Sweet spiced pasta with omelette and pistachios (balaleet)

This sweet-savoury pasta dish is served for breakfast or as a dessert during the fasting month of Ramadan in the United Arab Emirates. The spicing shows Middle Eastern and Indian influences, both of which are common threads in Emirati food. This dish requires fine dried pasta such as capellini or angel hair.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• ½ tsp saffron threads
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• salt
• 275 g dried capellini or angel hair pasta
• 3 tsp vegetable oil
• 60 g butter
• ¾ tsp each ground cumin, cardamom, turmeric and cinnamon
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
• 1 tsp rosewater (optional)
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 45 g (⅓ cup) chopped pistachios

Soaking time 30 minutes

Instructions

Combine the saffron and boiling water in a small cup and stand for 30 minutes. Divide the mixture into two even portions. 

Preheat the oven grill to high. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 3 minutes or until al dente, then drain well, rinse in cold water and toss with the oil to prevent it sticking together. Melt 2½ tablespoons of butter in a large, heavy-based and ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Add the spices and black pepper and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the pasta and toss the pan to coat them in the spice mixture. Add the sugar, half the saffron and the rosewater, if using, and toss well. Transfer to a warmed platter, reserving the pan. Working quickly, add the remaining saffron mixture to the beaten eggs in a bowl and stir to mix well.

Melt the remaining butter in the pan over medium-high, add the egg mixture then cook for 1-2 minutes or until egg starts to set around the edges. Using a spatula, push the cooked edges of the egg toward the middle of the pan so uncooked egg can run underneath. Repeat until egg is nearly cooked then place the pan under the grill and cook for another minute or so, until omelette is set. Turn out onto a board and cut into thin strips or wedges. Place over the pasta on the platter, scatter over the pistachios and serve immediately.

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Sarah O'Brien. Food preparation by Nick Banbury.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.