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Assassin’s Spaghetti

Isabella Barbato

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Serves: 4
Preparation: 10
Cooking: 25
Ready: 35

Spaghetti is cooked directly in a spicy tomato broth in this bold and comforting one-pan dish from Bari, with deliciously crispy edges.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1-2 red chillies, finely minced, to taste, plus extra to serve (optional)
400 ml tomato passata
1 teaspoon salt
400 g spaghetti
2 tablespoons tomato puree/paste, diluted in 1 litre of water

Method

Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the passata and salt. Let it simmer for 5–7 minutes to thicken slightly.

Lay the uncooked spaghetti flat in the pan. Don’t break it. Spoon a little of the tomato sauce over the top to help it soften.

Bring the diluted tomato purée/paste to a gentle simmer in a separate saucepan. Keep warm over a low heat. As the spaghetti softens, add the tomato broth a ladleful at a time, like you would with risotto. Stir gently and let it absorb before adding more. Continue for about 12 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and coated in sauce.

Increase the heat slightly and leave the pasta untouched for 1–2 minutes to crisp underneath. Watch closely to avoid burning.

Serve straight from the pan while hot. Top with extra chilli, if you like.

Additional notes

Recipe taken from Pasta Therapy by Isabella Barbato
Photography by Patricia Niven
Published by Nourish, June 2026
HARDBACK £25.00

“A bold one-pan spaghetti from Bari, cooked directly in tomato broth until spicy, crispy and full of character. We discovered Spaghetti all’Assassina shortly before my dad became ill, but it quickly became a staple at home. He loved its intensity. The chilli heat, the way the pasta crackled in the pan, the sticky richness of the sauce. It was one of those dishes that brought a bit of drama to the table.

It’s made differently to most pasta. The spaghetti cooks directly in a spiced tomato broth, absorbing flavour as it softens. At the end, you let it catch just a little so the bottom crisps up. The result is a plate of pasta that’s bold, satisfying and anything but boring.”

Pasta Therapy by Isabella Barbato