[BUG] npm ci is slow removing existing node_modules

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Current Behavior

If the node_modules folder contains dependencies and npm ci is ran, npm is astronomically slow at "remove existing node_modules/ before installation". It looks like it looks at the dependency tree and deletes them in the node_modules folder manually.

If the point of ci is for continuous integration and to do a clean install of all dependencies without affecting package-lock.json, why cant a simple rm -r node_modules work? This is what I've been doing to speed it up.

Expected Behavior

I see no point in going through the dependency tree if all contents of node_modules will get replaced anyway. Just nuke the whole node_modules folder

Steps To Reproduce

1. In a NPM v7.6.3, Node v12.20.1 environment with a node_modules folder with atleast 10 dependencies
2. Run npm ci
3. Go to the beach and have a day

Environment

• OS: MacOS 11.4
• Node: 12.20.1
• npm: 7.6.3

Start by reproducing the slow cleanup during npm ci with npm 7.6.3, Node 12.20.1, and an existing node_modules directory containing at least 10 dependencies. Trace the cleanup path used before installation and compare it with removing the directory directly; done means npm ci cleans the directory without the reported delay while preserving package-lock.json.