This midnight pasta recipe is exactly what you'll want when it's late at night and maybe you've had a bit too much to drink. No chopping, 5 ingredients, so good!
If there is one thing I love, it is an easy pasta recipe. Even more so, I love a pasta recipe that is easy enough to make at midnight, perhaps after a night of drinking. So good it'll sober you up!
But really, this midnight pasta is good at any time of day. It's savory, slightly creamy, and full of umami flavor. It is so simple that the drunk and the sleep deprived can make it with no problem.
Recipe Origins
While this midnight pasta recipe is my own creation, I would not be surprised at all to see it had been made before. In fact, this midnight pasta is quite similar to the Japanese "wafu-style" pasta.
"Wafu" means "Japanese style" and it can refer to almost anything that is done in the Japanese style. And, believe it or not, wafu spaghetti is actually quite popular! It isn't an exact recipe, but it usually combines Italian and Japanese ingredients, such as using soy sauce with butter, seaweed with parmesan, and – of course – using traditional Italian spaghetti.
Additionally, the traditional Italian dish, Aglio e Olio, is often referred to as "midnight pasta." Despite the similar colloquial name, this recipe is quite different from that.
Watch the video of this recipe:
Why you'll love this recipe
- Perfect in a pinch - By the time the noodles are cooked (which is super fast), you're nearly done! Just throw in the extras and mix it all up.
- Only 5 Ingredients - Pasta, butter, soy sauce, cheese, and kewpie mayo.
- Dress it up or down - If you're not making this in the middle of the night and stumbling around, feel free to dress this up by adding tofu or egg, scallions, spinach, etc!
What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Pasta - I recommend using angel hair or cappellini pasta because of how quickly it cooks, but any pasta shape will work!
- Butter - Salted, cold butter is what I recommend. Vegan butter can be used as well, I recommend Earth Balance stick butter.
- Soy Sauce - Regular soy sauce is best, though low-sodium can work as well. If gluten-free, substitute with tamari.
- Kewpie Mayonnaise - I highly recommend using kewpie mayonnaise, as it is the BEST tasting mayo on the market. If you can access it, I do not recommend substituting. Vegan kewpie mayo is available, though hard to find.
- Parmesan Cheese - Just a small amount of freshly grated parmesan goes a long way! Do not substitute with the green tube cheese shaker. If necessary, use vegan parmesan, I recommend the Violife block.
- Salt & Pepper
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Cook Pasta
Bring a medium to large pot of water to a rolling boil with a large amount of salt added to the water (around 1 tablespoon).
Add in the angel hair pasta, stirring immediately to prevent clumping and to encourage even cooking.
Once cooked to al dente, drain the pasta, but reserve about ¾ cup of pasta water.
Step 2: Flavor the Pasta
Add the drained pasta back into the pot, over low or no heat.
Toss in 1 tablespoon of cold butter and stir vigorously (but not so vigorously that it breaks all the noodles) to allow the butter to emulsify as it melts.
Add in the soy sauce and kewpie mayo. Stir
If the pasta feels dry or difficult to stir, add a small amount of pasta water. The pasta should continuously be saucy and glossy.
Add the next 2 tablespoons of cold butter and stir vigorously again until emulsified.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
Once the butter has melted/emulsified, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and stir once more to combine.
Again, if the pasta is not saucy and glossy, add a bit more pasta water and stir until it is the desired sauciness.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot.
Optional, garnish with herbs and more parmesan cheese.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Emulsifying the butter is important in this recipe. When you just melt butter, the fat and the milk solids separate. When emulsifying, it basically keeps the fat and milk solids suspended in each other even when melted, so it creates a creamier texture that is less oily. Stirring cold butter continuously while it melts is how to create the emulsification.
- If you're gluten-free, use your favorite GF pasta and tamari instead of soy sauce.
- I highly recommend using kewpie mayonnaise, as it is the BEST tasting mayo on the market. If you can access it, I do not recommend substituting. Vegan kewpie mayo is available, though hard to find.
Recipe FAQs
I named this pasta "midnight pasta" because it is so easy and satisfying, it's the perfect midnight meal (especially if you've had a drink or two). There is no need for a knife or a cutting board at all, and it cooks SO fast!
This midnight pasta saves relatively well. Store it in an airtight container. The past will likely be softer when reheated, but still delicious!
This recipe is easily veganized! Instead of regular butter, use vegan butter (I recommend Earth Balance buttery sticks), and use vegan mayonnaise (if you can find vegan kewpie that is best). Either omit parmesan or use Violife parmesan block.
Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Midnight Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Medium-sized pot
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 4 oz Angel hair pasta
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Salted butter cold, sliced into thirds
- ½ tablespoon Kewpie mayonnaise
- 1-2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese grated
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a medium to large pot of water to a rolling boil with a large amount of salt added to the water (around 1 tablespoon).
- Add in the angel hair pasta, stirring immediately to prevent clumping and to encourage even cooking.
- Once cooked to al dente, drain the pasta, but reserve about ¾ cup of pasta water.
- Add the drained pasta back into the pot, over low or no heat.
- Toss in 1 tablespoon of cold butter and stir vigorously (but not so vigorously that it breaks all the noodles) to allow the butter to emulsify as it melts.
- Add in the soy sauce and kewpie mayo. Stir.
- If the pasta feels dry or difficult to stir, add a small amount of pasta water. The pasta should continuously be saucy and glossy.
- Add the next 2 tablespoons of cold butter and stir vigorously again until emulsified.
- Once the butter has melted/emulsified, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and stir once more to combine.
- Again, if the pasta is not saucy and glossy, add a bit more pasta water and stir until it is the desired sauciness.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot.
- Optional, garnish with herbs and more parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Emulsifying the butter is important in this recipe. When you just melt butter, the fat and the milk solids separate. When emulsifying, it basically keeps the fat and milk solids suspended in each other even when melted, so it creates a creamier texture that is less oily. Stirring cold butter continuously while it melts is how to create the emulsification.
- If you're gluten-free, use your favorite GF pasta and tamari instead of soy sauce.
- I highly recommend using kewpie mayonnaise, as it is the BEST tasting mayo on the market. If you can access it, I do not recommend substituting. Vegan kewpie mayo is available, though hard to find.
Kaylee says
So good! The flavours all compliment eachother so well, and nothing is over powering or strong. Definitely try this one!!
Anonymous says
10/10
Emily says
Excellent easy recipe, and I like the name!