Midnight Pasta

This is alchemy at its simplest—just garlic, oil, and heat refracting into something far greater than their parts. Like white light splitting through a prism, these humble ingredients separate into layers of flavour: the sweetness of slowly cooked garlic, the fruity notes of good olive oil, the mineral brightness of pasta water. It's the dish you make when the world is asleep and only you remain, when the kitchen becomes a laboratory of light and transformation. Pure chemistry, pure magic.

Ingredients

100g spaghetti
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 small red chilli, finely sliced (or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes)
60ml extra virgin olive oil
Small handful fresh parsley, chopped
Grated parmesan, to serve
Salt

Method

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the sliced garlic and chilli.
Cook the garlic very gently, stirring occasionally, for about 4-5 minutes. You want it to turn golden and fragrant, not brown or burnt. The oil should barely bubble.
Just before the pasta is ready, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.
Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the pan with the garlic oil. Toss to coat, adding splashes of pasta water to create a light, silky sauce that clings to the strands.
Remove from heat, stir through the fresh parsley, and serve immediately with a generous grating of parmesan on top.

Midnight Pasta

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition