Saffron Tagliatelle with Spiced Butter

My plan to cook a few recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi's book, Plenty, continues.  Tonight's dish was Saffron Pappardelle with Spiced Butter and it was absolutely delicious.  Seriously, I couldn't get enough.  The sauce melds cinnamon, ginger, coriander, cayenne, and a few other spices in a very unexpected but brilliant way.  It seems that this is what Ottolenghi excels at -- blending ingredients and flavors in a way that is new and slightly unforgettable.  The recipes also tolerate modifications really well, allowing you to have fun and experiment a bit.

I have a few tips if you want to make this dish.  First, unless you have lots of time, don't bother making the pasta yourself (this goes without saying); just add a little saffron to the cooking water as suggested.  Second, the recipe as written has way too much butter; using just 1/2 of what's called for would be fine (but even this amount will still merit a disapproving look from your cardiologist).  This pasta is quite lovely with a little Parmesan cheese -- sprinkle generously.  Serve the dish slightly cooled, which allows all of the spices to really show themselves.  Lastly, make sure you bring your appetite.  You're going to want seconds.  Bon appétite!