Easy as pie (easier!), and oh soba good
Here's a way to transform soba noodles that's so good and easy you don't need to wait until you have leftovers to make it.
It's a simple idea, based on spaghetti pie or pasta frittata but without the need for eggs, or even a true sauce. You cook the soba noodles briefly, like pasta, then toss them with a few Japanese favorites - scallions, tamari, sesame oil, ginger and a touch of chili oil. Pack them into a skillet, roast at high heat until the edges are browned, then cut into wedges, top with more scallions - and hot sauce, if you're feeling spicy - and serve.
The flavor is great, but it's the texture that really sells this, particularly that contrast between the crisped bottom and top edges and the softer, almost creamy interior. Bonus: If the noodles are 100 percent buckwheat (my preference), they're gluten-free.
While you're at it, you might as well boil twice the amount of the noodles, because you're going to want to make this again. Soon.
• Joe Yonan is the Food and Dining editor of The Washington Post and the author of "Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook."