Spaghetti all’Assassina Recipe
Spaghetti all’Assassina is a bold, rule-breaking pasta with charred noodles and a fiery tomato sauce that delivers restaurant-worthy flavor.
Ingredients
- 6-7 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 peeled, finely minced/grated shallots
- 4 finely minced/grated garlic cloves + 3 whole garlic cloves
- 56 ounces San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
- 3 fresh basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups hot water
- 1 pound dry bronze-die cut spaghetti
- ½ seeded and small diced fresno pepper
- Salt and ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium-sized sauce pot over medium heat, add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots, gently season with salt, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, just until light brown. Turn the heat to low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes to further caramelize, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the 4 finely minced garlic cloves and cook just until fragrant, which takes 30 to 45 seconds. Add in the tomatoes and basil, and cook over low heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Finish with balsamic vinegar, salt, ground white pepper, and 4 cups of hot water. Keep hot over low heat.
- In a large 12” carbon steel or cast-iron skillet over medium heat with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, add in the 3 garlic cloves, and cook for just 2 to 3 minutes to lightly brown the garlic and perfume the oil.
- Remove the garlic and set it aside. Place the spaghetti in the pan and move it around until it is flat. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Toast for 45 seconds, or just until lightly browned. Then, do your best to flip it over to toast on the other side for 45 seconds.
- Add in the Fresno peppers and sauté for 30 to 45 seconds. Place the cooked whole garlic cloves back in. Make sure the spaghetti is as flat as possible and covers as much surface area of the pan as possible. Then add 3 to 4 ladles of the tomato-water sauce and cook, untouched, for 3 to 4 minutes, concentrating the sauce to caramelize the pasta.
- Using a spatula and tongs, flip the pasta over, add 3 to 4 more ladles of the sauce, and repeat the process to concentrate and caramelize.
- At this point, the pasta should be easier to move, so flip it and repeat the process. The goal is for the pasta to be dark brown, almost burnt in some areas, while concentrating the sauce as it cooks down. It is a similar technique to making risotto with less stirring. The entire process should take 16 to 20 minutes for the pasta to be al dente. You’ll continue on in this process until all but about a half cup of the sauce is left.
- Toss the pasta in the remaining half cup of sauce and adjust any seasonings with salt and pepper.
- Serve with a garnish of drizzled olive oil.
Notes
I know it goes against all the rules, but lightly burning the spaghetti is encouraged here. I always get the best char on the noodles when I flatten them as much as possible on the bottom of the skillet, then wait for the tomato base to fully concentrate and caramelize before flipping them.
Double garlic: Garlic is pulling double duty here. The minced garlic flavors the sauce, while the whole cloves perfume the oil before frying the spaghetti. If you mince all of the garlic, it will burn during frying.
Use hot sauce: Just like in risotto recipes, I keep the tomato sauce on the stove over low-medium heat so it stays nice and hot. If it’s too cold, the cooking process will slow down, preventing the noodles and sauce from caramelizing.
Leave it alone: I want the liquid to reduce, concentrate, and caramelize while the pasta chars and cooks through, so I avoid stirring the sauce or flipping the pasta too often.
Customize it: Sometimes I like to bulk up this pasta by adding sliced Italian sausage, sliced bell peppers, sauteed mushrooms, or shredded chicken at the end.
Make Ahead: This charred pasta is meant to be eaten as soon as it’s ready.
How to Store: Let the pasta cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The texture is best within the first day or two, but the flavors deepen overnight.
How to Reheat: Reheat the pasta in a covered skillet over medium heat with a splash of water for 1–2 minutes, then uncover and cook until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 688kcalCarbohydrates: 104gProtein: 18gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gSodium: 589mgPotassium: 1059mgFiber: 8gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 500IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 165mgIron: 6mg