SPAGHETTI ALL’ASSASSINA
SPAGHETTI ALL’ASSASSINA
This recipe was inspired by the original recipe of the Accademia dell’ Assassina di Bari.
For this recipe, we recommend using a 12” or 14” fry pan. This way, you will be able to accommodate the spaghetti strands without breaking them. The best pans for this recipe are seasoned cast iron or heavy-duty non-stick pans. If choosing a non-stick pan, use the newly available non-stick ceramic pans that are certified free of toxic materials.
Ingredients
- - 8 oz Spaghetti
- - 1/4 cup Italian Tomato Paste
- - 3 cups Water
- - Salt (to taste)
- - 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- - 2 Garlic Cloves
- - 1 Fresh Red Chili Pepper (or a pinch of dry chili peppers to taste)
- - 1/2 cup Italian Peeled Plum Tomatoes, Pureed
Instructions
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Make the tomato broth by mixing water with tomato paste and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, and keep warm.
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Chop garlic, remove seeds from chili pepper, and chop it. Puree the Italian plum tomatoes.
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Add oil, chopped garlic, and chopped chili pepper to pan and cook on medium heat until the garlic is just golden but NOT brown.
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Add the pureed tomatoes (careful with spatter)and place the spaghetti neatly on top, lining the strands up against each other like little soldiers and covering the whole pan.
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Gently “fry” the spaghetti for a few minutes on each side, turning the strands once with a spatula. At this point, the spaghetti should have some golden and crunchy parts.
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Now add the tomato broth, a ladle at the time. Once the spaghetti is soft enough, gently stir so that it does not stick together.
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Keep adding broth until the spaghetti is cooked “al dente” or to your liking and all the broth has been absorbed.
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The spaghetti will be an intense red color with the unmistakable aroma of caramelized tomatoes; there should also be some deliciously crunchy parts that are typical of this preparation.
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Serve at once on individual plates.
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Buon appetito and SHARE THE PASTA!
Recipe Notes
This recipe was created by NPA's Chef Rosario. See his notes below:
Buon Giorno, pasta-loving friends!
When I travel, I love exploring restaurants all around the world, and I always look forward to sampling their pasta offerings. Some of the pasta specialties I try are deeply rooted in regional Italian cuisines, and they often have colorful captivating names. Besides the well-known Puttanesca, Amatriciana, Cacio e Pepe, and Carbonara, it's fun to find Arrabbiata (which means "angry" and denotes a spicy sauce), Boscaiola (woodsman-style, usually featuring wild mushrooms), or Carrettiera (as delivered by cart drivers—a Sicilian answer to aglio, olio e peperoncino). But the prize for originality goes to the famed Barese (from Bari, Puglia’s capital) specialty: Spaghetti all’Assassina!! Literally, assassin-style spaghetti. It's a killer pasta that will knock you over with its powerful flavor and heat. Not only is its name unusual, but its preparation goes AGAINST everything you have learned about cooking pasta! For starters, the spaghetti is NOT cooked in a pot of boiling water. Rather, it's cooked in a way very similar to risotto. First, it's “toasted” in a pan with garlic, oil, chili peppers, and tomato puree. It's then cooked in the same pan by adding small additions of tomato broth until al dente perfection is reached.
The result is a dish exploding with caramelized tomato flavor, spicy chilis, and an irresistible crunchy texture due to the initial toasting of the spaghetti.
Barese purists don’t add anything else; however, a sprinkle of chopped Italian parsley and/or of pungent Pecorino Romano can only add an extra punch to this culinary heaven. Provare per credere!
Buon appetito and Share the Pasta!
