You have seen the New York Times Midnight Pasta recipe and you are like, “wait, I don’t have time for all of that!” We get you. We felt the same way. That is why we made a shortcut… well, a few shortcuts to make it WAY easier!
Midnight Spaghetti? Yes, please!
If there is anything we love, it’s a comfort ritual. This recipe is definitely one of those!
Who doesn’t love receiving a delish recipe?! Most of the time, though, we take out the grunt work, cut some corners, and tailor it to fit our palette, lifestyle, and schedule.
Sure, some people would say we are eradicating the art of cooking, but if we are going to prepare food at home, there is no way we are going to spend hours doing so.
Most of the time, we make recipes meat-free, nut-free (due to Shannon’s anaphylactic tree nut allergy), or slightly healthier. We found the New York Times Cooking’s recipe for Midnight Pasta or Aglio e olio pasta, and fell in love!
This recipe makes for the perfect meal for you and your partner. It is also an easy meal to cook quickly for guests.
Why is it called Midnight Pasta?
Why is it called that? Get this! It’s called that because, after a late night of drinking, you can throw it together fairly quickly with a few kitchen staples. That is music to our ears. However, the New York Times recipe called for roasting the garlic for about 40-50 minutes. Um, no, thanks.
As much as we adore fresh produce, we also prefer more time on our hands. We also did not have any fresh garlic or parsley, so we opted for parsley flaked from our spice cabinet.
Our version took about 20 minutes from start to finish. Feel free to click the link above for the whole New York Times Cooking Recipe, or keep reading to join us and get the shortcut.
Midnight Pasta Made Easy- NYT Dupe
Ingredients
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- Sea Salt (we use maybe a teaspoon of salt to add to our water for the pasta)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (we do use the good stuff)
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Black pepper to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Parsley flakes for garnish
Directions
- Cook the pasta al dente. We recently switched to a non-toxic, PFAS-free pasta pot to keep things as healthy for us as possible.
- Drain pasta.
- Save 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and add some good olive oil.
- Add the garlic powder and cook the mixture for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
- Turn the heat low, then add red pepper and black pepper to taste.
- Add your drained cooked pasta and a little olive oil (because, why not?!) to that mixture.
- Mix it up, and plate it.
- Grate parmesan to the top of each serving (as much as you want).
- Shake the parsley over each serving.
- Shake a tiny amount of red pepper into each serving.
- Enjoy…Buono!!!
*We paired a light salad with this meal and ate off of the pasta for a few days. Yummy, and easy! Oh, and let’s not forget that you must pair this with a glass of wine.
What Makes the Arner Version Different?
If you want to use our version to reduce cooking time and shorten the process, our easy recipe dupe is the way to go. If you want a more extended version, use garlic cloves and roast them over medium heat.
We also eliminate any pine nuts from anything. If pine nuts are not a direct ingredient, we also need to check the boxes to ensure the items are not made in a facility that processes tree nuts.
Since spaghetti is likely one of your pantry staples, you should have some. The pasta brand doesn’t matter. If you want to really elevate the experience, you can go fancy schmancy and get some good spaghetti. We have substituted our pasta for angel hair if that is available.
FYI, for any of your pasta recipes, use what you have. The smell and taste of pasta are generally similar, unless you are buying high-quality pasta.
We’ve also made variations of this using any tomato sauce we have on hand. If one of your pantry staples is a cream sauce, try that, too.
If you’re craving more calm, check out our cozy routines.
FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions
No. Midnight pasta can be made at any time of day. The name comes from its association with late nights and simple, comforting meals, but the recipe works just as well for lunch, dinner, or whenever you want something easy and satisfying.
Leftover pasta water can be used to add richness to soups, sauces, or homemade broths. It can also be stored in the freezer for later use. Some people reuse cooled pasta water for plants, but it should be unsalted if you plan to do that.
Yes. This version delivers the same simple, comforting flavor as the New York Times midnight pasta recipe. After making both multiple times, we found the results comparable, with no noticeable taste difference.
