Pasta in the post: The Italian restaurants and delis delivering fresh pasta to your door

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Previously taking over London’s kitchen one tortellini at a time, fresh pasta now comes in the post. Heavier and richer than the dried stuff, in Italy it’s often thought of as a treat — which makes it ideal for now; spoiling yourself is the best solution to all this strangeness.

For those keen to have a crack at it themselves, Officina 00 (officina00.co.uk) offers cookery lessons live on Instagram; there are no set days, but last week staff ran two sessions, so follow @officina00 for details.

Pre-lockdown, in-person classes started at £70-a-head for a whizz through of what to do, making this a fantastic freebie. They also detail what goes with what. “The shape of the pasta tells you what it best goes with,” says co-founder Enzo Mirto, “Every shape is paired with a different sauce.” For those who don’t know penne from pappardelle, Officina have fortunately just launched a delivery menu; their pici with datterino tomatoes is a favourite.

The recipe boxes from Pasta Evangelists (pastaevangelists.com) are an easy way to practise good pairings. “Fresh pasta is super versatile, but it is very regional too,” says head chef Roberta d’Elia. “If you want to get the authentic Italian taste, thinking geographically and culturally is really important.” Fortunately, d’Elia and her crew have taken care of things.

The menu changes weekly and kits include fresh pasta, sauces and garnishes, and dishes take five minutes to make, although they’ll freeze for a month. For more, their pasta care packages are a good way to keep family or friends fed, including enough for three different dishes. The £25 cost includes a £5 donation to AgeUK.

The best pasta restaurants in London

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In Hackney, Passione Vino (passionevino.co.uk) are taking on circumstances with their usual vigour; the bar is selling survival kits with the hashtag #f***youcorona, full of artisan wine and aperitivo, as well as fresh-filled pasta.

Fillings include spinach and ricotta and wild boar, and most of the kits come with a hunk of parmesan. Though they offer pick-up, their official advice is to sensibly “stay in, drink wine, don’t panic”. Take advantage of delivery using Slerp (passionevino.slerp.com).

Not far away is canalside favourite Ombra (ombrabar.restaurant). Usually a Venetian-style bacaro — a wine bar that does small plates — they’ve pivoted to become a pastaficio and deli, and like Passione Vino, offer collection but suggest delivery.

They’re taking orders over WhatsApp from noon until 6.30pm each Tuesday through to Sunday, on 07495 110935. They’ve four sauces, including a wild garlic pesto, and eight pastas, three of which are vegan-friendly and one without gluten. Put Ombra on your “once this is all over” list, too; they’re perfect for a spritz in the sun.

Finally, try La Tua Pasta. Although they have four stalls across town, including at Borough and Broadway markets, in the industry they’re known as first-rate suppliers for hotels and restaurants. Click the “I am a food lover” box on their website (latuapasta.com) to fill up your fridge.

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