The Fancy Ingredient You Need For Gleaming, Golden Homemade Pasta

Picture a bowl piled high with spaghetti, the strands twisting and winding amongst each other, flecked with salt and pepper. Imagine now that those noodles are a brilliant golden yellow, like a delicious tangle of sunshine. If luxurious, golden noodles sound good to you, then it's time to talk about the ingredient you need to achieve them: saffron.

Saffron pasta is the pinnacle of indulgence. Not only does it boast a brilliant hue, but it also offers a distinctly unique flavor that's rich and nuanced. Saffron has long been hailed as the most exclusive spice, and its role in pasta doesn't veer off course. While saffron is decidedly pricey, a little goes a long way in putting together a pasta dish that's truly special. Saffron pasta is a great plate to impress dinner guests with, but it's also very easy to make at home as long as you have ingredients and a little time.

Saffron comes with a big price tag due to how hard it is to harvest. The stuff is taken from the center of the saffron crocus plant, and each one only offers three saffron threads. An ounce of saffron is made of threads that come from over a thousand flowers, and it requires a ton of delicate labor to harvest. That cost may be justified, though, since saffron offers such a bold sensory experience with rich aromatics and deep-but-delicate flavor.

Saffron pasta is exactly what it sounds like — pasta that's been made with saffron incorporated into the dough for color and taste. It's incredibly easy to include in your favorite pasta recipe, requiring just a few steps. To use saffron in your next batch of pasta dough, start by soaking a few threads for a couple of minutes in 1 tablespoon of warm water. Next, mix the saffron water in with the eggs before proceeding to mix the dough. Combining it with the eggs ensures even distribution throughout the pasta dough.

Not everybody has the time or inclination to make their own pasta from scratch, however, and that's okay, too. It doesn't mean you have to miss out on the golden goodness that saffron offers. There are plenty of other ways to incorporate it into your next pasta night.

One option is to cook up some pasta con le sarde. In an interview with Insider, Chef Fabio Trabocchi recommends the dish as an elevated answer to shrimp scampi cravings, noting that it's a "true regional classic." The dish is made with bucatini and highlights both anchovies and sardines, as well as pine nuts, fennel, and — of course — saffron. The resulting plate is one rich in savory flavors punctuated by the delicate, earthy notes of the spice.

Another option is to incorporate the saffron into the sauce for your pasta. It works particularly well in a cream sauce, bringing some depth to the finished dish (as well as some color). Whether you decide to make pasta from scratch or find an easier route, saffron is a great ingredient to use to elevate your next pasta dinner.