Borghetto’s Sixth Grand dinner: 4,000 guests, 600,000 tortellini

The impressive organizational machinery set up to coordinate the sixth edition of the grand dinner on the Visconti bridge in Borghetto, scheduled for Tuesday, June 20th at 7:00 PM, is operating at full speed. As usual, the numbers for this mega table are spectacular: 4,000 guests, about thirty restaurants involved, 420 chefs and waiters serving 600,000 handmade tortellini made with 500 kilograms of Grana Padano, 10,000 eggs, and eight quintals of flour; 60 sommeliers opening over 4,000 bottles of Custoza White and 650 bottles of Custoza Brut sparkling wine served as an aperitif.

Presentation and Related Initiatives

The seventh edition of the great tortellini festival was presented yesterday at the Castelletto di Parco Sigurtà by Mayor Fausto Sachetto and the president of the restaurateurs Romano Bressanelli. “The idea for this grand dinner on the Visconti bridge was born in 1993 on the occasion of the sixth centenary of the bridge’s construction and was initiated by a journalist from L’Arena. We are at the sixth event. Everything is organized. The only thing out of our control is the weather,” he stated. Romano Bressanelli, president of the Restaurant Association, announced that the national award “Nodo d’Amore” has been established, in collaboration with the municipal administration and the Pro Loco, for a work (article, story, videocassette, or CD-ROM) themed around tortellini; the winner will be awarded on June 20th alongside conductor Giuliano Carella and journalist Vera Meneguzzo.

Proposals and Other Initiatives

Bressanelli called for a worthy placement of the tortellino monument in the historic center. At the evening’s presentation, there were Malco and Sofia (portrayed by Paola Giacomelli, finalist in the last Miss Italy pageant), characters from the legend of “Nodo d’Amore” created by Alberto Zucchetta. The goldsmith introduced “DegustArte,” an exhibition of figurative art with gastronomic themes scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 18, in Piazza Carlo Alberto. He also requested the restoration of a fountain-monument that existed until a few decades ago at the intersection of via Marsala and via Jacopo Foroni in the town center.

Comments and Acknowledgments

For Marileno Brentegani, president of Pro Loco and the Traders Association, “the dinner on the bridge will be the first of a series of events lasting throughout the summer with shows in the square and on the castle.” Renato Marini from the Touring Club awarded the organizers for their tireless efforts. Finally, the guest Enzo Inga Sigurtà confirmed how the initiative is gaining ground and emphasized that Parco Sigurtà aims to be accessible to the greatest number of people.