The idea of midnight spaghetti is not a new one. Known in Italy as Spaghettata di Mezzanote its preparation occurs after a night of drinking and partying or maybe you’ve forgotten to eat during the day and suddenly you are starving and all that’s available is mediocre take out. Time to go home and cook. It must be simple and fast of course and this recipe fits the bill. In my restaurant days I tasted food all day long but often forgot to eat anything substantial. I’d come home and around midnight, and after the adrenaline of the day calmed, I would be ravenous. This was my go-to dish before crashing.
At its simplest its just 5 basic pantry ingredients: Salt, good spaghetti, good olive oil, garlic and a little red pepper are all you need. Known in Italian as Aglio e Olio (Garlic and Olive Oil). Of course, you can always add anchovies, capers, chopped parsley or basil, olives, pine nuts, grated cheese and whatever else you like and have on hand, but the idea is to keep it simple.
RECIPES INCLUDE
AGLIO e OLIO
MARINARA
PUTTANESCA
SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA
MARCELLA HAZAN’S BOLOGNESE SAUCE
WHITE CLAM SAUCE
SPAGHETTI WITH LEMON SAUCE
SALMON CAVIAR
SPAGHETTI MARCO POLO
PASTA PRIMAVERA
GET THE RECIPES HERE!
This article was published in the Santa Rosa Press Telegram on 1-20-21