In the mood for a bowl of pasta, my companions and I headed to Burro e Salvia on Lordship Lane for a start of the week treat. Named after a classic accompaniment to stuffed pasta – butter and sage – this café is the East Dulwich branch of its original Shoreditch home. Serving almost nothing but the Italian staple, I’d passed this pasta place many times and had frequently wanted to give it (along with “Toast”) a try. The menu changes weekly and features a variety of pastas – from tagliatelle, agnolotti, ravioli, to tajarin – a Piedmontese egg-yolk-rich thin tagliatelle.
Although there is nothing fancy here and it is very simple, the pastas are beautifully made. All the pastas had just the right al dente texture. My companion’s ricotta and citrus zest stuffed parcels were very unusual as orange zest shavings on ravioli is a complete novelty for me – never had I contemplated citrus and pasta together. For my fussy companion, meanwhile, her pesto orechiette – served with a perfect pairing of peas and potato – was too all dente.
Out of all three pasta dishes, the highlight for me – luckily – was my spinach-infused gnocchi, filled with deliciously creamy potato and ricotta. Typically, I asked for further adornment in the form of pesto – which made the dish even yummier.
Beautifully cooked fresh pasta really is a thing of beauty. It doesn’t need fancy garnishes or sauces, and this is what Burro e Salvia demonstrates so perfectly. I don’t think I’ve had such good pasta outside of Italy before and I wasn’t aware it could taste this good without the addition of sunshine and rosé. I’m looking forward to returning soon and taking away some pasta to cook myself.
As a “pastificio”, Burro e Slavia make and sell fresh pasta everyday. Adorning the counter was a beautiful array of this freshly made pasta. Watching the pasta-makers at work still gives me a warm glow. No doubt, I’ll have to return for a pasta workshop too.
Burro e Salvai, 151 Lordship Lane, London, SE22 8HX
Website: http://www.burroesalvia.co.uk/menu1-1-1-1/
Rating: ***
Yumtini 