Smoked Calabresa Sausage

IT HAS TO BE SPICY, to honor the red pepper flakes (pimenta calabresa in Portuguese) used to season this pork sausage. 291 Smoked or not, cured or fresh, this sausage inspired by a recipe brought to Brazil by Calabrian immigrants gained popularity among Brazilians from all over. There’s no pizza place in the country, from north to south, which does not have a Pizza Calabresa in their menu. The sausage also adds texture and flavor to pasta sauces, savory pie fillings, breads, sandwiches and snacks. It is often offered as an appetizer, sliced and sautéed with onions, in restaurants and botecos.