Spaghetti all’Assassina
Spaghetti all’Assassina, also known as burnt spaghetti (Spaghetti bruciati), isn’t probably the most famous Italian dish in the world. It is a pasta dish, where the pasta is not boiled before being put together with the sauce, but it is fried together with the components of the sauce, and the liquid in the sauce cooks the spaghetti soft and edible. When preparing this dish, it is important to use a large pan with a thick bottom and preferably made of cast iron, which can accommodate the length of the spaghetti, and it is important that together with the sauce, the spaghetti is fried until very brown, then the browned spaghetti is scraped off the pan with a spatula and the procedure is repeated on the other side. Finally, tomato puree is added, in which the spaghetti is “cooked” until the sauce dries, sticks to the spaghetti, and is fried again until brown.
There is a bit of skill involved in preparing this dish, but if you follow the process properly, it’s not too bad. The result is one of the spiciest dishes in Italian cuisine, which is also extremely tasty.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Level: Medium
Serves: two
Ingredients:
300 g of spaghetti of your choice
3-4 tablespoons of tomato paste
7-8 medium garlic cloves finely chopped
2 red chilies, seeds removed and cut into thin pieces or rounds
700 ml tomato puree (passata)
High-quality cold pressed olive oil for frying and serving
Black pepper and sea salt to taste
Basil or other herbs of your choice for serving
Preparation:
- Finely chop the garlic and cut the chilies in half and then into pieces or cut the chilies into rounds
- Heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed, preferably cast-iron pan, add tomato paste, garlic, and chili. Stir and fry for a few minutes.
- Add the spaghetti and gently fry the spaghetti for 7-8 minutes. Spread the spaghetti in the pan and let it brown. If the spaghetti is brown on one side, stir it with a spatula and brown on the other side. Repeat this procedure several times.
- Season the spaghetti with sea salt and black pepper.
- When the spaghetti has browned to a dark brown in places, add the passata and cover the spaghetti with it and let it simmer. Do not stir the spaghetti all the time, so as not to break it too much.
- Fry, stirring gently from time to time, until the liquid evaporates and the tomato sauce sticks to the spaghetti.
- At this time, the spaghetti will start to brown again. Brown the spaghetti for 7-8 minutes, stirring gently in between. Taste the spaghetti and make sure it is soft enough. Spaghetti must be al dente, slightly crunchy, but tasty. If the spaghetti is too hard, add a little water and repeat the procedure.
- When the spaghetti is ready, arrange it neatly on a tower serving plate and decorate it with a sprig of basil or other herbs of your choice.
Ready!!