Spaghetti All’Assassina con Guanciale
Also known as burnt spaghetti. This is not the traditional way to cook pasta and even though it goes against all rules it is actually an Italian recipe from Bari. The spaghetti are cooked directly in their sauce giving them a richer taste. Cheat’s variation includes some crispy guanciale.
Ingredients for 2 persons:
400g Pasta Reggia Spaghetti
30g Guanciale
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 Chilli Pepper (sliced)
1tsp Olive Oil
1can Fiamma Vesuviana Diced Tomatoes
2tbsp Tomato Paste (kunserva)
500ml Water
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
Start by mixing the tomato paste with the water and bring it to a boil in a small saucepan.
Now it’s important that for this recipe ideally use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet in order to get a nice burnt crust on the pasta. Also, it needs to be a minimum of 28cm to fit the spaghetti without breaking them. That’s forbidden!
Slice the guanciale thinly (removing the hard skin) and place it in the skillet.
Turn on low-med heat and cook the guanciale until it gets crispy.
Remove the guanciale and set aside, add a teaspoon of olive oil to its fat, and gently cook the minced garlic and sliced chili until softened.
Add the diced tomatoes to the skillet and bring the sauce to a gentle boil.
Add the spaghetti leaving them in a single row and keep on cooking them until the sauce starts to thicken and a dark crust starts forming at the bottom. Don’t worry, the black burnt parts are part of the recipe!
Flip the bottom spaghetti with the top ones to get a black crust on most of them.
You can now start adding a ladle of the tomato paste broth until it evaporates and more crust is forming.
Keep on doing this process until the spaghetti are nearly done. This should take roughly 15 minutes.
At this point, you can add salt & pepper and give them a good final mix.
Plate and sprinkle the crispy guanciale on top, and decorate with fresh basil.
