Main Course ItalianPastaTomatoOlivesParmesanLemon

Midnight Pasta

Name: Midnight Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 0.5 pound bucatini, spaghetti, or linguine; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed; 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 6 to 8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped; 0.5 cup green olives cut in half; 7 tablespoons capers, chopped coarsely; Large pinch of red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving; 1½ tablespoons tomato paste; 0.5 small lemon, zested; Handful of coarsely chopped parsley or basil leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish; Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 25 min

5.0 (2 ratings)

Contains:DairyFish

High FODMAPTriggers: Garlic, Pasta or noodles

Fructans

Estimated from the ingredient list only. Portion sizes aren't considered, so check the Monash University FODMAP app or your dietitian before relying on this.

Midnight pasta, often referred to in Italy as spaghettata di mezzanotte, is a beloved Italian culinary tradition and a go-to, quick meal for late-night hunger. It is fundamentally…

Directions

1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until about 2 minutes shy of al dente so the pasta can finish cooking in the sauce. It should still have a slight crunch in the center. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
2
While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, combine the oil, garlic, anchovies (if using), red-pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt over low heat. Cook until garlic is opaque, and a few of the slices are pale gold at the edges (don’t let the garlic turn brown), 2 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook until it darkens, about 1 minute longer.
3
Add the drained pasta, lemon zest, and ⅓ cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Stir until the pasta is al dente and well coated with sauce. Add more pasta water, if needed, until the sauce is glossy and the pasta cooked to taste.
4
Cut the zested lemon half in half (so you’ll have a quarter of a lemon) and squeeze some juice into the pasta. Stir in herbs and taste, adding more lemon juice and salt, if needed. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges and serve it alongside the pasta, which should be garnished with more herbs and red-pepper flakes, a drizzle of oil, and a generous sprinkle of cheese, if you like.

Diets

Fits as written

Pescatarian
Egg-free
Nut-free
Halal-friendly
Mediterranean

Works with easy swaps

Vegetarian (1)

to 8 oil-packed anchovy fillets → chopped capers with a dab of miso

Vegan (2)

to 8 oil-packed anchovy fillets → chopped capers with a dab of miso
Grated Parmesan → nutritional yeast

Gluten-free (1)

bucatini → gluten-free pasta

Dairy-free (1)

Grated Parmesan → nutritional yeast

Low FODMAP (2)

bucatini → gluten-free pasta
garlic → garlic-infused olive oil

Some other ingredients are only low FODMAP in small portions.

How we decide

Vegetarian:: No meat, poultry, fish, shellfish or gelatin (including stock made from them).
Vegan:: Vegetarian, plus no dairy, eggs or honey.
Pescatarian:: No meat, poultry or gelatin; fish and shellfish are fine.
Gluten-free:: No wheat flour, pasta, bread, soy sauce, barley, rye, couscous, beer or oats (unless certified gluten-free).
Dairy-free:: No milk, butter, cream, yogurt, cheese or other dairy.
Egg-free:: No eggs, egg noodles or mayonnaise.
Nut-free:: No peanuts or tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios and so on).
Low FODMAP:: Rated from the ingredient list; see the Low FODMAP badge on each recipe.
Halal-friendly:: No pork products, alcohol or gelatin. This can't confirm halal sourcing.
Paleo:: No grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar or seed oils.
Mediterranean:: No red or processed meat and no butter, lard, margarine or cream as cooking fats.
Low-carb:: About 20 g net carbs (carbs minus fiber) or less per serving, from the nutrition estimate.
Keto:: About 10 g net carbs or less per serving, with at least 55% of calories from fat.
Atkins:: About 10 g net carbs or less and 5 g sugar or less per serving.
High-protein:: 25 g protein or more per serving.
Low-sodium:: About 600 mg sodium or less per serving.

Based on the ingredient list and nutrition estimate only. Hidden ingredients in packaged foods, and cooking methods, aren't visible to us. Check labels, and for medical diets or allergies ask your doctor or dietitian.