Those who choose to book a villa in Italy are, statistically, rather likely to be pasta fans and you will find it pretty easy to get your hands on some incredible pasta dishes while enjoying your getaway. From local family-run eateries, to food festivals serving and celebrating regional varieties, to famous restaurants and Michelin-starred wonders, you’ll find amazing pasta in locations all over Italy without having to look very far. However, the more ardent foodies who are planning a getaway in the homeland of this beloved cupboard staple might be after something a little more special. If you’re up for an adventure and you want something unforgettable, then why not seek out the rarest pasta in the world, the so-called, “Threads of God?”
If you are willing to go on a very special kind of pilgrimage – an edible variety – then you can seek out su filindeu, these Threads of God, while staying in one of our vacation rentals in Sardinia. This rare kind of pasta comes from the Barbagia region of Sardinia and is notoriously difficult to make. It is produced by only a vanishingly small group of women from the Sanctuary of Saint Francis, a little church in the village of Lula, and traditionally only for the biannual Feast of San Francesco – on the 1st of May and the 4th of October.
A few years ago, only three women with the know-how necessary to make this impossibly delicate and intricate pasta remained and the dish nearly fell into extinction but renewed interest has helped save it. A chef named Lee Yum Hwa from the restaurant Ben Fatto 95 in Singapore and another named Rob Gentile from the restaurant Stella in LA also learned to make the pasta and have served it in their restaurants but others, including Jamie Oliver, have come to learn and been rebuffed by the difficulty.
Even if you were to try the examples made by these famous chefs above, however, the best way to experience su filindeu is undoubtedly by trying it in the place that invented this extraordinary dish. To do so, you must undertake the pilgrimage from the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Nuoro to the church in Lula on foot and on one of the feast days.
Taking you several miles through the lush and wild beauty of the countryside of Sardinia, this is not necessarily a simple walk but is pretty doable for many and you will be rewarded with the adventure, the views, and a bowl of mutton soup with the noodles at the conclusion for the not overly weary pilgrims. The whole thing is an unforgettable experience that attracts a crowd almost more largely comprised of the world’s most dedicated foodies than the devout nowadays.
So, if you, too, are someone who prays at the altar of delicious wonders that are hard to get your hands on, then this is an unmissable experience. Add it to your bucket list and allow our team of seasoned experts here at Italy Villas to help you find a perfect holiday rental in Sardinia and plan your once-in-a-lifetime pasta pilgrimage!