Crispy Charred Spaghetti (Spaghetti all'Assassina)
A unique pasta dish where dry spaghetti is fried in tomato sauce and slowly cooked like a risotto, developing a crispy, charred crust.
- Prep35 min
- Total35 min
- DifficultyMedium
- Servings2
Forget everything you know about cooking pasta. This recipe, invented in Bari, Puglia in the 1960s, treats spaghetti in a completely different way. Uncooked dry spaghetti is added to a pan with a little tomato sauce and fed splashes of broth – a bit like a risotto – as it fries, crisps up and chars in the sauce.
These crispy, smoky bits elevate the flavour into something more exciting and complex than the ingredients might suggest. Born and raised in Foggia, Puglia, Roberta d'Elia is the head chef at a local restaurant, and her version of this classic dish is simply unforgettable.
Ingredients
Converted amounts are rounded.
Method
- In a saucepan, bring 600ml water to a boil. Stir in the tomato purée, basil and a pinch of salt. Keep at a gentle simmer.
- Place a large, wide frying pan over medium heat – it must be wide enough for the spaghetti to lie flat. Add the olive oil, garlic cloves and split chilli. As soon as the garlic sizzles, add the passata and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer.
- Lay the spaghetti across the base of the pan and leave it undisturbed to fry in the oily sauce for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is crisp and browned. Using a spatula, flip all the strands over and crisp the other side. Do not flip before it is crisp – this is crucial.
- Once the spaghetti is browned and crisp on both sides, the sauce in the pan will have started to catch and brown. Add 2 ladles of the simmering tomato broth to the pan and let it vigorously simmer, undisturbed, until almost all the liquid is absorbed.
- Continue this process – adding broth, simmering until absorbed – until the pasta is nearly al dente, about 8 minutes. Trickle a little broth around the edges of the pan to keep the sauce from drying out completely; this allows a second crust to form. Give the pasta a final flip, crisp the other side while drizzling in a little broth, then divide between bowls.
💡 Tips
- Use a non-stick or well-seasoned pan to prevent sticking.
- Don't skip the charring – it gives the dish its signature smoky flavor.
- If the pasta seems too dry, add a little more broth.
Inspired by a recipe from Delicious Magazine