Barilla Kicks Off 7th Pasta World Championship during World Pasta Day

Who will win the top prize and bring the Master of Pasta title home?

October 17, 2018 – Ready, set, mangia! Prepare yourselves for a worldwide celebration of La Dolce Vita as Barilla holds its annual flagship event, the Pasta World Championship, on October 24-25, 2018 in Milan. Now at its seventh edition, the event will honor pasta as 18 chefs from various countries compete for the title of Master of Pasta. For the first time this year, the Championship will be held on the same day as World Pasta Day, which incidentally commemorates its 20th anniversary.

Pasta: A Contagious Passion With the Pasta World Championship, Barilla hopes to bring positivity, balance and fun to dining tables around the world. Under this year’s theme “Eat Positive,” the international competition will pay homage to the intangible cultural heritage of La Dolce Vita, where the essential elements of the Italian lifestyle thrive: art, music, style, and above all, iconic and good food.

Pasta is at the heart of a positive and mouth-watering Mediterranean diet. It provides a healthy intake of complex, slow-release carbohydrates, protein, and fiber that keep you fueled for the day. Cooked with fresh and local produce of quality, it is more than a meal; it is a passion, an invitation to slow down and enjoy moments of happiness.

“Pasta is a true passion of mine,” said Accursio Lotà, the Sicily-born, US-based chef and winner of the 2017 Barilla Pasta World Championship. “I have the utmost respect for pasta as an ingredient, it is as suitable for top chefs’ menus as it is for every day family dinners. I remember cooking pasta dishes as a child when my parents were away, the satisfaction was endless and the cleaning, too!”

A 360-Degree Culinary Event A feast for the senses, the Barilla Pasta World Championship will offer a deep look into the multiple sides of pasta via live exhibitions, cooking demonstrations, tastings and conferences. The competition will feature some of the most innovative and delicious pasta dishes the world’s kitchens are creating at the moment.

Eighteen young chefs under the age of 35 will compete before a Michelin-starred jury to become a “Master of Pasta,” a title that has been previously won six times by chefs from the USA (2017), Slovenia (2016), Turkey (2015), Switzerland (2014), South Africa (2013) and Japan (2012). All in all, more than 125 chefs have participated to the Championship over the years and have contributed to elevating Italian pasta cooking as we know it.

The two-day event will also introduce pioneering conversations around the importance of living a healthy, positive lifestyle. Based on the Italian way of life, three different Master Talks will be

held: Beyond Gastronomy: The Role of Beauty, featuring Kitchen Theory Co-Founder Jozef Youssef and artist and photographer Brittany Wright; The Mediterranean Lifestyle, The Ultimate Recipe for Wellbeing, by chef-nutritionist Holger Stromberg and Swedish TV presenter and ex-model Filippa Lagerbäck; and finally, Sustainability from Field to Table by Michelin- starred chef Davide Oldani and basil farming trailblazer Giuseppe Bonati. The final day of the competition will also premiere an exclusive live exhibition by music collective Food Ensemble. Michelin-starred and personality Chef Davide Oldani will partake in a live cooking demonstration where cooking sounds and gestures will be “sampled”, resulting in a music track specifically designed around a signature pasta recipe.

New Legume Line Launch for World Pasta Day In time for the 20th edition of World Pasta Day on October 25 and alongside the Championship, Barilla will launch its first ever legume line, made entirely of red lentil flour or chickpea flour. Pietro Leemann, the first European chef to be awarded a Michelin star for a vegetarian restaurant, will be offering Master Classes on how to best cook with this unique type of product.

The new Barilla Penne Red lentils, Casarecce Chickpeas and Fusilli Red lentils will be naturally rich in plant-based proteins and fiber, and they are gluten-free. Of note, legumes improve natural soil fertility and have low carbon footprint because they need very few fertilizers.

“Our new Legume line offers delicious products to foodies looking for tasty ways to consume plant-based proteins the pasta way,” said Victoria Spadaro Grant, Global Research, Development and Quality Chief at Barilla Group. “On a larger scale, the launch contributes to our global mission 'Good for You, Good for the Planet'. The red lentil and chickpea pasta made with single ingredients are in line with our dedication to a greener, more sustainable food chain, from responsible farming practices to informed customer decision at the point of sale.” On the final day of the competition and in time for World Pasta Day, one young chef will be crowned the Master of Pasta. You can follow the competition and indulge in pasta dishes by following hashtags #PastaWorldChampionship and #WorldPastaDay (for October 25), visiting the website https://www.barilla.com/en-us/pasta-world-championship-2018 and following Barilla on Instagram @Barilla.

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The Barilla Group Founded in Parma in 1877 from a bakery and pasta-making store, Barilla is now one of Italy's biggest food groups, world leader on the pasta market and number one in ready-to-use sauces in mainland Europe, bakery products in Italy and crispbreads in the Scandinavian countries. The Barilla Group has 28 production sites (14 in Italy and 14 abroad) and exports to more than 100 countries.

Every year, its plants produce about 1,800,000 tons of food products, enjoyed by consumers all over the world, under the Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Harrys, Pavesi, Wasa, Filiz, Yemina and Vesta, Misko, Voiello, Gran Cereali, Pan di Stelle and Academia Barilla brands.

When he opened his store in 1877, Pietro Barilla's overriding aim was to make good food. Today, that principle has become Barilla's corporate mission: "Good for You, Good for the Planet". "Good for You" means constantly improving our products, encouraging the adoption of healthy lifestyles and improving people's access to food and social inclusion. "Good for the Planet" means promoting sustainable supply chains and reducing CO2 emissions and water consumption during production.

To learn more please visit: www.barillagroup.com; Twitter: @barillagroup; Instagram: @barilla