Buttered Poppy Seed Noodles

June and Ryan asked me to marry him last night. Not the big planned proposal — that is apparently still coming, he told me afterward — but an accidental one that happened because we were washing dishes after dinner and he said "you know I am going to marry you, right" and I said "are you asking" and he said "yes, actually" and I said yes back and we stood at the kitchen sink with our wet hands and that was it. He said he still has a ring that he got three weeks ago but could not figure out the right moment for during a pandemic, and I said this was a good moment actually, and he put it on my finger while I was still holding a dish towel.

The ring is a small round diamond in a simple gold setting that looks exactly like what I would have picked if I had picked it myself, which I did not and he figured out on his own by talking to my sister Kristin, who I would trust with almost nothing but apparently my ring preferences are safe with her. I called Patty at 7:15 the next morning — a reversal — and she already knew because Ryan had called Steve. Steve had apparently said "about time." This is very Steve.

I made pasta for the engagement dinner, technically, retroactively — a cacio e pepe with really good Pecorino Romano I had been saving for a special occasion without knowing what that occasion would be. It is pasta, cheese, black pepper, and nothing else, which sounds too simple until you eat it. We opened a bottle of wine that cost twenty-two dollars and is the most expensive thing I have bought since the lockdown started. Worth it.

We are engaged. In a pandemic. Ryan works at a job that puts him in direct contact with COVID patients every shift. I am a special ed teacher who spent the last three months calling children on a phone. We are going to get married when this is over and throw a party that includes everyone we love in the same room. That is the plan. I am keeping it.

The pasta I made that night was a cacio e pepe — stripped down, nothing extra, exactly right for a moment I didn’t know was coming. That’s the thing about simple noodle dishes: they don’t need a reason, and then suddenly they become the reason. These Buttered Poppy Seed Noodles carry that same spirit — just a few good ingredients, real butter, a little something unexpected — the kind of recipe you make on an ordinary Tuesday that turns out not to be ordinary at all. Make them on a night worth remembering, or on a night that becomes one.

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz wide egg noodles
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (optional, but worth it)

Instructions

Boil the noodles. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions until just al dente, about 8–10 minutes. Before draining, scoop out 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside.
Toast the poppy seeds. While the pasta cooks, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the poppy seeds and toast, stirring frequently, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Watch carefully — they go from toasted to burnt quickly.
Build the sauce. Reduce heat to low. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and let it melt. Pour in 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and stir to combine into a loose, glossy sauce.
Toss and coat. Drain the noodles and add them directly to the skillet. Toss well over low heat for 1–2 minutes, letting the noodles absorb the butter sauce. Add a splash more pasta water if needed to keep things silky and loose.
Season and finish. Season with salt and black pepper. If using, stir in the grated cheese off the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

Nutrition (per serving)

Buttered Poppy Seed Noodles — The Simple Pasta That Deserves a Special Occasion