Killer Spaghetti are my recent culinary obsession.
The unique feature of this dish is the cooking method of the spaghetti, which are not boiled and then seasoned, but cooked directly in the pan, first allowing them to get burnt and then risotto-style with a tomato broth. The reason for their name is still a bit of a mystery, but most likely it’s due to their extreme spiciness.
Killer Spaghetti is a typical dish of Apulian cuisine, specifically from Bari, which became famous beyond regional borders thanks to the TV series “Lolita Lobosco“, set in the Apulian capital.
To prepare this dish, you only need a few simple ingredients that are easily available in the pantry, such as garlic, oil, chili pepper, tomato sauce, and, of course, spaghetti. Personally, I love to finish the dish with a little bit of stracciatella, which slightly tempers the spiciness of the dish.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1.5 quarts water
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 fresh chili peppers
- 7 oz tomato sauce
- to taste dried chili pepper
- to taste salt
- 11 oz spaghetti
- A few leaves basil
- to taste stracciatella
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan 14 inches
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Tongs kitchen
Steps
To prepare killer spaghetti, first, put a pot of water on the stove to make the tomato broth.
Dissolve the tomato paste in the water, add the salt, a garlic clove, a fresh chili pepper, and a few basil leaves. Salt and bring to a boil.
In a pan large enough to hold all the spaghetti, sauté in a base of oil, a garlic clove along with the chili pepper; I used both fresh and dried for a hotter flavor.
Then add the tomato sauce, and when it starts to simmer, also add the spaghetti, distributing them well over the entire surface of the pan, avoiding overlapping.
Let them cook inside the tomato sauce, ensuring they stick to the bottom of the pan, creating a nice crust. Then, with the help of a spatula or tongs, turn them over and let them crust on the other side as well. At this point, remove the garlic and start risotto-style cooking by adding a ladle of water at a time until they are cooked. Adjust the salt.
Once ready, plate and, to temper the spicy flavor a bit, garnish your killer spaghetti with a little stracciatella and a basil leaf for a touch of color 😉.
