Shopping at EAT ITALY. London, and Cooking at Sardinian Malloredus Pasta at home

The world’s largest Italian food market and “bigger is better” advocates Eataly have long planned their first UK location right here in London – and after nearly three years of anticipation, the massive food market and restaurant hub finally opened to the public last year. Founded in Italy, the chain has swept the States with stores in New York, LA and Chicago, while also expanding worldwide with halls in Moscow, Tokyo, and Munich. It’s a wonder it’s taken them so long to get to London, actually…
The main attractions at Eataly are the market and retail space, along with takeaway eateries and their fancy outdoor dining space, La Terrazza di Eataly, home to Italian sharing dishes and an Aperol Spritzeria, which is exactly what it sounds like. Seriously, the whole place is stuffed – calzone-like – full of temptations. Over 5,000 Italian and local food products will be found here, with cured meat, cheese counters, and Via del Dolce (the Sweet Spot), which serves fresh-baked Italian cakes, pastries, cannolis, and handmade gelato. You can also expect a pretty serious wine collection; Eataly fields some 2,000 wines, making it the largest Italian wine collection in London.

Malloreddus alla Campidanese
there’s one dish that’s synonymous with Sardinia, it’s the pasta called “malloreddus.” They’re similar in shape to cavatelli or gnocchi, and in fact you can find them in Italian specialty food stores labeled “gnocchetti Sardi.” But unlike gnocchi, no potatoes are used — just flour and water. And unlike cavatelli, they’re made with semolina flour, not regular flour, giving them a more “toothy” feel.
Depending on whom you ask, the word malloreddus is a diminutive of a Southern Sardinian word “malloru,” which translates to “chubby baby calves.” Another explanation (that makes more sense to me) is that it comes from the Latin word “mallolus” meaning “morsel.” Either way, they are delicious.

You can make the pasta at home using flour, water (and sometimes strands of saffron), but if you’re not up to the challenge, you can buy them in stores or online too.

I ate malloreddus several times during our recent trip to Sardinia, including at an agriturismo, where they were one of two pasta dishes served as primi piatti. The malloreddus are on the right, and a specialty pasta stuffed with potato called “culurgiones” is on the left. More on the agriturismo and the wonderful meal we ate there in another post.