In a small bowl, add your saffron threads and lay the ice cubes on top. Allow them to melt over the saffron for 20 minutes. This will perfectly bloom the spice.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and drop in your pasta.

Finely mince your garlic and add it to a pan on low heat with the olive oil and half the butter (1 tbsp). Cook for a minute or so and then add the lemon zest and chili flakes (if using). Continue to cook on low heat for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Juice the two lemons into a medium sized bowl and mix in almost all of the two grated cheeses (save some for topping).

Cook pasta until just shy of al dente (2 minutes under al dente) and reserve 2 cups of pasta water.

Slowly add around a cup of the pasta water into the lemon cheese mixture, mixing well as you go to emulsify the sauce.

Cut the heat on the pan and add the pasta to the pan with the garlic. Add in the lemon cheese saffron sauce bit by bit, making sure to go slow and stir well. The residual heat should slowly melt the ingredients together and give you a creamy sauce. Add more pasta water to loosen the sauce if it starts to thicken or clump.

Finally, when the sauce’s consistency is creamy and where you want it, add in the bloomed saffron water and give it a final mix through for a minute or so and add in the last of the butter. This will make it nice and glossy!

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of pecorino.