Su filindue is the rarest pasta in the world
There is no shortage of choice when it comes to types of pasta. From ridged pasta tubes, so large that you can fill an oven dish with them, to double-twisted strands. For years, Italy’s nonnas have made every type of pasta their own. One of them is the rarest of them all: Su filindue pasta.
The rarest pasta in the world
Su filindue means ‘the threads of God’ in Sardinian. The pasta originally comes from Sardinia, after all. The island is the only place where you can eat this pasta, but you will not find it in supermarkets or restaurants. The pasta is made only twice a year, during the San Francesco festival. Quite an event, for which pilgrims travel from all over the island to the small village of Lula.
On this feast day, there are three nonnas—the only ones in the world—who know how to make the pasta. Paola Abraini is one of them. She explains that it takes years of practice to ensure the dough has the right texture. Even pulling the pasta strands themselves is something the best chefs and pasta experts in the world have not yet managed to master.
Su filindue: a divine pasta
The dough for Su filindue is made with semolina flour, water and salt. Once it feels like modelling clay, Paolo pulls out the dough and folds it in half. This is repeated until exactly 256 thin strands of pasta remain. The Su filindue is then cooked and served in broth with some Pecorino cheese. And honestly, that sounds divine, right?
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