FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Molly Wright for Barilla
312-596-3457
molly_wright@chi.bm.com
A FLIGHT OF LASAGNE?
NEW YORK RESTAURANT HOSTS LASAGNE TASTING
F.illi Ponte Offers Special Taste of Authentic Italian Lasagne Dec. 19 Weekend
NEW YORK (Nov. 17, 2003) – Wine tastings, cheese tastings, and now, lasagne tastings? Acclaimed Tribeca restaurant F.illi Ponte, along with Barilla, the Italian food company, is offering diners tasting portions of three types of authentic Italian lasagne as part of a lasagne flight being served Dec. 19, 20 and 21. Small "tasting" portions are the rage in the culinary world, and the latest entry into the game is sure to be a palate pleaser.
"A hot trend in restaurants is to offer menu items that contain tasting portions of a few varieties of a particular food or beverage," said Chef Gianluca Rizza of F.illi Ponte. "This allows guests to appreciate and enjoy the subtle differences and complexities of what they may see as a one-dimensional dish, such as lasagne."
Why lasagne? "Why not?" said Chef Rizza.
"Lasagne, which is one of my signature dishes, is especially popular this time of year," said Chef Rizza, who was raised in Florence, Italy and Queens. "Lasagne flights are a great way to expose New Yorkers to some authentic Italian variations of one of their favorite foods."
This is good news for the 46 percent of New Yorkers who, in a recent survey1 by Barilla, named lasagne as one of their favorite meals, and the nearly 80 percent who agreed the traditional Italian dish is delicious whenever they eat it.
The three recipes featured in the $20 lasagne tasting plate include: Barilla Besciamella, a Northern Italian lasagne made with a delicious white sauce, asparagus, Pecorino cheese, pesto and pine nuts; Lasagne di Frutti di Mare (Seafood Lasagne), a Tuscan dish made with lobster and crab meat and a creamy pink sauce; and a traditional lasagne from the Southern Italian region of Campania, Lasagne di Carnevale alla Napoletana, made with a tangy red sauce and mozzarella, Parmesan and ricotta cheeses. (Recipes attached.)
Chef Rizza’s lasagne will be prepared using Barilla Oven Ready Lasagne, which is his preferred dry lasagne because it is rolled flat just like homemade lasagne in households across Italy. The light texture offers great tasting lasagne, but an added benefit is that it doesn’t have to be boiled before baking, making the lasagne process easier for home cooks.
"A wide variety of ingredients can work in lasagne. In Italy, lasagne really is an art form," said Chef Rizza. "This special tasting offers lasagne lovers a unique opportunity to enjoy new and traditional varieties of one of their favorite foods."
Established in 1967, F.illi Ponte is located in lower Manhattan, at 39 Debrosses Street (West Side Highway) near the Hudson River. The Barilla Lasagne Flight will be served on Dec. 19, 20 and 21; a portion of proceeds will go to the ALS Foundation. For more information, visit www.filliponte.com or call (212) 226-4621.
About F.illi Ponte Ristorante
This elegant downtown restaurant serves authentic Italian cuisine in a romantic, luxurious atmosphere that features beamed ceilings, brick walls, distinctive archways and beautiful views of the Hudson River. Signature dishes at this acclaimed Tribeca restaurant include Aragosta All’Arrabbiata ("Angry Lobster"),authentic pasta dishes, and a Valrhona flourless chocolate cake. F. illi Ponte welcomes private parties and meetings, and has several venues available to accommodate them, including large dining rooms, a spacious lounge with overstuffed leather chairs, and a downstairs bar.
About Barilla
Since 1877, the Barilla Company has been producing pasta and other grain-based foods for consumers around the world. The company’s basic animating principle has been to make these healthy products affordable to all, no matter where they might be. Barilla has remained true to its entrepreneurial roots over the past four generations, by combining ancient Italian traditions with cutting-edge technological advances. The result is a globally successful company, built on a foundation of principles that allow for continuous growth to reach ever-expanding goals.
The Barilla Group – whose brands include Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Pavesi, Voiello, Wasa, Misko (Greece), Filiz (Turkey), and Yemina and Vesta (Mexico) – is the first Italian food group, headed by the Barilla family for 125 years. The Group has 25 factories (18 in Italy and 7 abroad). It is a worldwide leader in pasta and currently realizes 31% of sales in volume in more than 100 countries.
1The survey, sponsored by Barilla and conducted by Kelton Research, was fielded in October 2003. It was a random-digit-dialing telephone survey of men and women 18 years of age and older living in private households. The sample consisted of 1,200 adults in the New York City metro area including Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County, Fairfield County, Bergen County, Passaic County and Union County.
