This Killer Assassin's Spaghetti is So Scary Good

Assassin's Spaghetti, also known as Spaghetti Bruciati or burnt spaghetti, is a traditional and cult recipe in Puglia. The spaghetti isn't cooked separately in a pot rather the raw spaghetti is cooked in a tomato puree until it caramelizes. This actually involves 'burning' the spaghetti. Doesn't sound good, but it surely is amazing and can't be described in words.

This isn't just the only interesting part about the dish. There are several stories surrounding its invention. One of them says that it was the invention of Enzo Francavilla, a chef from Foggia. He opened his restaurant in Bari was called Al Sorso Preferito and still exists today. One day, two customers came into the restaurant asking for a tasty pasta dish. He created Assassin's Spaghetti and served it to the customers. One said it was very good indeed and added that it was a killer dish!

The other story is even more interesting as mentioned by Tik Toker Pasta Queen in her video. That the dish was created by mistake. The chef who was making the pasta gets distracted by a beautiful lady, owing to which he forgets to cook the spaghetti. He ends up adding the raw spaghetti to the sauce, and it ends up burning at the bottom. To save the dish, he quickly makes a mixture of tomato paste and water and adds it to the pasta. And hence the name burnt spaghetti!

Whatever the story may be and however the dish was created, it is a delicious pasta dish made with cheap, humble ingredients with almost no effort and in less time. This killer recipe with burnt crisp spaghetti coated with a beautiful tomato-based sauce and fiery red chili peppers is freaking good. You surely can't ignore this cult recipe!

Ingredients -

• 250 grams Spaghetti

• 4 minced garlic cloves

• 3 fresh or dried red chili peppers

• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cups of tomato puree

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• Salt as per taste

• Chilli flakes for garnish

Procedure-

1. For this recipe, pasta isn't cooked separately. So, we will start with the preparation of the sauce with the olive oil in a cast iron pan, and to it add the minced garlic and chopped fresh or dried red chili peppers. Sauté for 2 minutes.

2. To this add tomato puree and uncooked spaghetti. Do not stir the spaghetti into the sauce.

3. Allow the sauce to reduce on medium-high heat until the spaghetti caramelizes from the bottom, and you get a burnt crisp color. Add little water if needed. Turn over the spaghetti without breaking it.

4. In another pot boil a cup of water, to this add the concentrated tomato paste. Add this mixture to the spaghetti pan from the sides. Add salt as per taste.

5. Allow it to cook until the pasta is al dente. The total time of cooking the spaghetti should be around 10 to 15 mins.

6. Serve the hot and spicy Assassin's Spaghetti and garnish it with chili flakes. Enjoy!

A cast iron pan is the best way to cook the spaghetti as it caramelizes beautifully. Though you can use a non-stick pan too.

In place of tomato paste, tomato sauce can be used.

Try not to flip and mix the pasta a lot. It will have a better effect if occasionally.

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