This Is Alex Guarnaschelli's Favorite Midnight Snack
After a long day at work, there's nothing better than throwing on some cozy clothes and settling into the couch for a nice, relaxing evening with a great TV show up on the screen. Maybe you'll restart an old favorite for the fifth time, or perhaps you're ready to check out Netflix's hit drama series "Squid Game" so you can finally understand the significance of the dalgona cookies you've been seeing all over social media. We think the latter is an excellent choice, but be warned — once you hit play on episode one, you may find it hard to stop. Of course, there's nothing wrong with a good binge-watching session, but eventually, your stomach is going to start begging you to take a brief intermission so you can head to your kitchen to grab a tasty midnight snack.
When it comes to picking out the perfect fourth meal, one dietician explained to Eat This, Not That! that "the key is opting for nutrient-dense snacks that support an overall balanced dietary pattern." The outlet suggested pistachios, edamame or goji berries as some healthier options to curb those late night craving — though we can probably all agree that it's okay to go for something slightly more decadent every once in a while. Even some of our favorite famous chefs get a bit indulgent with their night time noshing, including Alex Guarnaschelli, whose go-to midnight snack is particularly mouthwatering.
Cold spaghetti and meatballs cure Alex Guarnaschelli's late night munchies
Chef Alex Guarnaschelli has cooked up some incredible dishes throughout her illustrious career. One was even impressive enough to earn her a win over her pal Bobby Flay on his Food Network show "Beat Bobby Flay." However, when it comes to late night snacking, the "Chopped" judge doesn't employ the stove, oven, or even the microwave. When asked about her favorite late night snack, Guarnaschelli jokingly gave Food Network the "polite answer" of ice water before revealing her true fourth meal of choice — cold spaghetti and meatballs. She didn't give an exact reason as to why she opts to skip the reheating process for her late night pasta, though the potential risk of food poisoning that comes with heating up leftover starchy foods is enough to convince us.
Cold spaghetti isn't the only thing in Guarnaschelli's late night snacking arsenal either. In a different interview with Food Network, the cookbook author sited "super-spicy" fish tacos, hot dogs, and layer cake as some of her other favorites, and also told Serendipity Social that pasta carbonara would do the trick as well. "What is better than some bacon and cream pasta after hours? Sometimes after a long day, I pretend it's a very, very early breakfast instead of a late night dinner," she explained. We like the way you think, chef!