Pasta that will kill you...or almost.
Scared about the title eh?
Don't worry there is nothing to be afraid of, in quite the opposite, it is an experience that I wish you to experience at least once in your life.
In fact, today we are going to talk about one of Bari's iconic meals, which has been getting a lot of hype recently thanks also to several revisitations by some Apulian chefs. But we as always are interested in history and tradition, so about the revisitations maybe we will talk another time 😜
History and tradition of perfect murder
I assume those reading know that I am always referring to the pasta meal!
So, having said that, let's start by saying that it is a recipe that was created to meet a customer's need about fifty years ago.
This is to make you understand a traditions doesn't have to be a hundred years old to have worth.
We are located at Via Vito Nicola De Nicolò, 40, 70121 Bari, in the late 1960s.
It was just another day for chef Enzo Francavilla , as he was intent as ever on satisfying the customers of resturants Al sorso preferito. All of a sudden two tourists from the North, who had spent the morning walking around the city and they were particularly hungry, appeared in the restaurant.
In fact, their request to the chef was clear, "we wish to eat a hearty and tasty meal", and Enzo didn't let it be repeated twice and dashed into the kitchen.
And that's when the creative process began!
He decided to "risottare" some spaghetti in plenty of tomato sauce, adding garlic and a more than generous, handful of chili pepper.
All of this is done using the "sartàscene", or black frying pan ,now no longer up to standard, which was only wiped with paper to leave a light oily film that prevented it from rusting.
After bringing the dishes to the two diners their feedback was not long in coming, in fact one of them called the chef and said, "This dish is delicious it is very spicy. You are such a KILLER (ASSASSINO)!”
Don't worry, the guy did not want to throw the chef in jail, but rather he used this term referring to the spiciness of the dish that had almost killed his palate. At that moment Enzo had an epiphany, and decided to name the dish "assassin."
One of the most popular meals in Bari
To date, the assassin has become part of the menu of many restaurants in the Bari area, in fact it is in great demand even by several foreigners!
There are several additions that can be made, mainly for more delicate palates (like mine who can't stand spicy 😅), like the one pictured above, as my husband wanted to add stracciatella and pistachio to dilute the spiciness.
Or there are restaurants that put burratina on top, or even plain mozzarella.
Enzo Francavilla did not imagine that he would receive so much success, to this day he is surprised that it happened, but of course he is extremely proud of it!
What is certain is that like the worst serial killers,the assassin will find you... and force you to taste it!
Article edited by: Giorgia Loconsole
