My great aunt lived on this simple pasta during the hardest years and passed the recipe down to every generation. Proof that less is more.

This recipe is meant to be as bare-bones and honest as the days it came from, but you can still make small changes when you have a little extra. If you have butter, you can replace a few tablespoons of the olive oil with butter for a richer flavor, stirring it in right at the end so it melts over the hot noodles. A pinch of dried herbs (like parsley, oregano, or basil) can be added with the garlic if your pantry allows. Grated cheese, red pepper flakes, or a squeeze of lemon are all optional extras that dress it up without changing the spirit of the dish.

To stretch the meal, my aunt would sometimes stir in leftover cooked vegetables or beans during the last 10 minutes of cooking so they warmed through. For food safety, always keep the spaghetti covered while cooking so it reaches a safe, steaming temperature, and do not leave it on the WARM setting for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking in a shallow container so they cool quickly, and reheat only what you plan to eat, bringing it back to a good, hot temperature before serving. If the reheated pasta seems dry, add a spoonful of oil and a splash of water to loosen it. Always use clean utensils when stirring and serving to avoid introducing bacteria into the slow cooker or storage container.