Midnight Spaghetti: Effortless Pasta • 20 Minutes • 5 Ingredients • No Fuss, written by Caroline Griffiths, features an easy, yet vibrant collection of 50 spaghetti-based pasta recipes with a range of refreshing to bold flavors. A few highlights include Spaghetti Gricia, Tuna & Lemon Spaghetti, Spring Vegetable Spaghetti, Spaghetti with Chipotle Meatballs, and Vegemite & Cheese Spaghetti. I will also be sharing her recipe for Spaghetti with Balsamic Butter at the end of the post.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book from Smith Street Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Caroline Griffiths
Caroline Griffiths is an author, qualified home economist, cook, food writer, and food stylist with over 20 years of food industry experience.
She is the author of four cookbooks and has contributed to many other books, food magazines, and websites.
Midnight Spaghetti
Caroline begins Midnight Spaghetti with a short introduction before going over a few pasta tips and then jumping into the recipes.
Chapters are divided according to the style of spaghetti depending on your mood: Classic, One-Pan, Fresh, Bold, and Cosy.
The photography is provided by Alana Dimou with styling by Lee Blaylock. Every single recipe is paired with an inviting, full-page photo of the finished dish.
Measurements are listed in grams and ounces. Each recipe has a headnote with an overview, yield (2 servings), ingredient information, and helpful tips.
Spaghetti with Balsamic Butter
Of all the spaghetti recipes I have tried so far, this Spaghetti with Balsamic Butter has been my absolute favorite. The spaghetti is tossed in a comforting blend of brown butter and balsamic vinegar for a quick and easy meal.
Start by cooking the spaghetti until just before tender, then drain and set aside a bit of the pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, brown the butter with garlic until nutty with golden flecks. Don’t walk away from the pan during this time. It will quickly change after starting to foam.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar (careful! It may splatter at first) before adding the reserved pasta water, spaghetti, and arugula.
Finish the Spaghetti with Balsamic Butter with a little salt, black pepper, another splash of balsamic vinegar, and an optional grating of cheese.
More Spaghetti
I also made the Chicken Stock & Parmesan Spaghetti, Spaghetti with Herby Brown Butter, Spaghetti with Chorizo & Crispy Croutons, and Molten Mozzarella Spaghetti.
The Chicken Stock & Parmesan Spaghetti is especially easy since it all comes together in one pan with minimal prep and pantry staples. Simply cook spaghetti in a buttery stock until tender. The starch from the pasta blends with the ingredients to create a light, velvety sauce.
I was drawn to the Spaghetti with Herby Brown Butter in the Fresh chapter since it uses a combination of herbs I already had in my garden. A blend of sage, oregano, and parsley is paired with browned butter, Parmesan, and the spaghetti to create quite the refreshing meal.
The Spaghetti with Chorizo & Crispy Croutons is such a fantastic addition to the Bold chapter. Pieces of chorizo are pan-fried until browned, then tossed with roasted red peppers, spinach, and the spaghetti. It was wonderful warm with a drizzle of sherry vinegar and crispy croutons over the top.
The Molten Mozzarella Spaghetti was my son’s personal favorite and he has since requested it a couple more times. After tossing the spaghetti in a quick homemade tomato sauce, little pieces of mozzarella are tucked in to melt around the edges and create a molten, gooey contrast to the al dente pasta.
Midnight Spaghetti is a great pick for those looking for easy spaghetti-based recipes that are perfect for quick lunches or even more intimate date nights. There is such an incredible variety from tomato, cheese, cream, butter, or oil in the base to vegetarian, meat, and seafood options. Don’t have spaghetti on hand? They can easily be adapted for other favorite pasta shapes.
Most of the ingredients can be found in larger American grocery stores. A few items may require further searching such as baby bok choy, lap cheong, gochujang, chipotle chillies in adobo, nduja, doubanjiang, and black vinegar.
Spaghetti with Balsamic Butter Recipe
Excerpt from Midnight Spaghetti
Spaghetti with Balsamic Butter
Ingredients
- 200 grams (7 ounces) dried spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 80 grams (2 3/4 ounces) butter
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons good-quality aged balsamic vinegar plus extra to serve
- large handful rocket (arugula) leaves
- Parmesan or Pecorino Romano to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes less than specified on the packet, until slightly underdone and less than al dente.
- Scoop out and reserve 250 milliliters (1 cup) of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
- About 5 minutes before the spaghetti is ready, heat the olive oil, butter and garlic in a deep 28 centimeter (11 inch) frying pan.
- Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant, and the butter starts to turn golden brown and gives off a nutty aroma- be careful not to overcook the butter, or the milk solids may burn.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute, then add 125 milliliters (1/2 cup) of the reserved pasta water, along with the spaghetti and rocket (arugula).
- Toss well to coat the pasta, shaking the pan and stirring with a wooden spoon for a further 1-2 minutes, to finish cooking the spaghetti and to emulsify the sauce. Add a little more pasta water if the mixture seems dry. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Divide between warmed serving bowls and serve with extra balsamic vinegar, and a fresh grating of cheese, if you like.
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