Spaghetti All'assassina

This one is just for me. It is spicy, fussy, and the yield is small. But it’s also very special. If you’re reading this, it deserves a bit of story.

One of the very first things I ever cooked and called my own was “hot pasta,” literally just spaghetti with sauce from a jar to which I had added a bunch of dried cayenne. Fast forward about 13 years, and the algorithm on some social media site or other decided to feed me a video of someone making this recipe, spaghetti all’assassina. Originating in Bari, Italy (near the heel of the boot), this recipe involved deliberately charring the pasta and looked like the spiciest, savoriest, best dang version of pasta and tomato sauce I could imagine. I realized that this was the hot pasta I had wanted to be making all along.

So I set about trying to make it. I tried 4-5 different recipes to varying degrees of success, all leaving me wanting. The recipe below is a hybrid of several, the result of a lot of trial and even more error. it takes some nerve, but the good news is that even if you screw it up this dish still tends to be delicious.

NOTE: This recipe requires a 14” or larger pan. If you don’t have one, break your spaghetti in half, and then hide your face in shame. Not recommended. Also, stainless steel or enameled cast iron works best. Avoid nonstick - we want it to stick!! If you have to choose between the right size and the right material, go for the right material.

30 minutes

serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

  • 1 quart of water, moderately salted (i.e. not unpleasant to taste)

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil

  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste

  • 2 Tsp. red chili flake (the dish is meant to be spicy, but you can use less if desired)

  • 1/2 Lb. (8 Oz.) spaghetti (bronze dye cut is important)

  • 14 Oz. (1 bottle) Passatta (plain tomato sauce)

To serve:

  • juice of 1/2 lemon

  • 1 burrata, divided into segments

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the salted water to a boil, then reduce heat.

  2. In a separate, large pan (14” or more), heat the olive oil on medium high till shimmering. Add the garlic, tomato paste and chili flake, mixing and spreading aroud until fragrant, 20-30 seconds. Add the dry pasta directly on top of the oil mixture, spreading to cover as much surface as possible.

  3. Pour in about 1/4 of the passatta, and just enough of the hot salted water to cover the pasta in the pan. Spread the passatta as needed but do not disturb the pasta. Wait for the sound of simmering (hot water) to turn into sizzling (hot oil), then wait 30 more seconds.

  4. Use a fish turner or hard spatula to flip the sheet of pasta over in chunks.The pasta should look charred and blackened in spots. Scrape up any charred bits as you go.

  5. Repeat seps 3-4 until the pasta reaches desired doneness, allowing more char as you go. Note: you may not use all the passatta or water. That is ok. The pasta is cooked when it’s cooked.

  6. Taste for salt, adding more if desired, then transfer to bowls and serve immidiately with a small squeeze of lemon and the portioned burrata.

Beans and Rice Deluxe

From Josh

From a dorm room staple to a more elevated weekday standby, this dish has been evolving with us for a long time. It now contains some authenticity atop its collegiate roots, but it comes together quickly (make the beans while the rice cooks) and is a healthy, nourishing, cheap and flavorful option, especially for lunch. Doubles easily.

30 Minutes

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

  • 2/3 cup white rice

  • 1/3 chicken bouillon cube

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil, butter, or lard (whichever you prefer)

  • 1/2 yellow or white onion, diced

  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced

  • 1-2 chipotles in adobo* with about 1 tbsp sauce (the chiles control the heat. adjust to taste, but don’t skimp on the sauce)

  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin

  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

  • 1 14.5 Oz. can low-sodium black beans

  • 1/2 lime

  • salt (or Sazon Adobo**) and black pepper to taste

To Serve:

  • a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

  • the other half of the lime, in segments

  • shredded sharp cheddar cheese

  1. In the basin of a rice cooker or instant pot, rinse the rice in cool water, swirl it around, and strain thouroughly to remove excess starch. Add bouillon to 3/4 cup of warm water and break it apart, then add to rice and cook.

  2. In the meantime, heat the fat in a medium skillet on medium until shimmering. Add the onions and cook with a pinch of salt and some pepper until translucent. They don’t need any color - about 5-7 minutes.

  3. Add the garlic, chilis in adobo, cumin and oregano and combine until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  4. Add the beans and their juice, scraping to deglaze. If all the liquid boils off quickly, add a few tablespoons of water. Reduce to a bare simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce has gotten thick enough that it just flows in the pan. Season to taste with salt (or Sazon adobo) and pepper and a small squeeze of the half lime.

  5. Once the rice has cooked and rested in the cooker for a few mintes, juice the rest of the half lime into the rice, fluff, and serve with a generous ladle of beans and their sauce on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sharp cheddar, and lime segments.

* Note: The use of the word “adobo” can be a little confusing in Latin American cooking. With “Chipotles in adobo,” we refer to canned, smoked jalapeños in a tomato-ey sauce - an important flavor for this recipe which is luckily pretty ubiquitos in stores with an “international” aisle and is guaranteed at any mexican grocery. In a sealed container, these will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

** “Sazon Adobo,” confusingly, is a seasoning along the lines of seasoned salt which is ubiquitous (especially the one made by Goya) in many Latin American kitchens. It contains many of the flavors already in this recipe, but turns them up. It is less common to find in American groceries, but is almost always available at Mexican groceries, and one container lasts a long time.

Grilled Corn Salad with Lime, Red Chili and Cotija

Chef: Shannon Fuller

Ingredients

  • 8 ears fresh corn, silks removed, husk on, soaked in cold water 30 minutes (or use Trader Joe's roasted frozen corn)
  • Canola oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup creme fraiche
  • 2 limes, juiced and 1 zested
  • 1 tablespoons ancho chili powder
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup grated cotija cheese

Heat grill to high. Grill corn until charred on all sides, 10 or so minutes. Take off the grill and remove the kernels with a sharp knife. While you are cutting the corn, put a cast iron skillet on the grill to heat.

Add the corn and the remaining ingredients to the hot pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until creamy and heated through. 

corn.jpeg