Spaghetti all’Assassina

Name: Spaghetti all’Assassina
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H35M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT0H35M0.000S
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients: One 24-ounce jar passata (tomato puree); Kosher salt; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, sliced; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 8 ounces spaghetti

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Level: Easy

Total: 35 min
Active: 35 min

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

This “killer” spaghetti might be named for its signature spiciness, for its unusual charred flavor that some call “to die for” or perhaps for the oft-told story of a chef who forgot some pasta on the stove, nearly cooking it to death. Despite the many versions, almost everyone agrees this pasta dish originated in Bari, Italy, in the 1960s. You’ll still find it proudly on the menu at the Al Sorso Preferito restaurant where many say it was created, but it’s also easy and fun to make at home. The risotto-style preparation of slowly adding liquid while simmering and stirring allows you to cook the dish in one pan, first toasting the spaghetti and singeing the tomato, then slowly building the sauce to a hearty thickness and flavor that infuses the pasta all the way through.

Level: Easy

Total: 35 min
Active: 35 min

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

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One 24-ounce jar passata (tomato puree)

Kosher salt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

8 ounces spaghetti

Directions

Reserve 1/2 cup of the passata in a small bowl or measuring cup. Combine the remaining passata, 4 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium saucepan and stir to combine to create a “broth.” Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the color has deepened and it has begun to caramelize, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved 1/2 cup passata and stir, scraping up any browned bits.
Add the spaghetti to the skillet, spreading it out in a single layer as best you can — you want as much surface area to touch the pan as possible. Cook the spaghetti, mostly undisturbed, until it begins to toast and some of the tomato chars, 4 to 5 minutes. If you want more char, cook it a bit longer, but make sure not to burn all of the tomato. Use tongs to scrape up the spaghetti and flip it over.
Add 3 ladles (about 1 1/2 cups) of the warm tomato broth to the skillet; it should be just enough to fully cover the pasta. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. When the spaghetti absorbs most of the liquid, it should take 2 to 3 minutes, add another ladleful of the broth, maintaining a simmer and stirring and scraping more frequently as the spaghetti becomes more flexible.
Repeat the process, adding one ladleful of broth at a time, until the spaghetti is al dente and the sauce thickens, caramelizes a bit and clings to the pasta, about 15 minutes. This typically takes about 10 ladlefuls of broth, but you may find you need a little more or a little less. Season with salt to taste and serve.