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Vegetarian, Italy

Spaghetti all’assassina

Spaghetti all'assassina is a pasta dish from Bari, cooked directly in a skillet with a spicy tomato sauce until slightly charred. This recipe serves 4, takes 35 minutes, and is rated medium difficulty, for a cost of €1.30 per serving. The key to success is resisting the urge to stir, letting the bottom of the pan char properly.

I suggest Spaghetti all'assassina, a recipe from Bari where the pasta cooks right in the skillet until it turns slightly charred and packs a real chili kick.

Spaghetti all’assassina
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€1.30
Calories per person
590 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

Spaghetti all'assassina has nothing in common with a regular bowl of pasta. The dry spaghetti cooks straight in the tomato sauce, no separate pot of boiling water, and ends up slightly charred from direct contact with the hot skillet. The result is pasta with concentrated flavor, crisp edges, and a tender center, carried by chili and raw garlic that stay bold in every bite.

It takes a bit of attention but no complicated technique, making it a great choice for a weekend dinner or to impress friends with a sizzling skillet straight from the stove to the table. Mon Chou walks you through getting that char just right without burning the bottom. Go easier on the chili if you're cooking for sensitive palates, since this dish isn't really built for kids.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Spaghettioften in the pantry 360 g
  • Tomato passataoften in the pantry 500 g
  • Tomato pasteoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Dried chilioften in the pantry 2
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Hot salted wateroften in the pantry 1 l
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 4 cloves

Allergens Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Heat the oil with the sliced garlic and chili in a large skillet. 3 min

    Use a cast iron or wide skillet, it needs to hold the spaghetti flat.

  2. Add the tomato paste and the passata diluted in a glass of hot water, then let it simmer for about ten minutes. 10 min

    The cooked tomato paste adds depth.

  3. Spread the dry spaghetti in the skillet, push them halfway into the sauce, and let them cook. 3 min

    Break them if needed so they fit in the skillet.

  4. Add hot salted water a ladle at a time, flipping the spaghetti with each addition. 15 min

    Pour a little water at a time, the sauce should always stay thick.

  5. Finish when the spaghetti is al dente and slightly crisp in places.

    A spaghetto stuck to the bottom isn't a mistake, that's the goal.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use a wide, heavy skillet, ideally cast iron, so the heat spreads evenly and the spaghetti can char without burning in spots.
  • Keep extra hot water nearby while cooking, the sauce needs to stay thick but should never go completely dry before the pasta is done.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta, the chili and raw garlic should already come through clearly, since the cooking that follows barely mellows the flavors.

The variations

  • Swap the dried chili for fresh minced chili if you have some on hand, the flavor will be sharper and less smoky.
  • Stir in a few pitted black olives or capers for a saltier version typical of southern Italy.
  • For a quicker version, make the tomato sauce ahead of time and only pan cook the spaghetti the night you plan to serve it.

What to serve it with

  • A lemony green salad
  • A glass of cold sparkling water
  • Crusty bread for the sauce

Storage

Spaghetti all'assassina keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Reheat it in a skillet with a splash of water to bring back some moisture, since it tends to dry out. Freezing isn't recommended, the crisp texture is completely lost.

Questions about this dish

Why is the spaghetti cooked in the skillet instead of boiling water?

That's the whole point of the dish, raw pasta cooks directly in the tomato sauce to soak up its flavor and develop a slightly charred bottom from the hot pan. That's what gives it its unique texture, crisp in places and soft in others.

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the garlic and chili tomato sauce the day before and keep it in the fridge. All that's left to do is reheat it and cook the spaghetti in it right before serving.

What if I don't have dried chili?

You can use fresh minced chili or a pinch of chili powder, adjusting the amount to taste. The key is keeping a real spicy kick, since that's the signature of this dish.

How do you keep the spaghetti from sticking too much to the pan?

A bit of sticking is normal and actually the goal, but a wide, good quality skillet helps spread the heat evenly. Add the hot water gradually to keep enough moisture without ever drowning the sauce.

How long does it take to make a Spaghetti all'assassina?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Spaghetti all'assassina?

About 590 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Spaghetti all'assassina cost?

About €1.30 per serving, or €5.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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