This is a dish my grandfather used to cook for me, when he wanted to spoil me. It is very easy to make, and the texture of noodles and poppy seeds combined is intriguing. In some parts of Romania, the dish is made with walnuts. Iofca noodles take their name from the Turkish yufka, a thin dough baked into a flatbread. The noodles are traditionally cut into wide strips, squares or diamond shapes. It works just as well with store-bought pasta, including wholemeal pasta, especially if you choose flat, wide pasta ribbons such as tagliatelle.

Serves 2
flat, wide pasta ribbons 200g, such as tagliatelle, dried or fresh
poppy seeds 125g
golden caster sugar 50g
unsalted butter 1½ tbsp

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt and simmer the pasta until cooked through but still firm, about 8 minutes. Heat the butter in a frying pan until melted, then add the noodles and toss briefly, adding the poppy seeds and sugar at the end. Toss again just a few times, then serve immediately as the sugar needs to stay crunchy.

Adapted from Tava by Irina Georgescu (Hardie Grant, £27). To order a copy for £23.76 go to guardianbookshop.com