Spaghetti all’Assassina (Fried Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce)

Ingredients

• 2 small mild chilies, such as serrano (For the charred quick-pickled garnish; use chilies mild enough to eat whole.)
• sugar (A big pinch, for the quick pickle.)
• salt (A pinch for the quick pickle, plus additional salt to season the tomato broth and pasta.)
• vinegar (Any vinegar; enough to make the quick-pickle solution.)
• 2 jalapeños (Slice very thickly for the sauce; remove some or all of the white pith and seeds for less heat.)
• garlic (A big pile, peeled and roughly chopped; it does not need to be finely minced.)
• 283 g grape or cherry tomatoes (Puree as smoothly as possible. Straining the skins and seeds is optional and not considered necessary.)
• water (At least an equivalent volume to the tomato product, to dilute it into a tomato broth; add in several doses.)
• olive oil (A generous film for frying the pasta.)
• tomato paste (A squeeze, to add concentrated tomato flavor.)
• 225 g spaghetti (Use inexpensive pasta with a smooth, shiny surface rather than bronze-cut pasta, which can make the sauce too starchy and pasty. Break it in half if using a 10-inch pan.)
• basil leaves (A few leaves, torn in at the end.)
• white wine (Optional; splash in at the end to loosen the sauce, or use water instead. The source also mentions adding a little more if desired.)

Steps

1. 1

   Make the quick-pickle garnish. Put a big pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl, then add enough vinegar to form a pickling solution. It is fine if the sugar and salt do not dissolve completely at first.

2. 2

   Using tongs, hold the small serrano or other mild chilies directly in the flame of a gas burner. Rotate them until they are blistered and almost blackened all over. If you do not have a gas stove, the source mentions a kitchen torch or oven broiler as alternatives.

3. 3

   Immediately place the hot charred chilies in the vinegar mixture and leave them to sit while the pasta is prepared and cooked. They will soften inside as they quick-pickle.

4. 4

   Slice the jalapeños into very thick rounds. Remove some or all of the white pith and seeds if you want less heat, since most of the chili heat is concentrated in the white interior.

5. 5

   Peel and roughly chop a big pile of garlic. Fine chopping is unnecessary because the garlic will cook down thoroughly and break apart in the sauce.

6. 6

   Puree the grape or cherry tomatoes as smoothly as possible. Strain out the skins and seeds if desired, although the source considers straining unnecessary.

7. 7

   Dilute the tomato puree with at least an equivalent volume of water. Season the tomato broth with a generous pinch of salt so it tastes about as salty as a well-seasoned soup.

8. 8

   Heat a large, well-seasoned nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. The source strongly prefers a Teflon/nonstick pan for easier cooking and better retention of the browned pasta, although a cast-iron or stainless-steel pan can also be used.

9. 9

   Add a generous film of olive oil to the skillet. Add the chopped garlic and sliced jalapeños and give them a brief head start in the oil.

10. 10

    Add a squeeze of tomato paste and cook it briefly with the garlic and peppers to provide concentrated tomato flavor.

11. 11

    Pour a thin layer of the tomato broth into the skillet. Break the dry spaghetti in half if necessary so it fits the pan, then lay the completely dry pasta into the broth.

12. 12

    Nudge the spaghetti around so all the strands are nestled into the liquid. The pasta will push the garlic and peppers outward toward the rim, where they are less likely to burn.

13. 13

    Leave the pasta until enough liquid has evaporated that the bottom layer begins to fry and turn golden brown. You will hear the change from bubbling to fizzing and popping, and the aroma will become distinctly fried.

14. 14

    Add another small dose of tomato broth. Stir thoroughly so the pasta is wetted, flipped, and separated as much as practical, allowing a different layer of noodles to contact the bottom of the pan.

15. 15

    Continue alternating between allowing the liquid to absorb and evaporate and adding more tomato broth. Repeat the process until the broth has been used; the source describes this as four total doses. Let each exposed bottom layer become deeply brown before adding the next dose, but do not char it black.

16. 16

    As the pasta cooks, allow some noodle clumps to remain if they form; the source notes that these browned clumps can be pleasant in the finished dish. Continue stirring and turning the spaghetti so it cooks through and develops browned, fried surfaces.

17. 17

    Taste a strand for seasoning before the remaining liquid disappears. Add another small pinch of salt if needed.

18. 18

    After the final broth addition has evaporated, let the pan become quite dry and give the noodles a final frying period so the bottom layer becomes deeply browned. In a nonstick pan, the browned material should remain attached to the noodles rather than sticking to the pan.

19. 19

    If the pasta is still slightly undercooked, or if you prefer a looser sauce, splash in a little water or optional white wine and continue cooking until the desired texture is reached.

20. 20

    Tear in the basil leaves and stir them through the hot pasta. Add another small splash of wine if desired to loosen the sauce, keeping in mind that it will tighten as it is transferred to the plate.

21. 21

    Transfer the long noodles to serving plates using tongs. Garnish with the charred quick-pickled chilies and serve immediately.

Notes

The source does not give an exact cooking temperature or precise broth volume; add the diluted tomato broth gradually, as with risotto, until the pasta is al dente. The traditional dish may use dried chili flakes and a cast-iron pan, but this version uses fresh jalapeños, charred pickled chilies, and a nonstick skillet. The sauce should cook down to a sweet, intensely concentrated, almost jam-like consistency while the noodles become browned and crusty.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• Italian
• spicy
• vegetarian
• nontraditional
• pan-fried
• one-pan