Harissa Assassina Spaghetti

We're on the letter S for alphabetti, and it would be rude not to include spaghetti. Not bolognese though - we've done that. Instead? The viral spaghetti assassina.

15 minutes prep

10 cook

Serves 2

Hugh Woodward
S1 (1).jpg

Ingredients

  • 400gpassata
  • 3 tbspharissa
  • 1 tbspsea salt
  • 100mlolive oil
  • 3garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tbsptomato puree
  • 200ggreen olives, finely chopped
  • half ared onion, finely chopped
  • big handful of bothfresh parsley and mint, finely chopped
  • a dashred wine vinegar
  • 3 tbspolive oil
  • 1 tbsp flaked sea salt
  • 1 tsppul biber

If you think you know a lot about pasta cooking, you'll need to rethink everything for Spaghetti Assassina. You cook it in one pan with little additions of liquid, like a risotto. You burn it, intentionally. The texture is unlike any other pasta - it's chewy, it's got crunchy little bits, it's spicy as hell. In short? You're going to love this one!

Method

  • Kick things off by selecting a frying pan - you want one that's the same width as the length of your spaghetti (so it can fit in the pan). Another thing to factor in is this is a messy recipe - you'll end up with a burnt pan that needs intense scrubbing. We used a Circulon one that's half non stick, half stainless steel that worked a treat.
  • Whisk the passata and harissa together with around 150ml of water and grab a ladle.
  • Heat the olive oil in the frying pan and add the garlic cloves. Fry until golden and aromatic and remove from the oil.
  • Add the tomato puree and fry it out for a few seconds in the oil, then add the spaghetti and a ladle full of the harissa tomato liquid. Move the spaghetti around until the liquid fries off, then add another one. Repeat this process, allowing the passata to evaporate, stick to the pan and give the pasta those coveted crispy/burnt bits.
  • When all the sauce is evaporated and the pasta cooked through and crisped (in parts) to your satisfaction, you're finished!
  • Mix the chopped olives, red onion, herbs, olive oil, vinegar, salt and chilli together and spoon the ensuing salsa over the spaghetti.
  • Enjoy!

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    Hugh Woodward

    Hugh Woodward

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    Hugh's culinary life began aged 14 when he cooked spaghetti hoop burritos to impress girls. Since then his colourful career has taken him to performing in Skegness, making cheese in Peckham, running a wine bar on Columbia Road and reluctantly working in a (briefly) Michelin Starred restaurant. He likes fish, things cooked on charcoal, cheap dinners and London's rich cultural tapestry of food shops. When he's not cooking or eating he can be found mudlarking by the river Thames, buying bits in flea markets and hanging out with his cat Keith.

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