Nut and spice pasta

Ingredients

10 ounces good quality dried linguini or fresh egg noodle cut into fettuccini or linguini
1/4 teaspoon saffron
2 cups fresh walnuts and pistachios
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
6 tablespoons butter

Directions

Toast saffron for a moment in a medium-warm pan; crush the saffron to a powder. Toast walnuts and pistachios in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes; cool. Grind the cooled nuts in a nut grater or in a food processor, just to crush them without over working. Toss the nuts with sugar and orange or lemon zest. Melt butter in a pan carefully so the butter never sizzles. Add the saffron powder and take the butter off the heat. Cook the pasta. Drain. Toss the pasta with the saffron butter, then toss with the nut and sugar mixture. Enjoy!

Serves 4