Spaghetti all'Assassina is an Italian one-pot pasta recipe where spaghetti cook in a rich, spicy tomato sauce.
The recipe is easy to make in about 20 minutes and has simple ingredients.
Serve it with a creamy burrata on top for a delicious weeknight dinner.
What is Spaghetti all'Assassina?
First, this is an authentic Italian one-pot pasta recipe from Bari in the southern region of Puglia.
As local folklore goes, a customer who was served this dish first screamed at the chef, "You are an assassin," because the pasta was so spicy.
The recipe changed slightly since then to become more mainstream, but two things remain unique about this dish.
First, the pasta cooks directly in tomato sauce.
Second, the spaghetti chars slightly, creating a combination of texture and flavors that make this dish irresistible.
We recommend serving spaghetti all'assassina with a creamy Burrata or stracciatella on top to make it a simple, delicious, and satisfying weeknight dinner.
Ingredients for Spaghetti all'Assassina
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Spaghetti
- Tomato puree or tomato passata.
- Tomato paste: the thick one that comes in a can, sometimes called tomato concentrate.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic: fresh.
- Red pepper flakes or dried chilis.
- Vegetable broth
- Salt
- Burrata: as a topping. Substitute buffalo mozzarella, stracciatella cheese, or whole milk ricotta for burrata.
What is Burrata? Burrata is an Italian cow's milk cheese that looks like a mozzarella. The outer layer is made of mozzarella, and the inside is filled with cream and stracciatella, another soft Italian cheese.
How to make Spaghetti all'Assassina
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a skillet large enough to contain the spaghetti.
Ideally, use a cast iron or enameled cast iron skillet. Non-stick also works.
Add the garlic cloves cut in half and the red pepper flakes, and fry gently for a minute or until you smell the garlic's fragrant aroma.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook it in the oil for a minute or until it turns a darker shade of red.
Add tomato puree, half of the vegetable broth, salt, and the spaghetti.
Cover the spaghetti with the sauce and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes or until cooked. Add more broth if necessary.
Try not to touch the pasta much. Stirring is not required.
You should allow the spaghetti to stick to the pan and slightly char. You might want to turn the pasta once or twice, but no more than that.
Serve directly in the pan or on a plate with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
We recommend adding burrata or soft white cheese on top to make this spaghetti all'Assasina a complete meal.
Storage
Make ahead: Spaghetti all'Assassina is a quick and easy meal, but we don't recommend preparing it in advance, as the pasta's texture will deteriorate.
Refrigerator: You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 36 hours.
Reheat: You can warm pasta in a microwave for a few minutes or in a skillet with olive oil.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 ounces spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and halved
- ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes more or less to taste
- ¾ cup tomato paste the thick one that comes in a tube or small can
- 2 cups tomato puree or tomato passata
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- 3 small burrata optional
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a skillet large enough to contain the spaghetti.Add 3 cloves garlic cut in half, ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes, and fry gently for a minute.Add¾ cup tomato paste and sauté for a couple of minutes, or until it turns a shade of red darker.
- Add 2 cups tomato puree, 2 of the 4 cups vegetable broth, ¾ teaspoons salt, and 10 ounces spaghetti.Cover the spaghetti with sauce and let simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. Add more broth if necessary. Try not to touch the pasta much. Stirring is not required.
- You should allow the spaghetti to stick to the pan and slightly char. You might want to turn the pasta once or twice, but no more than that. We recommend serving the pasta topped with burrata.
Video
Notes
- Spaghetti: Substitute linguine.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Substitute regular olive oil.
- Red pepper flakes: Substitute dried chilis.
- Burrata: as a topping. Substitute buffalo mozzarella, stracciatella cheese, or whole milk ricotta for burrata.
John says
This looks incredible guys! I’m so excited about this new blog with recipes for omnivores 🙂