13 hours Ago By [email protected] (Moriah House)
Burning food is usually a bad thing. No one wants to eat burnt eggs or charred baked goods (though luckily, there's ). However, anyone who has savored a good nearly-blackened grilled cheese, or , or enjoys knows that some things are just better a tad bit burnt.
Noodles are probably one of the last foods you'd expect could be improved with a little char, but hear us out: If you enjoy toeing the flavorful line between super-crispy and burnt to a crisp, you need to try spaghetti all'assassina, or burnt pasta. Recipes and variations abound, but the crucial element of this Italian dish — which means "killer spaghetti" – is that the raw noodles are sauteed directly in a pan with a bit of sauce until extremely charred, rather than boiled in a pot to al dente perfection. It contradicts everything normally associated with making perfect pasta, but if you can trust the process, the result is a crispy, crunchy, flavor- and texture-packed delight.
This unique semi-burnt pasta dish was born in the 1960s in Bari, the capital city of the southern Italian region of Puglia. There's some debate over the exact origin story, but by most accounts spaghetti all'assassina was first sauteed up at local favorite restaurant Al Sorso Preferito. The one thing almost everyone can agree on, however, is that spaghetti all'assassina is a beloved Barese specialty.
Why spaghetti all'assassina is so popular Classic spaghetti all'assassina is made with a simple spicy tomato sauce – the name killer spaghetti apparently references the killer spice level, or possibly the fact that it's "to die for". However, the technique for spaghetti all'assassina can be used with almost any sauce, and popular variations include broccoli rabe, seafood, and even fried olives for an extra savory crunch. Spaghetti all'assassina has been receiving ever more buzz in recent years, with Italian food phenoms like Giada De Laurentiis, Dan Pashman, and the Pasta Queen (who also taught us ) sharing their own twists on this unique pan-fried pasta dish.
The hype is well-deserved — according to its many fans, this scrumptious spaghetti gracefully straddles the line between crunchy and chewy, savory and sweet, and smoky and spicy for a pasta experience unlike any other. Debates over how to prepare the best spaghetti all'assassina are fiery. Some suggest boiling the noodles a bit first, while others insist that tossing raw spaghetti directly in the pan results in maximum crunchy, singed, smoky flavor.
Some insist on using a cast iron pan or high-quality steel skillet, while others say a good non-stick pan is fine. At the end of the day, one thing is absolutely clear — this sizzling, savory, and totally singular spaghetti is well worth a shot. Recommended.
