Pasta Assassina

Name: Pasta Assassina
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 3-4

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Forget everything you know about making pasta here: The pasta is cooked in a nearly dry pan to start, and you want to bring the strands right to the edge of burning to get some strong caramelization on the bottom of the pan. Once you've got that caramelization going, you cook it more like a risotto than a pasta, adding ladlesful of tomato-tinged water a bit at a time until the pasta is tender. You need to watch the pasta carefully (don't walk away from it!), but the result is so full of flavor. Although it is not traditional (and optional for those who haven't yet boarded the tinned fish train), l like to add canned sardines just before plating for a bit of protein-and all those Super-Italian nutrients. Oh, and the name? Its origins are a bit unclear, but I do know that this pasta slays every time!

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Ingredients

¼ cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

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4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 teaspoon Calabrian chile paste

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1 cup passata (tomato puree)

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8 ounces spaghetti
2 tins boneless sardines (optional)
Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, for serving
¼ cup freshly grated pecorino cheese

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Stir in the tomato paste and salt and keep warm over very low heat.
In a large sauté pan, warm the oil, garlic, and chile paste over medium-high heat until the chiles are sizzling and the garlic is lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Discard the garlic. Add the passata to the pan and cook for 2 minutes to thicken slightly, then add the raw pasta. Turn the pasta strands to coat, then spread them in the pan, trying to bring as many of the strands into contact with the bottom of the pan as possible. Cook without stirring until the pasta starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Toss, spread out again, and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add about 1 cup of the warm tomato water to the pan and simmer the pasta until most of the liquid has been absorbed. As the pasta absorbs the water, the oil will begin to sizzle and fry the pasta, which is what you want. Toss the pasta, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and repeat the process two more times. When you add the final cup of tomato water, add the sardines to the pan (if using). Stir gently to cover with the sauce and heat through.
Serve garnished with a bit of parsley, the pecorino, and a drizzle of olive oil.