In 1930s Italy, the Futurist movement declared war on pasta, blaming it for making Italians sluggish and unfit for modern life. A bold move in a country where people have stronger opinions about spaghetti than politics. Needless to say, the outrage was considerable.
Almost a century later, pasta is still winning. With World Pasta Day on 25 October, here are eight London restaurants ensuring it stays that way.
Sale e Pepe, Knightsbridge
Sale e Pepe has been feeding Knightsbridge since 1974, long before London restaurants became obsessed with concepts, collaborations and whether the lighting was flattering enough for Instagram. Its linguine vongole e bottarga has been on the menu since the seventies, which suggests they’re probably doing something right. The lobster linguine with datterino tomatoes and basil is another longstanding favourite, alongside paccheri alla vodka and bucatini cacio e pepe. Pasta comes in starter and main portions, although I’m struggling to think of a compelling argument for the former.
@saleepepelondon | saleepepe.co.uk
Rosina, Wandsworth Common
Adam Byatt’s Rosina is the sort of neighbourhood Italian that makes living within walking distance seem like a sensible life goal. Named after his daughter Rosie, the restaurant is his first venture into Italian cooking, although he’s clearly been practising at home. The menu features cavatelli cacio e pepe and ‘nduja strozzapreti, alongside a Post-Service Pasta inspired by what chefs eat after a long shift in the kitchen. A rather more appealing answer to the eternal question of what to have for dinner than whatever’s been sitting in your fridge since Tuesday.
@rosina.restaurant | rosinarestaurant.co.uk
Cornus, Belgravia
Cornus is what happens when someone gives spaghetti a Belgravia postcode and a generous expense account. Chef Gary Foulkes serves his with Cornish lobster, N25 caviar, Aleppo pepper and curry leaf butter, a combination that makes a fairly convincing case for pasta as a luxury food group. The Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant comes from the team behind Medlar, and this particular dish is every bit as extravagant as its address suggests.
@cornusrestaurant | cornusrestaurant.co.uk
LUCA, Clerkenwell
At LUCA, British ingredients and Italian cooking have been getting along rather nicely for years. Chef Robert Chambers serves rigatoni with pork sausage ragù, tomato, anchovy and mint, while taglierini with Cornish lobster, datterini tomatoes and coastal herbs makes an equally persuasive argument for ordering pasta. The cooking is assured, the combinations considered, and nobody appears particularly interested in reinventing something that wasn’t broken in the first place. The Futurists could have learned a thing or two.
@luca.restaurant | luca.restaurant
The Ninth, Fitzrovia
Jun Tanaka’s Michelin-starred The Ninth makes a strong case for abandoning the idea that everyone at the table should order something different. Its seasonal pasta dishes have included red prawn cappelletti with white kale and salty fingers, duck agnolotti with cauliflower and mushroom beurre noisette, and spaghetti with girolles, hazelnut and truffle pesto. There’s also pan-fried herb gnocchi with mushroom ragù. Sharing is all very well in theory, but some dishes are better kept to oneself.
@theninthlondon | theninthlondon.com
Kitchen Table, Fitzrovia
A quick bowl of spaghetti this is not. At James Knappett’s two-Michelin-starred Kitchen Table, pasta forms part of a daily-changing tasting menu where even the most familiar ingredients receive an extraordinary amount of attention. Previous dishes include tomato linguine with Thai basil and Australian winter black truffle agnolotti with girolles and aged Parmesan. It’s an ambitious approach to something most of us are perfectly happy eating in front of the television, although Knappett’s version does come with considerably better service.
@kitchentable1 | kitchentablelondon.co.uk
2210 by NattyCanCook, Herne Hill
Anyone who believes pasta should be left entirely to the Italians clearly hasn’t encountered Rasta Pasta. At Nathaniel Mortley’s 2210 by NattyCanCook in Herne Hill, lobster and Scotch bonnet bring Caribbean heat and flavour to a dish that has little interest in following traditional Italian rules. It’s a welcome departure from the usual suspects, and proof that some of the most interesting things happening to pasta are taking place well beyond Italy. Nonna might have questions, but I’d suggest she try it before passing judgement.
@2210bynattycancook | 2210bynattycancook.com
Wildflowers, Pimlico
At Wildflowers, ricotta agnolotti comes with Scottish girolles, fresh peas, artichoke and Amalfi lemon. It’s an appealing combination that doesn’t need much embellishment, which is rather the point. The Pimlico restaurant takes a seasonal, Mediterranean approach to cooking, letting good ingredients speak for themselves rather than dressing them up in unnecessary theatrics. Sometimes a very good plate of pasta is quite enough.
@wildflowers.restaurant | wildflowersrestaurant.co.uk
