This post was sponsored by Barilla US, however all thoughts & opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help to make Bowtiful Life possible!
This week I got to celebrate the Laver Cup in Chicago with Barilla® at Spiaggia on Michigan Avenue with Executive Chef Joe Flamm and some special guests! Chef Flamm was the season 15 winner of Top Chef and he made us a delicious three-course menu featuring an exclusive pasta dish created with Barilla Collezione pasta!
The event was attended by fellow bloggers, various writers, and special guests Roger Federer & Mikaela Shiffrin. Roger and Mikaela are both ambassadors for Barilla and Roger is competing in the Laver Cup, which is a tennis tournament that Barilla is sponsoring! (If you’re in Chicago between September 21st and 23rd be sure to stop by the Barilla Masters of Pasta Cucina in the Laver Cup Fan Village at the United Center!)
Upon our arrival, we were greeted with glasses of prosecco and passed hors d’oeuvres. After snapping some photos and socializing, we watched a cooking demo by Chef Flamm for the special Barilla Collezione dish that he created. His Pomodoro Fresco was absolutely incredible! After the demo was over, we all sat down to enjoy the meal together.
I was seated at the same table as some of bloggers I was already acquainted with, as well as some new faces! We were joined by one of Barilla’s special guests, two-time Olympic gold medalist and World Cup Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin! (She was SO nice.) It was great to catch up with some familiar faces while also making some new friends over lunch!
The Menu
The first dish was Tonno Vitellato which featured bluefin tuna, veal aioli, crispy caper and smoked wagyu. It was absolutely beautiful looking and tasted just as good!
Our second dish was Chef Flamm’s featured Barilla Collezione dish. His Pomodoro Fresco was made with al dente Barilla Collezione Rigatoni, fresh tomatoes, shaved dried tomatoes and parmigiano reggiano. Fun fact: all Barilla Collezione pasta is “bronze cut.” For those of you (like myself) who aren’t as well-versed in the kitchen, when pasta is “bronze cut” it has a rougher texture and porous surface which allows sauce to cling better to the pasta. “Bronze cut” pasta also has an elevated homemade quality, so you can upgrade your favorite at-home pasta dish! I honestly could have eaten three more plates of the Pomodoro Fresco, it was so yummy!
The meal was topped off with a dessert called Tutti Frutti made with baba, panna cotta, berries and melon. It was SO refreshing and the perfect end to a fantastic meal!
I had such a wonderful time learning about Barilla’s artisanal pasta line and trying the delicious dishes. I left Spiaggia feeling just the right amount of full!
Thank you Barilla and Spiaggia for having me!
