AI-generated
Spaghetti all’assassina — spicy pasta with a crisp base
Log in or create a free account to save recipes.
Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/main-dishes/spaghetti-allassassina-spicy-pasta-with-a-crisp-base
About this recipe
Spaghetti all’assassina is a spicy pasta from Bari, cooked in a pan without pre-boiling and browned crisp in places. The dry strands do not go into a separate pot: they start in a thick tomato base with olive oil, garlic and chili, then gradually absorb hot tomato liquid. Make two portions in a wide pan that holds the whole spaghetti flat. Alternate brief frying with small additions of liquid for a springy center and dark brown, crisp patches without bitter burning. Serve immediately while tomato coats the strands in a thin, intense layer.
Ingredients
Pasta and tomato cooking liquid
200 g dried durum wheat spaghetti, standard length about 25 cm
200 g smooth tomato passata without additives — 100 g each for the pan and tomato cooking liquid
30 g tomato paste with 30% tomato solids
45 ml olive oil
10 g garlic, weighed after peeling
1 g dried chili flakes
4 g salt
500 ml water for the tomato cooking liquid; up to 150 ml additional hot water only if needed — do not add unused cooking liquid to the finished pasta
Steps
Mix 500 ml water, 100 g passata, all the tomato paste and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, then keep covered over low heat so the liquid stays hot and does not evaporate excessively. Slice the garlic thinly; prepare an iron or carbon-steel pan about 30 cm across, with a flat base at least 26 cm wide that holds the whole dry strands without breaking them.
Heat the pan with all the olive oil over medium heat on a large burner. Add the garlic and chili and fry for 30–45 seconds until fragrant, but do not let the garlic brown. Carefully add the remaining 100 g passata and fry for 1–2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
Lay the dry, uncooked spaghetti as flat as possible in the tomato base and increase the heat to medium-high. Leave for about 2 minutes without stirring until dark brown patches form underneath. Gently lift with two spatulas, turn in bundles and fry the other side for about 1 minute; do not pull stuck strands free by force. If they stick firmly, add 1–2 tablespoons of the same hot tomato liquid at the edge, wait briefly and try lifting again; do not wait for a black, bitter-smelling crust.
Pour about 80–100 ml hot tomato liquid at the edge of the pan, letting it flow beneath the pasta instead of flooding the strands from above. Cook over medium-high heat, gently separating and turning softened bundles, and add the next portion only when the previous one has almost evaporated and the frying sound returns. Continue for about 14–18 minutes until the pasta is springy but without a dry, hard center; this takes longer than the package time for boiling in a pot. You do not have to use all the liquid; if it runs out before the pasta softens, add hot water from the reserve a little at a time.
AI-generated Once the pasta is cooked, let the remaining liquid evaporate until thick sauce and olive oil remain on the base. Leave the strands for 30–60 seconds without moving them, then carefully turn some bundles to reveal browned, crisp patches. If they darken rapidly, lower the heat or take the pan off the burner; the finished pasta should have red and brown patches without a charred layer.
Divide the pasta into two portions, collecting the clinging tomato sauce from the pan. Serve immediately so the browned patches keep their crisp texture and the centers of the strands stay springy.
Estimated nutrition
Rate this recipe
0 ratings
Comments