Midnight Pasta Recipe (5 Ingredients, 25 Minutes)

Midnight pasta is a simple concept: When hunger strikes late at night, the solution is something quick and simple. In Italy, that something is of course pasta. Loaded with garlic, anchovies, and just the right amount of red pepper flakes for a kick, it’s a five-ingredient pantry wonder no matter the time of day you’re making it. 

Midnight pasta is flexible, and very much depends on what you have in your pantry at that very moment. This iteration is what I most often make, given that olive oil, garlic, and anchovies are staples in my pantry.

My Experience With Midnight Pasta

I’ll be honest—I can’t actually remember the last time I was up past midnight. However, midnight pasta is a dish I lean on heavily, whether I come home from a long trip hungry and am greeted by a bare fridge, when I have zero motivation to get in my car and drive to the grocery store, or when I haven’t given a single thought to dinner and it’s suddenly 7 p.m. 

I always have the ingredients on hand for midnight pasta and I know the results will always satisfy my pasta-loving husband and me. It’s affordable, filling, and tastes like a little trip to Italy. 

A True, Last-Minute Pantry Recipe 

The brilliance of midnight pasta is how flexible it is. It’s impromptu and asks for you to tweak it depending on what you have to have in your pantry. Here are the countless ways to play with this recipe:

• Pasta: Spaghetti is the most classic shape for midnight pasta simply because it’s so ubiquitous, but it goes without saying that you can use any box of dried pasta you have.
• Anchovies: The smart thing about this recipe is that it uses an entire two-ounce tin of oil-packed anchovies—both the anchovies and the oil they are packed in. This keeps waste to a minimum and the oil is packed with flavor, so it’s wise to use it rather than toss it. For those who prefer a milder umami kick, use just half of the tin and add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.
• Garlic: Four whole cloves may seem like a lot, but the garlic mellows after it’s sautéed gently in oil and then simmered with some of the pasta cooking water. You can adjust the amount depending on your taste, using a couple less cloves or even an extra if you’re a serious garlic lover. 
• Red pepper flakes: The 1/4 teaspoon that’s used here provides a gentle but noticeable kick. Leave it out if you’re spice-intolerant or add more before serving if you, like me, enjoy a little more heat.
• Herbs: Stirring in a handful of chopped fresh parsley right before serving adds color and brightness to this umami-packed pasta. However, it can absolutely be left out if you don’t have it, or can be swapped with another fresh herb like basil or oregano. 
• Cheese: A generous shower of grated Parmesan cheese is non-negotiable in our house, but leave it off if you’re vegan. Or, if you happen to have another hard Italian cheese like Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, or Asiago, grate that atop each bowl instead. 

How To Adjust the Serving Size

This recipe serves two, but can easily be doubled to serve four. If you’re making it just for yourself, I’d still suggest making the recipe as-is to give yourself leftovers. Just save extra pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta and store it separately in the fridge. 

To reheat, place the leftovers, a generous splash of the pasta water, and a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet and heat, tossing continuously, until the water is absorbed and the pasta is heated and glossy again. 

Quick Pasta Dinners