Assassin's Pasta #1 ✅

"Assassin's pasta" is a nickname for spaghetti all'assassina, a spicy, flavorful pasta dish from Bari, Puglia, Italy. The name comes from the recipe's spicy heat and intense flavors. The pasta is cooked in a pan using a method called "risottatura". Instead of boiling the pasta separately, you add water to the pan each time the pasta absorbs it, cooking it directly in the sauce. The pasta is then charred and slightly crispy.

subheading: Tomato Broth:

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp granulated garlic)

2 cans (15oz) tomato sauce

4 cups water

2 teaspoon salt

subheading: Assassin's Spaghetti:

½ cup olive oil

1½ tbsp red chili flakes, or to taste

12 ounces dry pasta

salt to taste

Gather all ingredients.

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add garlic and sizzle until it starts to turn golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and salt. Bring to a simmer on medium-high. Once simmering, reduce to low heat and keep warm.

Pour olive oil into a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, season with chili flakes and heat until chili flakes start to sizzle, for 1 minute. Add raw pasta and toss until well coated with chili oil.

Pour in about 3 cups of tomato broth and, using tongs, move pasta from side to side to evenly distribute tomato broth. Cook, occasionally moving pasta from side to side with tongs (if spaghetti, all facing the same direction) until most of the broth has been absorbed or evaporated, and the spaghetti starts frying in the pan.

Turn pasta over and keep cooking until the pasta starts to brown, and even lightly chars.

Keep adding sauce and cooking it down until the pasta is the desired level of al dente.

On my electric stove, use the "8" setting on the large burner, with a stainless steel frying pan.

Fantastic upgrade: Just before serving (great use of leftovers): add some extra marinara sauce and cheeses (parmesan, romano, mozarella), then heat in a frying pan to melt cheeses.

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