Calabrian Chili
Also known as: Calabrian pepper, peperoncino, diavolicchio
The heat pepper of southern Italy's Calabria region, the Calabrian chili has become one of the most sought-after specialty chilis in American restaurant cooking. Deep red, preserved in oil, with a complex heat that transforms pasta, pizza, and meat dishes.
The full profile
Calabrian chilis in oil were a chef's secret for years before they started showing up on grocery shelves. The preservation method — packed in oil rather than vinegar — gives them a richness that no vinegar-based hot sauce can replicate. A spoonful of Calabrian paste into a pasta sauce, on pizza, or over roasted vegetables adds not just heat but depth and a red color that's genuinely beautiful. Mike's Hot Honey co-signs this pepper implicitly; most spicy honey products draw from this flavor tradition.
Flavor
Rich, oily, slightly smoky heat with a fruity depth that's unique among European peppers.
Color
Deep red
Heat level
Hot
25K–40K SHU
30,000–100,000 SHU
Did you know
The term 'diavolicchio' (little devil) is the traditional Calabrian name for this pepper, and the region's chile culture predates industrial hot sauce by centuries.
How to use it
- —Stirred into pasta sauces — arrabbiata, aglio olio, marinara
- —Scattered over pizza before baking
- —Mixed into whipped ricotta or mascarpone spreads
- —Folded into salami and cured meat preparations
- —Base for spicy Italian vinaigrettes and dressings
Pairs well with
Shop these
Sauces and products that feature calabrian chili.
Pantry heat
Calabrian Chili Paste
Fruity Italian chili paste that wakes up vodka sauce, roast chicken, and garlicky pasta nights.
View on Amazon ↗Premium shelf piece
TRUFF Original Black Truffle Hot Sauce
Black truffle oil, agave nectar, and ripe chili blend — a genuinely luxurious bottle that earns its price on pasta, pizza, eggs, and steak. The most giftable hot sauce on the market.
View on Amazon ↗Cook with it
Recipes that use calabrian chili.
italian · mild
Apr 15, 2026Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Calabrian Chilies
Classic Italian midnight pasta elevated with gentle Calabrian chili heat and crispy garlic in golden olive oil 17 min · 0 saves.
italian · mild
Apr 15, 2026Pasta all'Arrabbiata with Gentle Heat
A classic Roman pasta that brings just enough heat to warm you up without clearing the table—perfect tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes in beautiful harmony. 35 min · 0 saves.
italian · mild
Apr 14, 2026Spaghetti all'Arrabbiata with Gentle Heat
A Roman-style pasta where tomatoes, garlic, and just a whisper of red pepper flakes come together in perfect harmony—warming your soul without setting your mouth on fire. 35 min · 0 saves.