Midnight Pasta

Midnight
Pasta

⏱ 15 minutes 👥 1 serve 🔥 Dead Easy

It's late. You're hungry. The kitchen is dark except for the stovetop glow. This is aglio e olio's rebellious cousin — garlic, chilli, olive oil, and nothing else matters. No cream, no tomato, no compromise.

This is the pasta you make when you're cooking for yourself and nobody's watching. When you add extra chilli because you can. When you eat it straight from the pan standing at the counter because plates are negotiable.

Fifteen minutes. One pot. Zero judgement. The Italians perfected this midnight magic centuries ago. Garlic sizzling in olive oil, chilli flakes blooming their heat, pasta water creating silky emulsion. Simple ingredients, executed with confidence. That's the whole game.

Ingredients

  • 100g spaghetti
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh parsley, chopped
  • Parmesan, grated (optional)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Boil a pot of heavily salted water. Like the sea, they say. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
  2. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-low. Add sliced garlic. Let it sizzle gently until golden and fragrant. Don't rush — burnt garlic is bitter.
  3. Add chilli flakes. Let them bloom in the oil for 30 seconds. The kitchen should smell incredible.
  4. Add drained pasta directly to the pan. Toss vigorously. Add pasta water a splash at a time, tossing constantly until the pasta is glossy and emulsified.
  5. Throw in parsley. Toss again. Taste. Adjust salt and chilli.
  6. Plate (or don't). Grate parmesan over the top if you're feeling fancy. Eat immediately, probably standing up.

Nutrition Per Serve

520
Calories
15g
Protein
65g
Carbs
22g
Fat