New Orleans Italian Society Hosts Chef David Greco for Charity Pasta Party

Five hundred pounds of pasta, sardines, golden raisins, fresh parsley, and mudrica landed in an 8-foot bowl at the Hilton Riverside Hotel on March 27, and every plate came out free.

The Italian American St. Joseph Society's 54th annual Pasta Party ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2 Poydras St. in New Orleans, with Celebrity Chef David Greco leading the centerpiece production: what the Society bills as the world's largest bowl of pasta con le sarde. Greco, owner of Mike's Deli and Arthur Avenue Caterers in the Bronx and the Food Network's Italian Food Expert, has made the trip from New York every year since 2006 to cook the dish alongside Hilton chefs for hundreds of New Orleanians. Twenty years in, the trip is as much personal ritual as culinary performance.

The dish itself explains why this gathering carries weight that outlasts the afternoon. Pasta con le sarde is Sicilian at its core: a sauce of sardines, wild fennel, saffron, pine nuts, and golden raisins that balances brine against sweetness, a flavor profile shaped by centuries of Arabic influence on the island's cooking. Greco finishes the bowl with mudrica, the seasoned toasted breadcrumbs that are not simply texture. In the St. Joseph's Day tradition, mudrica stands in for sawdust, a deliberate nod to the saint's life as a carpenter. Every bite carries the symbolism whether diners know it or not.

For anyone who wants to bring the dish home before next March, the technique starts in the water. Blanch wild fennel fronds in the pot before cooking the bucatini or spaghetti, so the pasta itself absorbs the anise character from the first step. Soften sardines in olive oil over medium heat until they dissolve into a base, then fold in the blanched fennel, saffron-soaked raisins, and toasted pine nuts. The mudrica goes on last: breadcrumbs toasted in olive oil with salt and pepper, scattered over the finished plate as tribute and crunch in equal measure.

The lunch extended well beyond the bowl. The Society presented its parade royalty, including the grand marshal, parade marshals, queen, and Caesar, alongside scholarship recipients whose education the Society's charitable activities support. A silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, and live music with wine and dancing ran through the afternoon. Guests were encouraged to arrive with non-perishable food items for donation to local food banks, a practical extension of the charitable mission anchored to the event since its founding.

The St. Joseph's Day Parade followed Saturday morning through the French Quarter, winding back to the Hilton Riverside ballroom to close out the weekend.

The Pasta Party is free to attend each year and open to the public. Those looking to RSVP, volunteer, or support the Society's charitable and cultural programs can find the next event listing at italianamericansociety.org.