Barilla, the Italian food company, is offering New Yorkers a Summer of Italy, a six-week celebration of authentic Italian food and culture, culminating in the first-ever Casa Barilla in the United States in New York's iconic Central Park.
On Wednesday, July 27, Barilla began presenting New Yorkers with everything Italian cuisine and culture has to offer via a variety of engaging, interactive activities, including:
Cooking classes at Eataly led by Barilla Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni
A Barilla pasta truck distributing free dinner kits filled with essential ingredients for an Italian meal at key commuter hubs
Five Barilla-branded FIAT 500 (Cinquecento) cars buzzing through the five boroughs to highlight hidden Italian gems and hand out vouchers for upcoming events
Casa Barilla in Central Park, a four-day Italian celebration in Rumsey Playfield
Main sponsor of Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park, a free performance on Central Park's Great Lawn where Barilla will be the exclusive food provider during the concert
"Barilla helps people around the world experience the joys of sharing the table, an integral part of Italian culture. In this spirit, we are delighted to offer this Summer of Italy to New York," said Guido Barilla, Barilla Group chairman. "The festivities will include traditional Italian dishes prepared by New York's and Italy's finest chefs and also activities and events for all city residents to enjoy."
In an effort to ensure that all New Yorkers have the chance to share the table, Barilla is partnering with the Food Bank For New York City, the city's major hunger-relief organization. Proceeds from select events throughout the Summer of Italy will benefit the organization.
Barilla Cooking Classes at Eataly: July 27 – September 7
To kick off the Summer of Italy, Barilla Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni will be offering a series of cooking classes at Eataly. The available classes include Italian Pasta Classics, Italian Coastal Pasta, Summer Italian Pasta and Simple Healthy Pasta. Students will learn the tips and tricks that all great Italian chefs use to create authentic, simple and delicious meals. Each class seats 20 and consumers can sign up on www.Eatalyny.com to reserve a space in class.
A Meal for a Meal: August 15 – 18
An integral part of Italian food and culture is sharing the table with family and friends, and Barilla will be giving New Yorkers the opportunity to do just that as the Barilla pasta truck takes Manhattan by storm. From August 15 to 18, the truck will be stationed at busy commuter hubs between 4 and 8 p.m., giving New Yorkers an easy way to share the table with families and friends that evening in the form of Spaghettata-to-Go dinner kits. The first 5,000 commuters to stop by the Barilla pasta truck will each receive a kit that includes a box of Barilla spaghetti, fresh greens, a jar of Barilla sauce, exclusive Academia Barilla olive oil and vinegar and two tickets to Casa Barilla (a $10 value).
To help New Yorkers in need share the table, for every dinner kit distributed, Barilla will donate $1 to the Food Bank For New York City. Current plans call for the distribution of 20,000 dinner kits to commuters throughout the week, which will, in turn, help provide 100,000 meals to New Yorkers in need.
Commuters will be able to track the Barilla pasta truck all week on Twitter (@BarillaUS) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BarillaUS).
Additionally commuters, or those who cannot join us in New York City, can amplify the donation nationally by uploading and tagging their own photo on the Barilla US Facebook page and pledging to share the table with their own families and friends. For every photo uploaded, Barilla will donate $1 to Feeding America (up to $80,000), the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, and the national partner to the Food Bank For New York City.
The Road to Casa Barilla: August 23 – September 12
On Tuesday, August 23, Barilla will rev up its engines for the race to Casa Barilla! Five Barilla-branded FIAT cars will zip all over the five boroughs visiting unknown Italian treasures around the city, stopping at gelato shops, Italian-style pizzerias and even Italian-influenced parks and green spaces. Drivers and brand ambassadors will hand out free tickets for entry into Casa Barilla to everyone who stops by, and the first five New Yorkers who check in with a Barilla car's location via FourSquare at select locations will win two VIP vouchers to Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park, to be redeemed for tickets inside Casa Barilla by noon on Wednesday, September 14.
Casa Barilla: September 13 – 16
The culmination of Barilla's Summer of Italy is Casa Barilla, a four-day celebration of Italian culture and cuisine in Central Park's Rumsey Playfield. New Yorkers can bring their families and friends along to taste, learn, cook, play and share during authentic Italian cooking classes, sampling stations, chef workshops and a dedicated play area for children called the Piccolini Playground. Here, children can make dried pasta necklaces and roll out their own pasta dough.
A number of renowned chefs, food and television personalities are scheduled to appear at Casa Barilla, including:
Chef Massimo Bottura, awarded 'Chef of the Year' in January 2011 by Academie Internationale de la Gastronomie
Chef Scott Conant, of New York City's Scarpetta restaurant
Chef Sara Jenkins, of New York City's Porchetta and Porsena restaurants
Ellie Krieger, New York Times bestselling author, nutritionist and Food Network star
Chef Giuseppe Morisco, of FOX's "MasterChef" series
Thom Filicia, interior designer and TV star
Barilla Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni will also be on hand, as well as talented Academia Barilla chefs from Parma, Italy. Consumers can sign up for classes and workshops in advance by visiting www.ShareTheTable.com/SummerOfItaly.
Additionally, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to show off their cooking skills at the first-ever Casa Barilla Invitational: An Authentic Italian Culinary Challenge taking place on Tuesday, September 13 and Friday, September 16. Local cooks with a passion for the culinary arts can sign up online to compete for a NYC Culinary Adventure Package.
Finally, no Barilla event would be complete without extensive sampling: guests will be treated to hot and cold pasta dishes, specialty items from Academia Barilla and more. The entry fee for Casa Barilla is $5 for adults and free for children. 100 percent of all entry fees will benefit the Food Bank For New York City.
Main Sponsor of Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park: September 15
Barilla is also the main sponsor of a scheduled performance by beloved Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, on Central Park's Great Lawn the evening of Thursday, September 15. For the first time in Central Park concert history, Barilla will be the exclusive food provider for concert-goers, creating a cultural and culinary experience inspired by the cuisine of Italy and a unique opportunity for New Yorkers to share the table under the stars during the performance.
The Barilla menu, created by Chef Boni, will include a number of pasta dishes, including farfalle pasta with tomato-basil sauce and summer vegetable lasagne, as well as grilled Panini sandwiches, cold vegetable and legume soup, and more. Food will be available for purchase and 25 percent of proceeds will go the Food Bank For New York City to help all New Yorkers share the table.
For more details and updates about Barilla's Summer of Italy, including Casa Barilla and other event dates, please visit: www.ShareTheTable.com/SummerOfItaly.
