This is a dish my grandfather used to prepare dinner for me, when he needed to spoil me. It is vitally straightforward to make, and the feel of noodles and poppy seeds mixed is intriguing. In some elements of Romania, the dish is made with walnuts. Iofca noodles take their title from the Turkish yufka, a skinny dough baked right into a flatbread. The noodles are historically lower into broad strips, squares or diamond shapes. It really works simply as nicely with store-bought pasta, together with wholemeal pasta, particularly if you happen to select flat, broad pasta ribbons equivalent to tagliatelle.
Serves 2
flat, broad pasta ribbons 200g, equivalent to tagliatelle, dried or recent
poppy seeds 125g
golden caster sugar 50g
unsalted butter 1½ tbsp
Deliver a big pan of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt and simmer the pasta till cooked by means of however nonetheless agency, about 8 minutes. Warmth the butter in a frying pan till melted, then add the noodles and toss briefly, including the poppy seeds and sugar on the finish. Toss once more just some instances, then serve instantly because the sugar wants to remain crunchy.
Tailored from Tava by Irina Georgescu (Hardie Grant, £27). To order a duplicate for £23.76 go to guardianbookshop.com
