Filindeu ( Sardinian: ''su filindeu'', "Thread of the Gods") is a rare

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are ...

from the

Barbagia Barbagia (; sc, Barbàgia or ) is a geographical, cultural and natural region of inner Sardinia, contained for the most part in the province of Nuoro and Ogliastra and located alongside the Gennargentu massif. The name comes from Cicero, who d ...

region of

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label= Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label= Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, af ...

. It is made by pulling and folding semolina dough into very thin threads, which are laid in three layers on a tray called a ''fundu'' and dried to form textile-like sheets. The dried sheets are broken into pieces and served in a mutton broth with

pecorino Pecorino cheeses are Types of cheese#Semi-hard or hard cheese, hard Italian cuisine, Italian cheeses made from Sheep milk, sheep's milk. The name "" derives from ''pecora'' which means sheep in Italian language, Italian. Overview Of the six mai ...

cheese. Filindeu is listed on the

Ark of Taste The Ark of Taste is an international catalogue of endangered heritage foods which is maintained by the global Slow Food movement. The Ark is designed to preserve at-risk foods that are sustainably produced, unique in taste, and part of a distinc ...

History

For centuries, during the nights of May 1st and October 4th, the rural sanctuary of

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christiani ...

from Lula, built where, in the 17th century, a Nuorese bandit had built a small church as an

ex voto An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or to a divinity; the term is usually restricted to Christian examples. It is given in fulfillment of a vow (hence the Latin term, short for ''ex voto suscepto'', "from the vow made") or in gratitude o ...

for having been cleared of the charges, has been reached by the faithful who set out on foot from the church of the Rosario in

Nuoro Nuoro ( or less correctly ; sc, Nùgoro ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte Ortobene. It is the capital of the province of Nuoro. With a population of 36,347 (2011), i ...

. Upon arrival, after a walk of several kilometers, the priors offer the pilgrims a hearty dish of

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling soli ...

. The preparation of pasta for the soup, made exclusively by hand, is handed down by women from generation to generation and in modern times there are few, ten in all, the ladies who keep the once more widespread tradition.

References

Cuisine of Sardinia Types of pasta Ark of Taste foods {{ingredient-stub