Chef Angela Hartnett has shared a Pugliese pasta dish that uses an unconventional method: the pasta is cooked in the sauce rather than boiled in water. The dish, spaghetti all'assassina, was prepared for Kasabian's Serge Pizzorno and Dish from Waitrose podcast co-host Nick Grimshaw.
How the dish differs from traditional pasta
In a TikTok video from August, Dish wrote in the caption: "A Pugliese favourite with a slightly unconventional cooking method. Watch as Angela serves this fiery, crispy, crunchy and caramelised pasta dish to @nickgrimshaw and Serge, who can't get enough!"
Angela explained: "The difference with this, rather than cooking your pasta in water and adding it to the sauce, you cook it in the sauce." Serge replied: "That is a maestro at work."
Step-by-step cooking method
Start with a pan, adding olive oil, garlic, and both types of chilli. Once the ingredients have heated and started to perfume, add the pasta to the pan. Then add the tinned tomatoes. You'll also need a separate stock made from boiling water and tomato puree, which is incrementally added to the pan.
Angela continued: "The key is as well, is to let it cook in that tomato so it starts to go crispy. So, when you're eating it, you should have some soft bits of pasta, some little, even burnt bits of pasta. And so it should be crunchy, soft, a little bit spicy."
Recipe: Bucatini all'assassina with burrata and 'nduja crumb
Ingredients: three tbsp tomato purée, three tbsp extra virgin olive oil, two large cloves garlic finely chopped, one red chilli deseeded and finely chopped, one tsp chilli flakes (optional), 300g bucatini (or spaghetti or linguine), 400g can finely chopped tomatoes, 285g pack burrata drained. For the crumb: 40g 'nduja, four tbsp fresh breadcrumbs, ¼ x 25g pack flat leaf parsley leaves finely chopped.
Method: Put one litre of water and the tomato purée into a saucepan, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy frying pan large enough to accommodate the length of the pasta. Warm over a medium heat before adding the garlic and fresh chilli, plus the flakes if using. Allow to sizzle slightly before adding the raw pasta. Fry for about five minutes, or until gently toasted, turning it a few times to coat in the oil and cook evenly. Add the canned tomatoes and a ladle of the tomato water. Simmer until the liquid has been absorbed and the tomato is starting to catch, then repeat with another ladle of the tomato water. Repeat until it has all been used up, taking about 20 minutes. Look for a silky sauce, with some caramelised tomato, and cooked pasta that is slightly crispy and toasted. Season.
While the pasta is cooking, fry the 'nduja in a separate frying pan without any extra oil, until softened and crumbled. Add the breadcrumbs, cook until toasted, then stir in the chopped parsley. Serve the pasta in bowls, tear over the burrata and sprinkle over the 'nduja crumbs.
