Spaghetti all'Assassina
(spah-GEHT-tee ahl-ahs-sah-SEE-nah)
Cucina Povera on a Tuesday: Grandma's Weeknight Survival Guide
Skip the boiling water and drop the raw strands straight into hot oil and dried red peperoncino, deliberately breaking the rules by pan-frying dry pasta in a screaming hot, wide cast-iron skillet. Chicken broth is an Americanized crutch you should strictly avoid here; the secret to the deep, meaty umami happens every time you reach for a ladle and the tomato broth hisses, sparking the violent caramelization of tomato starches right on the iron. Keep the heat high, and whatever you do, don't snap the spaghetti.
Ingredients
- water3 cup
- tomato puree2 cup
- tomato paste3 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- extra virgin olive oil1/3 cup
- garlic cloves4 large
- crushed red pepper flakes2 tsp
- dry bronze die spaghetti1 lb
Method
- 01
Prepare the tomato broth.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the water, 1 cup of the tomato puree, the tomato paste, and the kosher salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to keep it steaming hot, as adding cold liquid later will ruin the frying process.
- 02
Infuse the olive oil with garlic and chili.
Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, garlic cloves, and red pepper flakes, sautéing until the garlic turns deep golden brown and the oil is fragrant.
- 03
Fry the concentrated tomato base.
Carefully pour the remaining 1 cup of tomato puree directly into the hot oil. It will sputter violently, so stand back, then stir for a minute until it thickens slightly.
- 04
Add the raw spaghetti directly to the skillet.
Do not break the pasta. If your skillet is a bit small, let the center of the spaghetti soften for 30 seconds, then gently push the edges down so the strands lie completely flat. Let it fry in the thick tomato oil for about a minute to soak up the color.
- 05
Ladle in the broth and let the pasta fry.
Ladle about 1 cup of the hot tomato broth over the pasta and gently nudge the strands to distribute the liquid, then leave it alone. Listen closely: when the water evaporates, the bubbling will transition into a sharp, crackling sizzle. Let it fry in that sizzle for a minute to develop a dark, crispy char on the bottom.
- 06
Repeat the risottatura process until the pasta is charred and tender.
Use a sturdy metal spatula to scrape the charred spaghetti from the bottom and flip it over. Repeat the process—adding a ladle of hot broth, letting it evaporate to a sizzle, allowing it to char, and flipping—until the pasta is al dente and fiercely dark red with spotty black char marks. There should be no pooling liquid at the end.
Notes
Use cast iron or carbon steel.
Non-stick pans will completely prevent the pasta from sticking and charring, defeating the entire purpose of the dish. You need the intense, conductive heat of iron to build the crust.
Resist the urge to stir constantly.
The magic of this dish requires letting the pasta sit undisturbed in the sizzling oil and tomato sugars to develop that signature 'bruciacchiato' (charred) texture.
Keep the broth piping hot.
Adding cool or room-temperature broth to the skillet lowers the temperature and causes the pasta to boil rather than fry. Keep that adjacent saucepan steaming throughout the process.
From Cook Italian in America.