Picnic Buttered Noodles

Serve when

The three of them sit down on the living room floor instead of the table — plate it the moment they settle onto the rug.

In the movie

Theatrical

~01:36:00 Mario, Martha, and Lina share an indoor picnic dinner on the living room floor — plain buttered noodles alongside the asparagus, eaten camp-style with their hands and forks, no table between them.

There's nothing technical about this dish, and that's the point — after a whole film of Martha's exacting kitchen, the meal that finally brings the three of them together is plain buttered noodles, eaten off the floor instead of a table she controls.

Ingredients

1 lb wide egg noodles or tagliatelle
4 tablespoons butter
Kosher salt
Freshly grated parmesan
Black pepper
Chopped parsley (optional)

Method

Cook the noodles in well-salted water until al dente, reserving a splash of the pasta water before draining.
Toss the hot noodles with the butter and a little of the reserved pasta water until they're glossy and coated.
Finish with a generous grating of parmesan and black pepper, and a scatter of parsley if you like.
Serve straight from the pot, picnic-style, on the floor or wherever the people you're feeding actually want to sit.