tray as your baking surface. A flat, rimless metal tray lightly dusted with flour can serve as a peel; check that the pizza slides before adding the toppings.