Best pasta delivery

shop.padella.co/collections/pasta-kits (CH)

Pici alla norcina, Lina Stores, £8.50 for one, £14.50 for two

Popular Italian deli-cum-pasta-restaurant LinaStores offers a range of fresh pasta kits to assemble and enjoy at home. Choose between the likes of pumpkin ravioli with butter, sage and toasted hazelnuts, or fresh pappardelle with homemade braised lamb ragu. For something a little different, try the pici alla norcina. The rich, creamy Italian sausage and porcini mushroom sauce is the regional dish of Umbria; a green, hilly region of Italy known for its truffles, mushrooms and pork. Plop polenta-dusted nests of fresh thick pici pasta into boiling water, heat up the creamy sauce, then stir together in the pan and sprinkle over chopped parsley and Grana Padano. The kit comes boxed in Lina Stores’ pretty pastel signature colours and the pasta and sauce can be frozen for up to three months.

Shop.linastores.co.uk (AC)

Sasha Pasta, £14 for two

While many pasta kits are the result of an established restaurant pivoting to offer a new service during lockdown, small-scale Sasha Pasta was launched in May 2020 as a targeted at-home pasta delivery service. A one-woman operation ran from North London, Sasha Pasta has a real hand-crafted, personalised feel (the minimalist, brown paper packaging and instructions are hand-stamped rather than printed on glossy handouts). The weekly menu of rotating fresh pasta dishes includes nduja and mozzarella ravioli, ragu orecchiette and pistachio and chillli gnocchi. We tried the brisket ragu tortellini. These plump pasta parcels are stuffed with rich, slow cooked, yielding beef sauce, perfectly sealed in handmade egg pasta. Once cooked, they are tossed in a sage butter and topped with a crunchy sage crumb to bring together a perfectly seasoned, well-balanced and extra-special feeling dish.

sashapasta.co.uk/order (NH)

Burro e Salvia, from £14 for two

London’s artisanal pastificio, Burro e Salvia, has partnered with Wildfarmed Grain to create fresh pasta with stone-milled flour using artisanal methods. The traditional flour adds a unique texture to the handmade pasta dishes, including fresh tagliatelle with sausage ragu, ricotta and asparagus tortelli parcels in a creamy walnut sauce and strozzapreti with lamb ragu, raisins and caciocavallo curd cheese. Each kit comes with enough for a small portion for two, complete with grated cheese and handy cooking instructions. Add on a panzanella and burrata starter or homemade coffee and pecan biscotti to finish.

Bignight.app (AC)

Scarpetta pasta kits, from £7 for one

Scarpetta’s strength lies in its range as well as its great tasting pasta. This city of London restaurant mini chain offers a whole package of starters, mains, desserts and drink options to go with their broad selection of silky pasta dishes. Choose a cheesy starter like grilled scarmoza with guanciale and pistachio, or pecorino with truffled honey, before selecting your pasta of choice. We tried the pici cacio e pepe – a creamy, deeply savoury bowl of pure comfort – plus the tagliatelle with mushroom and truffle that was earthy, warming and unctuous. You’ll also find stuffed pasta, plus a beef shin ragu, well-complemented with ribbons of silky, fresh pappardelle. The kits come with clear, large-print instructions and involve little more than heating a sauce, cooking the pasta and combining to serve. If you have room, the Nutella gnocchi – heated in the oven until oozing – are a smart dessert to serve hot with ice cream.

scarpettapasta.com/collections (NH)

RaviOllie DIY ravioli kits, £28

If you enjoy hands-on kitchen projects and restaurant-quality pasta in equal measure, the DIY RaviOllie kit will tick the right boxes. While you can take the simple option and have bundles of the restaurant’s pre-made pasta sent in packs, you can also order the assemble-yourself option. Complete with all the components you need to make stuffed pasta – including fillings pre-prepared in piping bags, rolled pasta sheets and a ravioli wheel cutter – plus simple instructions, even the least nimble-fingered chefs will be able to manage to assemble them from semi-scratch. We tried the wild mushroom and truffle ravioli served with truffled mushrooms and garlic butter. The ravioli were filled with a creamy mascarpone mushroom mix, packed with flavour. The garnishes elevated the buttery pillows to glossy new heights, providing a real restaurant experience at home, complete with chef-approved levels of buttery richness.

raviollie.co.uk/shop (NH)

Little Pasta Company, from £18 for two

Ideal for date nights, Little Pasta Company offers a solid range of pasta dishes, featuring different shapes and sauces, along with excellent antipasti accompaniments. We tried the pappardelle al ragu, a classic meat sauce made using homely beef mince in a slow-cooked sauce rich in red wine. Vegetarian options include bucatini with slow roasted tomato and garlic and tagliatelle with white truffle butter. Add starters like prosciutto crudo with black truffle, Cobble Lane cured charcuterie or burrata, rocket and pine nut salad to your order to kick off your meal.

thelittlepastacompany.co.uk (NH)

Passo To Go pasta kits, from £10.50 for two

Passo To Go offer six types of fresh pasta including pappardelle, malloreddus, spaghetti and gluten-free gnocchi, plus five Italian sauces, including arrabbiata, fennel sausage ragu and amatriciana, which all serve two. The meals really couldn’t be more straightforward to throw together – just cook the fresh pasta for four minutes in salted boiling water and, in a separate pan, heat the sauce with a good chunk of butter. Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce, along with a couple of tablespoons of pasta water, then serve, topped with the supplied parmesan and fresh basil. The result hits the spot – two really generous portions of perfectly al dente fresh pasta coated in exactly the right amount of flavour-rich, silky sauce.

passotogo.com (NH)

Pasta Evangelists, from £11.90 for two

Pasta Evangelists offers pasta kits ideal for indulgent single meals or for couples. Their range is available in either single or double portions and the dishes on offer are varied and always seasonal. There are recognisable pasta shapes on offer, like lasagne, pappardelle and ravioli, as well as lesser known ones, including mafalde. The range includes rich meat ragus, seafood and a generous offering for vegetarians, too. For the adventurous, Pasta Evangelists also offer creative weekly Chef’s Specials which are definitely worth taking a look at. The kits couldn’t be easier to use: simply cook the pasta, heat the sauce and top with the cheese, herbs or nuts provided. In less than five minutes we enjoyed warming and hearty bowls that were perfectly cooked – a must-try for pasta-lovers.

pastaevangelists.com (LA)

Contributors

Natalie Hardwick (NH)

Christine Hayes (CH)

Alex Crossley (AC)

Lydia Anderson (LA)