Hailing from Bari, Italy, spaghetti all’assassina is a comparatively new entry into the pasta canon. It’s made by simmering spaghetti in spicy tomato sauce till the pasta is al dente and the sauce is generally absorbed or evaporated and about as thick as tomato paste. It’s then fried till the pasta turns golden brown and crispy in some elements and charred and crunchy in others. This recipe from “The Sporkful” podcast creator and host Dan Pashman is impressed by the superlative spaghetti all’assassina at Ghiotto Panzerotto.
Pashman emphasizes that spaghetti is the right pasta form for this dish, particularly the Teflon-extruded sort like De Cecco. A flatter pasta would throw off the ratios—an excessive amount of of it might keep in touch with the pan and also you’d have all crunchiness, no chewiness—whereas a thicker noodle would have an excessive amount of chewy inside in relation to exterior crisp. Pashman additionally recommends utilizing silicone-tipped tongs for this recipe so that you don’t scratch your nonstick pan.
As soon as the dish is cooked, don’t depart it within the pan or serve it in a single massive bowl as a result of the steam will destroy the crisp you labored so laborious to create. Serve it individually and eat it straight away. And whereas it’s not conventional, Pashman is a fan of including a sprinkle of grated parmesan on the finish.
Tailored from the guide Something’s Pastable by Dan Pashman. Copyright © 2024 by Dan Pashman. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
Featured in “The Origins of Spaghetti all’Assassina, the Pasta That Breaks All of the Guidelines.”
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- One 24- to 25-oz. jar marinara sauce
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 5–10 jarred complete pepperoncini peppers, finely chopped
- 1 lb. spaghetti
- 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- Finely grated parmesan, for serving (non-compulsory)
Directions
- To a big pot over excessive warmth, add the salt and 2½ quarts of water. Carry to a boil.
- To a big nonstick skillet, add the marinara, tomato paste, and pepperoncini. Add 1½ cups of water to the empty marinara jar, shut it tightly, and shake it to launch the residual sauce, then add it to the skillet. Stir properly, then set the skillet over medium warmth.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water (it is probably not absolutely submerged at first) and prepare dinner, gently stirring sometimes, till simply pliable sufficient that some items type an “S” form, about 3 minutes. Use tongs to switch the pasta to the skillet, then use a silicone spatula to softly unfold out and press down the pasta till it’s absolutely submerged. (If vital, add pasta cooking water 2 tablespoons at a time till the pasta is simply submerged.) Carry to a simmer and prepare dinner for 10 minutes, urgent all the way down to resubmerge the pasta and including extra pasta water if wanted.
- Drizzle 4 tablespoons of the oil over the pasta, then use the tongs and spatula to softly flip it over in sections. When all of the pasta has been turned, use the spatula to press it right into a flat, even layer, flip the warmth to excessive, and prepare dinner for five minutes. Utilizing the tongs and spatula, rotate the pasta, shifting the lighter sections to the underside and the crispy bits to the highest, then press into an excellent layer and prepare dinner for two–3 minutes. Repeat this course of, rotating the skillet sometimes, till a few quarter of the pasta is blackened, 1 / 4 is deeply browned, and half is darkish pink, 15–18 minutes. (If you need it crunchier, prepare dinner it longer.) Add the remaining oil and toss to mix.
- Switch the pasta to 4 bowls, high with parmesan if desired, and serve instantly.
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