Spaghetti all'Assassina

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 750 ml water
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp chili, dried and crushed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 250 ml tomatoes, pureed
• 120g spaghetti
• salt and pepper
• 1 dashes olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

killer one-pot spaghetti

For this recipe from Bari, which breaks all the pasta rules, you need a large cast-iron pan in which the spaghetti can lie flat on the bottom of the pan so that everything cooks together and the sauce and pasta caramelize beautifully. A truly unusual recipe in which the spaghetti becomes nice and crispy, reminiscent of fried noodles. To do this, put 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and 750 ml of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil briefly, then reduce the heat to low. Meanwhile, heat the large pan over medium heat. Finely chop the garlic cloves, add them to the pan with the chili and olive oil, and sauté for about half a minute. Add the passata and sauté everything together for another two minutes. Then place the spaghetti flat in the pan, season with salt and pepper, and spoon the tomato sauce over the spaghetti to coat the pasta. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has completely evaporated; the pasta can brown slightly if desired. Then toss the pasta with a spatula. Now, as you would with a risotto, gradually add ladlefuls of the hot tomato broth and let the broth reduce. Don’t mix the spaghetti together yet, so that it lies next to each other and has even contact with the bottom of the pan. Repeat until the desired degree of doneness is reached. This takes longer than the traditional cooking method; for me, it took about 18 minutes for spaghetti, which takes 11 minutes according to the package. Finally, toss the spaghetti, add another splash of olive oil to the pan, and fry for another 2-3 minutes; the caramelization should continue. Then season with salt, pepper, and chili, transfer to a plate, and serve hot. Notes: The flavor should come from the combination of the caramelized spaghetti with the heat of the dried chili and garlic. Feel free to adjust the seasoning and quantities to your own taste, especially the amount of chili, as each variety is slightly different. Adding some fresh chili or smoked paprika is also great! If the balance between sweet and sour is not right, you can also add a little sugar or a splash of lemon juice.