Georgina Hayden’s sun-dried tomato assassin’s spaghetti is a 40-minute, risotto-style pasta

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Georgina Hayden’s new recipe for sun-dried tomato assassin’s spaghetti gives the Puglian dish extra bite and sweetness while keeping its signature technique: dried spaghetti cooks directly in the sauce and is gradually fed hot tomato broth, risotto-style. The Guardian lists 10 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking, or about 40 minutes in total, for four servings.

Ingredients: 3 tbsp tomato purée; 120ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped; 1–2 red chillies, finely sliced (remove pith and seeds for less heat); 100g sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped; 300ml passata; sea salt and black pepper; 350g spaghetti; a few basil sprigs, leaves picked. For the broth, dilute the tomato purée in 1 litre of just-boiled water. Equipment: a large frying or sauté pan wide enough to hold the spaghetti flat, plus a spatula and ladle.

Warm the pan over medium-low heat. Add the oil, garlic and chillies; fry for about one minute until fragrant. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the passata and season generously. Simmer vigorously for five minutes until the sauce looks glossy and rich. Lay the spaghetti flat in the pan and cook over medium-high heat until it absorbs the sauce.

Add the hot tomato broth a ladle at a time, letting each addition absorb before adding more. If needed, raise the heat to help form a crust underneath. After eight to 10 minutes, turn the pasta with a spatula; a slightly charred base should have formed. Continue adding broth in stages; the pasta should be ready after a further eight to 10 minutes. Flip again for crisp edges, then finish with extra olive oil and torn basil. Hayden says one chilli gives warmth and two is her own preference; Parmesan is optional. The source gives no storage or reheating guidance, so none is added.