July 11, 2019 3.08 pm This story is over 55 months old

New vegan pizza and pasta stall opens in Lincoln

Why not give it a try

Vegan pizzas, pastas, desserts and fresh smoothies are on the menu at a new vegan stall in Lincoln’s outdoor market.

Business partners Antonio Caruso, 33, and Lynsey Rossiter, 35, opened La Verdura, meaning vegetables in Italian, on July 2 in the outdoor market in City Square.

Business partners Antonio Caruso and Lynsey Rossiter opened La Verdura on July 2. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The food at La Verdura is made fresh each day with a variety of pasta including Pasta Puttanesca, three varieties of vegan pizza (vegan pepperoni, basil and pine nut and spicy cajun), as well as deep fried cauliflower balls.

The pizza is priced at £2.50 a slice and is freshly made on the spot. The fresh pasta dishes are £3.50 with an extra 50p charge to add a fresh bread roll.

Lynsey specialises in the fresh vegan desserts including upside down spiced peach cake and chocolate brownie.

Vegan chocolate brownie. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Cookies! Yummy! Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Antonio, who was introduced to veganism by Lynsey three and a half years ago, told The Lincolnite that cooking with his family in Italy from a young age inspired him to start his first business with Lynsey.

He said: “With a bit of patience we are really happy that we are out. We have already had people messaging asking if we will come to other areas of the county like Louth, which may be possible in the future.

“The inspiration was from my nan and the way she used to do spaghetti and I always used to ask her about the sauces.

Antonio Caruso and Lynsey Rossiter at La Verdura. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

“When I tried to replicate it, it was never the same. Whenever I see my mum’s uncle in Italy they do great pizzas too.

“I have always had a love for cooking from around the age of 13 helping my mum. Back in Tuscany in my teens we cooked Pastina, which is a stew but with pasta, vegetable stock, garlic and other vegetables.

“With this food, like the vegan cheese, it’s a change and the palette needs adapting a bit, but once it’s melted you’ll look beyond that and find it’s a nice taste.

Lynsey Rossiter hard at work preparing fresh vegan pizza at La Verdura. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lynsey turned vegan five years ago after having been vegetarian since the age of 16. She previously worked as a vegetarian and vegan nutritional consultant.

She added: “I love cooking. It’s good to be vegan and the next step is to do activism, which this sort of is in a way as we are letting people know that vegan food can be nice.”

Come and try the fresh vegan food at La Verdura on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

La Verdura is currently open Tuesday and Thursday 9am-4pm, but Wednesday and weekends may be introduced in the future.

A few meat eaters have sampled the food since La Verdura opened and told them it’s “the best pizza they’ve ever had”.


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