Saffron Noodle Cake

I brought 3 cookbooks with me to Belgium. The first, Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, next a binder full of my favorites, and last The Belgian Cookbook edited by Mrs. Brian Luck (thank you Secret Santa!). Slowly, the kitchen is getting set up. We have one pot, a cutting board, a big chef's knife and a smaller pairing knife, some flatware that has made its way into our place, and plates. We ate out a lot at first, which is a wonderful way to try the new places, but I missed cooking. My suitcases came here with 4 gallon-size ziplock bags of spices and herbs. It made for some good smelling clothes!

I was surprised at how simple, yet marvelous, this recipe is. I wanted to share. It comes straightout of Madison's cookbook (but you should buy it or check it out from the library).

Ingredients
2 T olive oil
2 pinches saffron threads
8 oz spaghetti or linguine
salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup parmesan, shredded
1 bunch green onions (about 4 medium sized ones with an 1" of the greens)
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup basil, chopped
2 T butter

Directions:

1. Heat up the olive oil in a pan. Pour it out into a stainless steel measuring cup or teacup. Add the saffron threads and allow it to infuse. 
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions, and drain noodles and set aside. You should rinse the pasta with cold water so it won't be a huge sticky lump.
3. Combine the eggs through basil, the infused saffron olive oil, and the spaghetti in a medium mixing bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile heat up half the butter in an 8" or 10" skillet over medium heat (I made this in a 6" saucepan), once hot, add in the noodle mixture and pat down until flat. Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. 
4. Once golden on one side, slide the noodle cake onto a plate or cutting board, add in the remaining butter to the skillet, and slide the uncooked side of the noodle cake onto the skillet. Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Once done, slide onto a serving platter and cut into wedges. You can serve with some salad or cooked green veggies.