Midnight Pasta Aglio e Olio
The Story
This is the recipe for when you stumble home after a long night, when the kitchen is quiet except for the sound of boiling water, when you're hungry but too tired for anything complicated. Aglio e olio — garlic and oil — is the ultimate minimalist pasta. Just a handful of ingredients, ten minutes of your time, and you've got something deeply satisfying.
I learned this from a friend who spent a summer in Rome. She told me the Romans consider this the ultimate test of a cook: can you make something delicious with almost nothing? The key is in the execution — slicing the garlic paper-thin so it turns golden but never bitter, warming the oil gently rather than blasting it, and creating an emulsion with pasta water that clings to every strand.
It's simple, yes, but simple doesn't mean easy. You need to pay attention. But at midnight, when the world is quiet and it's just you and the stove, there's something meditative about watching garlic slowly turn golden in olive oil. This is comfort in its purest form.
The secret weapon: reserved pasta water. It's starchy, salty, and when whisked into the oil, creates a silky sauce that coats every strand. Never skip this step!
Ingredients
- 100g spaghetti
- 4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 80ml good quality extra virgin olive oil
- Small handful fresh parsley (chopped)
- Parmesan for grating (optional)
- Sea salt
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt it generously — it should taste like the sea. Add the spaghetti and cook until just al dente (usually 1-2 minutes less than packet instructions).
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat. This is crucial: LOW heat. You're warming the oil, not frying.
- Add the sliced garlic to the oil and cook gently, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes until it turns pale golden and fragrant. Do not let it brown or it will turn bitter. Add the chilli flakes in the last 30 seconds.
- Before draining the pasta, scoop out a full cup of the starchy cooking water and set aside. This is liquid gold.
- Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the pan with the garlic oil. Toss to coat, then add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously — the water and oil will emulsify into a light, silky sauce.
- Keep tossing and adding splashes of pasta water until the pasta is glossy and the sauce clings to each strand. You want it to look creamy, not oily or dry. Taste and adjust salt.
- Remove from heat, toss through the fresh parsley, and serve immediately in a warm bowl. Grate over parmesan if you like (purists will skip it, but midnight isn't a time for rules). Eat it while standing at the kitchen counter, or curled up on the couch. Perfect as it is.
Nutrition (per serving)
520
Calories
15g
Protein
65g
Carbs
22g
Fat
