Eating pasta and pizza alongside one another could be considered taboo.
“That’s too many carbs!” We hear the nutritional puritans gasp, clutching their kale smoothies. But to us, these two titans of Italian food culture make the best bedfellows.
So for those who worship at the altar of double carbing, rejoice – because that Officina 00, the Italian pizza kitchen and pasta workshop from founders Enzo Mirto & Ella Sebregondi, has just opened a third site (adding to the Old Street and Fitzrovia restaurants) in Covent Garden. Better yet? Nudge Members +1 are getting 50% off food from 11th – 25th March.
Celebrating Officina 00’s dedication to traditional techniques, the new opening also sees the introduction of ‘Nonna’s pizza’. Rather than spreading the dough on the surface of the oven, like other pizzas, this variation in ‘rutiello’ is placed in a metal wheel and then cooked at an average temperature lower than the one laid by hand.
The ‘pizza in rutiello’ menu is exclusively available at Officina 00 Covent Garden nodding to the humble cooking traditions of Napoli nonnas, who work their magic with very simple ingredients to prepare pizzas in the ‘rutiello’ pan at the table, family style.
Using their own 00 fully traceable flour, specially milled in England and in partnership with Wildfarmed flour, the pizzas form a crust that is light, fluffy and crisp whilst remaining authentic to the region of Naples. Ideal for sharing (or not) and available in a larger and smaller size, the pizzas are designed to be eaten alongside the fresh pastas also on the menu. Take that double-carb cynics!
Of course there are carb-free items on the menu to balance things out a bit. The menu sticks to Officina 00’s ethos, showcasing both local producers and Italian suppliers. There’s snacks and small plates to start, think fried raviolo filled with cacio e pepe and panko lasagna with truffle, aged provolone and aioli. Moving into starters, dishes include buffalo burrata and aubergine parmigiana. Chef’s kiss.
And as always, pasta remains a focal point on the menu. At Officina 00 the delicate dough – made using that specific pasta flour – is rolled out on a ‘spianatoia’; a traditional wooden work-bench that absorbs humidity. The pasta menu includes gnocchi with lamb genovese, sour parsley pesto and aged provolone; ink tagliatelle with baby octopus, yellow peppers and taggiasche olives and ruffled pappardelle with beef short rib ragu, meatballs and ricotta. And if, after loading up on glorious carbs, you have room for dessert, there’s always tiramisu.
NOTE: Officina 00 Covent Garden is open everyday. You can find out more and book a table on the Officina 00 website.
PERK: Nudge Members +1 are getting an exclusive secret soft launch at Officina 00 Covent Garden, with 50% off the food bill from 11th-25th March. Find out more under the ‘50% Off Food’ banner above. Not a Nudge Member yet? Sign up for a free 7 day trial.
Officina 00 Covent Garden | 8-10 Dryden St, London WC2E 9NA
Like Italian food? Check out our guide to London’s best Italian restaurants.
