Judges To Decide The Best Pasta Dish In New York City At The James Beard House

On Friday, June 23, a panel of Italian and American food experts will come together at the James Beard House in New York City to award the Primo di New York – the only competition to recognize the city's best pasta dish, organized by Italian pasta company Pastificio di Martino (an official James Beard House purveyor). Primo di New York celebrates Italian culture and gastronomy, emphasizing pasta as a staple of Mediterranean cuisine and tradition.

From dozens of submissions from some of the city's best restaurants, the judges have selected their ten finalists: chef Rita Sodi, I Sodi; Garrison Price, Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria; chef Jarred Sippel, Italienne; chef David de Lucia, Casa Lever; restaurateur Ed Schoenfeld, RedFarm; chef Silvia Barban, LaRina; chef Carlo Bigi, Gemma; chef Joshua Pinksy, Momofuku Nishi; chef Raffaele Solinas, Maiella LIC; and chef Hillary Sterling of Vic's. They will cook for the judges and the public on Friday afternoon, followed by a private pasta dinner at the house in honor of the winner, prepared by Primo di New York's 2016 champion, Michelin-starred chef Massimo Sola of MAMO.

The winner of Primo di New York will be awarded $5,000, a personalized Primo di New York chef's jacket, engraved Agnelli pan, and a trip to Gragnano, Italy, known as "The City of Pasta," to explore the history of the town's pasta-making and participate in Le Strade della Mozzarella—a conference celebrating Italian food and the dedication to excellence it inspires.