Spaghettini all’assassina

- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 2
Are you the sort of cook that can burn pasta? Well, this is your lucky day. This classic Italian dish of "murdered" spaghetti is browned in the pan before being cooked using the absorption method. Paired simply with tomato, garlic and chilli, it has plenty of fresh Italian flavour.
By Jane Baxter
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
- 200g/7 oz ata
- 1 tbsp red pepper paste (or tomato purée)
- 200g/7 oz spaghettini
- 50ml/2 fl oz olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 red chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 10 cherry tomatoes (optional)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Mix 150g/5½ oz of the ata with 400ml/14fl oz water and the red pepper paste (or tomato purée). Pour into a pan and bring up to a simmer. Keep it simmering while you cook the pasta.
Soak the spaghettini in freshly boiled water for about 30 seconds, then drain.
In a large heavy-based non-stick shallow pan, heat the oil over a low heat. Add the garlic and both types of chilli and stir. Fry (without colouring) for a moment to flavour the oil.
Add the remaining 50g ata followed by the spaghettini, laying it across the pan. Season well and turn up the heat. Cook for a few minutes until some strands of the pasta catch and brown, then flip it over with a spatula (don’t stir the pasta as it’ll break).
When the pasta is well browned, add a third of the simmering tomato stock. Turn down the heat and allow the liquid to be absorbed. When the pan starts sizzling, this is a signal to add more liquid.
Repeat this step until all of the stock is used and the pasta is cooked, all the while continuing to flip the spaghetti so that it can absorb the liquid. Add the tomatoes if using.
When the pasta is cooked (it should be slightly charred in places) season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with a drizzle of good oil.