Inside Barilla's La Tavolata: An Italian Dinner Party on Monza's Grid

Barilla turned Monza's starting grid into a long Italian dinner table ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, welcoming drivers past and present, team members, journalists, and fans to 'La Tavolata' — the Italian tradition of a shared meal. Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura cooked a three-course dinner as the sun set over empty grandstands.

Why it matters:

In a sport defined by speed and noise, it was a rare pause — and a reminder that F1's community extends beyond the track and into its cultural roots.

The details:

• Tables draped in white and blue replaced pit lane's usual noise, with food stalls offering bruschetta, cheese, champagne, and breadsticks.
• The meal opened with Fusilloni Al Bronzo al Pesto, followed by "Lap Two": Barilla's wheel-shaped Gran Ruote pasta with cacio e pepe, made from Parmigiano Reggiano and pepper.
• Dessert, "L'essenza del Sole Siciliano," was Bottura's ode to Sicily, with citrus, almonds, capers, and coffee.
• Bottura admitted the pressure: "I'm a little bit stressed because I'm thinking about 35 kilos of pasta that has to come out al dente... My hands are sweating."
• Former racer Paolo Barilla recalled watching Ferrari's 1974 Monza heartbreak as a 13-year-old, then racing there himself in 1980.

The big picture:

For Bottura, the night embodied the Italian ritual of sharing food: "Cooking is an act of love, that's it. And when you do it, you do it for your friends, for your family, or for the F1 family." Paolo Barilla put it simply: "The fight is a part of life, but the friendship around the table is very important." Soon the grid would return to battle — but for one night, Monza was a place to break bread.