Spaghetti all’assassina, the recipe for a special first course. The recipe I want to tell you about today is that of a simple and delicious first course of Bari origin. I confess that I learned about this dish from a TV drama set in Bari and couldn’t wait to try making it at home. The peculiarity of this dish is the cooking of pasta directly in the pan with tomato sauce. The result is a dish of burnt spaghetti, crispy and spicy. I liked them so much that after the first time, I have prepared them many times and they have now become a recipe I make often. They are truly special and tasty, cooking in a pan allows the pasta to absorb the sauce, making them tastier than the classic method of cooking pasta in water. The name of this dish derives from its spiciness. Just a few ingredients and a light wide pan, or better yet, an iron one, for the result of a dark red, burnt, and crispy pasta that conquers you at the first bite. I’m sharing my version with you, which may not be the original, but I assure you it’s very good. Let’s head to the kitchen and make Pasta all’assassina together.
AND DON’T MISS THESE RECIPES TOO:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: For 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 185.57 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 32.58 (g) of which sugars 0.59 (g)
- Proteins 6.12 (g)
- Fat 3.35 (g) of which saturated 0.52 (g)of which unsaturated 0.51 (g)
- Fibers 2.16 (g)
- Sodium 332.72 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Pan-fried Spaghetti Ingredients
- 11.3 oz spaghetti
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 hot peppers
- 2 cloves garlic
- to taste salt
How to Make Spaghetti all’assassina
To make this pasta, you need a pan about 14 inches in diameter to fit the whole spaghetti. Pour 700 ml of water and 150 grams of tomato sauce into a saucepan. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.
Pour 3–4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the 2 garlic cloves, and the chopped hot peppers into the pan. Let them fry slightly and pour 100 grams of tomato sauce into the pan. The sauce will start to sizzle and splash, inevitably dirtying the kitchen!
At this point, add the spaghetti to the pan. You can remove the garlic cloves beforehand or leave them in. Start cooking by spreading the spaghetti on the bottom with a wooden fork. Toast them for a few minutes and then gently turn them over.
Add a ladle of the boiling water and tomato sauce and let it dry over medium heat, stirring the spaghetti as they begin to soften. Continue cooking in this way, adding a ladle of water and letting it absorb before adding more.
Check the cooking after about 12 minutes and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning. When the pasta is cooked, without adding more liquid, let it dry over high heat, turning it. Serve the Tomato Spaghetti.
See you tomorrow with a new recipe, a hug, Loredana
Loredana’s Tips
The original recipe also uses tomato paste. I have never used it and preferred to use only tomato sauce
Also read the recipe for Spaghetti alla puttanesca
