Most of us are familiar with the impact that Coronavirus has had on the UK hospitality industry, amongst other industries. Restaurants have been forced to shut down and staff furloughed to help protect their jobs in the long run. In the wake of the crisis, many restaurants have also had to adapt and reinvent their offering to keep going. One such restaurant group is Pasta Remoli, who have recently launched their home delivery service during the pandemic.

Last year, I was invited down to Pasta Remoli’s branch in Westfield Stratford City to check out their fresh pasta range. Owner Simone Remoli has trained in the ancient craft of traditional Roman cuisine in some of the best restaurants in Rome. Pasta Remoli serves traditional delicious pasta in a quick and authentic way. The concept is simple: you choose your pasta shapes and then your sauce. You can mix-n-match but if you can’t decide the staff are on hand to help you choose. During our visit, we tucked into their Signature Fresh Lobster Linguine; Bruschetta with Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil; Truffle and Mushroom Ravioli in Sage and Butter Sauce; Italian Pork Sausage Ragu with Spinach Gnocchi and Tiramisu Remoli (all the goodness of a homemade tiramisu).

Pasta Remoli is now delivering all that restaurant-quality goodness – in the form of a hamper of goodies – so that you can create your own Italian feast at home. I was lucky enough to receive an assorted box from them, delivered straight to my door absolutely contact-free.

Inside was a selection of fresh homemade pasta, their signature sauces, some Parma ham, a block of fresh Parmesan, fresh burrata, fresh vegetables and a giant loaf of freshly baked focaccia. They also added their wonderful homemade tiramisu which was a delicious little treat.

Some of the pasta we cooked immediately and the rest we froze for another day of cooking. Both their pastas and sauces can be cooked from frozen, making it a quick and effortless way to create a delicious weeknight meal for two in minutes.

With lockdown in full force since March, we obviously haven’t travelled abroad in a while. So, one sunny weekend, we decided to pay homage to one of our favourite European countries and create an Italian-themed picnic in our back garden with the rest of the cheese, cured meats and fresh vegetables we received in the box. On our picnic table, we laid out a lavish spread that included Burrata with Tomato salad; Spinach Ravioli with butter, garlic and Parmesan; sliced Parma ham; focaccia; Romaine lettuce salad and roasted Mediterranean vegetables, washed down with copious amounts of Aperol Spritz and Campari Spritz.

Pasta Remoli have truly brought a slice of Italy and a bit of dolce vita into our humble homes during this pandemic. All the products were exceptional and made for a fabulous restaurant-quality dining experience at home. Living in Croydon, we are out of zone for a lot of London restaurants that we love. In such a situation, Pasta Remoli have been a blessing, since they deliver nationwide in the UK. This way, we can still get that ‘eating out’ feel whilst staying at home.

If you want to give Pasta Remoli’s home delivery service a try, they are offering 20% on first orders using code ‘FIRST20’. For more information on their range of fresh pasta, signature sauces and meal boxes, please visit their website or Instagram.

N.B. This is a collaborative post with Pasta Remoli.