[RECIPE IN SHOW NOTES] 

Today Simon serves up another pasta dish that’s definitely not for the little ones – spaghetti all’Assassina! Be careful, this regional specialty from Bari is not only doing the rounds on social media right now, it’s also INTENSELY tomatoey and hot and spicy, largely because it uses a different way of cooking the pasta. Ingredients are simple (tomato passata, chilli, garlic, red chilli flakes and olive oil) but the results are incredible. To make it the proper way you’ll need a cast-iron skillet too. 

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RECIPE: (Serves 4 – but halves easily for 2) 

Bring 500ml lightly salted water to a boil in a large saucepan.  

Using a large cast-iron frying pan, add 6 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 finely sliced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of dried red chilli flakes and 500ml tomato passata, and put on a medium heat. Once the sauce is bubbling vigorously, add 1 packet (500g) spaghetti, allowing it to spread into the sauce (it won’t be a single layer, but almost), then ladle in a third of the boiling water and turn up the heat. Now begins the process of observational cooking: use a spoon to move the spaghetti around as it simmers vigorously in the sauce – this will get easier as it softens and curves – and add more boiling water as needed.  

Keep an eye on the time, because this method takes a bit longer than the standard cooking time on the packet, so taste. Once the pasta is cooked but still has some bite, and the sauce is tight, start the process of toasting: allow the pasta to catch on the pan, and even some parts to burn while others turn golden crisp, but keep moving the spaghetti around so all these parts are evenly distributed. The final consistency should be quite dry, but not parched. Serve immediately… and keep the kids away! 

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