- Insiders Profile -

Federica Baldino

Born in Italy and now based in Lisbon, Federica is the creative mind behind Polpetta Cosmica, a project that began in the most intimate, homemade way: delivering trays of lasagna, tiramisu, and her signature polpette straight to people’s doors. What started as a small Italian comfort-food venture quickly grew into a cult favourite, loved for its warmth, humour, and cosmic personality.

Today, Polpetta Cosmica has evolved into a physical space, where Federica brings together flavour, nostalgia, storytelling, and a uniquely Italian sense of joy, a place where food feels like a hug and a character.

◆ For those discovering your work, could you start by introducing yourself and how Polpetta Cosmica was born?

I’m Federica, born in Sardinia, in Olbia – a place shaped by mussel, salt and tradition – and raised inside a kitchen where food was never just food. It was culture, family, memory, and rhythm. My passion comes from my maternal grandmother, who used to sit me and my cousins at a long table with aprons on, making fresh pasta as part of our daily life. She was a true entrepreneur, always full of ideas, and cooking was the way she passed things on.

Polpetta Cosmica was born from that same instinct. At first, it lived inside my home – literally – until I ran out of space and energy to keep producing everything in my own kitchen. It made sense to open another “home,” not a restaurant but a rosticceria and salumeria, a concept that doesn’t really exist here. I’m not a chef; I’m someone who loves to cook and welcome people. Polpetta Cosmica is simply an extension of my life, my memories, and my way of opening the door to others.

And of course, Polpetta was also the name of my dog – my favourite dish and my favourite companion. Cosmica is me: always a bit on the moon, full of ideas, always imagining what dish I would take with me if one day I had to move to another planet. I’m torn between croquettes and a pasta al pomodoro. And the wine would be Sardo, always – Vermentino.

◆ If you had to describe Polpetta Cosmica in just three words, what would they be?

Genuine, Cosmic, Imperfect.

◆ The project began with homemade Italian classics delivered to people’s doors. What do lasagna, tiramisu, and polpette represent to you?

These dishes represent family, friends, childhood, and comfort. They are the flavours that shaped my life, the ones that travelled through generations in my family. And now I’m bringing in something that represents me even more deeply: Zuppa Gallurese, the Sardinian “lasagna” of my roots. I still keep the pasta-making tools from both of my grandmothers – they were incredible cooks. Everything I do today comes from them.

◆ You’ve just opened your first physical space. What inspired this next step, and what did you want people to feel when entering Polpetta Cosmica?

I wanted people to feel at home. Polpetta Cosmica is not a restaurant – it never was. Most people come not only to eat but also to talk to me, to spend time, and to share something.

Now that I have very little time to be at home with family and friends, this space has become the place where I meet everyone. I wanted it to feel intimate, warm, familiar – like walking into the house of an Italian friend. And above all, I wanted people to feel the truth. No pretension, no theatrics. Just honest food with soul.

Polpetta Cosmica’s Dishes

◆ Italian cuisine is emotional, comforting, and rooted in memory. How does your heritage shape the way you cook?

My cooking is pure instinct – spontaneous, unstudied, full of heritage. I never attended culinary school; everything I know was passed down to me. I grew up in markets with my mother and my aunt every Tuesday, choosing vegetables, cheese, meat, and flowers. I grew up watching women cook as if it were their mother tongue.

I believe in real food: simple, emotional, made with few but good ingredients. And honestly, we’ve had enough truffle everywhere and balsamic glaze on everything. It’s time to return to true Italian flavour.

◆ Your universe blends food, humour, visuals, and storytelling. How do you balance these creative elements in your work?

It’s very natural. My creativity comes from chaos – a cosmic chaos that always eventually aligns. I’m intuitive by nature and organised only because I must be. Everything I create is alive, playful, and honest. Nothing is overplanned, but everything lands where it needs to.

◆ What has been the most meaningful or surprising moment since launching Polpetta Cosmica?

It isn’t one dramatic moment – it’s something that keeps happening. Every time I receive feedback, every time someone returns, every time I unlock the door in the morning and realise I’m about to open it again, I feel the same thing: “It’s real.”

It has always been real and genuine, but there’s a thought that never leaves me: If I stop, everything stops. That responsibility scares me – but it also grounds me and keeps me grateful.

Polpetta’s New Space

◆ As Lisbon’s food scene evolves, where do you see Polpetta Cosmica fitting within it?

I see people spending time here, not rushing. The menu changes because this business is alive – like me. I’m not a fan of fixed menus, but lasagna will always be our tradition, our appointment. A dish that waits for you, warm, no matter the day. Lisbon needs more true Italian comfort food – fewer “reinterpretations” and more authenticity. That’s where we belong.

◆ Could you walk us through your ideal day in Lisbon – the places, rituals, or moments that inspire you?

I recently moved to Lapa, which now feels like my neighbourhood. But even before living here, I already had places that made me feel at home:

Cristal, a historic pastelaria where I always eat beautifully.
O David, in Alcântara – truly my second home.
TACT, literally next to my house.
La Camionetta for pizza.
O Alazão, for honest, homemade Portuguese food.

I don’t eat much Italian food outside my own kitchen, except pizza. My inspiration comes from my aunts, from summers in Sardinia, from friends who run beautiful businesses, and from three people who constantly inspire, support, and challenge me in the best way: Roberto Paddeu, Alessandro from TICCU TICCU in Olbia, and all the people who believe in my way of cooking – imperfect, spontaneous, and true.

◆ What’s your neighbourhood favourite hangout?

Without a doubt: O David. Those clams, the warm bread, the feeling of being known – it’s my second home, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Tact Cafe