{"id":379038,"date":"2026-10-22T00:04:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T00:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/379038\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T00:04:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T00:04:13","slug":"lasagna-lasagna-everywhere-at-staten-island-fundraiser-37-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/379038\/","title":{"rendered":"Lasagna, lasagna everywhere at Staten Island fundraiser (37 photos)"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Frank Sinatra is credited with saying, \u201cYou better know your pasta if you\u2019re going to sit at my table.\u201d At Bethel Lutheran Bretheren Church in Westerleigh inaugural Great New York Lasagna Showdown, dozens of home cooks and professional chefs proved they knew their way around lasagna while raising money for a good cause.<\/p>\n

The congregation\u2019s inaugural fundraiser raised more than $8,000 for the Pregnancy Care Center of New York, with the final tally expected to climb as organizers wrap up sales for a Casale Jewelers-sponsored trip raffle. <\/p>\n

\"LasagnaRed-and-white checkered tablecloths, basket raffles, trays of homemade desserts and rows of steaming lasagnas helped transform the church hall into something resembling an old-school Italian feast.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

Andrea Devito said the idea for the event emerged during a board discussion about launching a new fundraiser. Inspired by church pasta dinners of years past, organizers turned a friendly \u201cNonna vs. Chef\u201d competition into a lasagna showdown.<\/p>\n

Pans of pasta included traditional tomato sauce, ricotta-and-mozzarella layered versions, as well as Bolognese-style, b\u00e9chamel-finished entries and one layered with eggplant, 24 specimens in all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just started talking and came up with the Nonna versus the Chefs contest and ran with it,\u201d DeVito said of the idea, which was born during a board meeting about a year ago.<\/p>\n

Attendee Ken Imbriale said the best lasagnas struck a careful balance between ingredients.<\/p>\n

\"Lasagna\"With names concealed from the judges, entries were evaluated solely on taste, texture and presentation. One especially memorable lasagna skipped the pasta entirely, substituting layers of eggplant between rich b\u00e9chamel, sausage and beef. The decadent creation stood out among a field that ranged from traditional red-sauce recipes to classic Bolognese interpretations.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

Judging duties fell to Executive Chef Mike DiLeo, restaurateur Joseph Scarlotta Sr. and this reporter, who sampled and scored 24 lasagnas. Entries ranged from traditional red-sauce recipes to b\u00e9chamel-topped Bolognese versions and other inventive interpretations.<\/p>\n

Imbriale offered his own benchmark for a winning tray.<\/p>\n

\u201cA great lasagna must consist of high-quality ingredients and possess balance,\u201d Imbriale said. \u201cNo part should overwhelm any other, with aromatic and flavorful sauce and spices and exceptional cheese. The pasta itself should be stout but not too al dente, and the meat should be present but not disproportionate. It\u2019s lasagna, not a burger!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lasagna\"Judges Joseph Scarlotta Sr., left, and Executive Chef Mike DiLeo sampled and scored lasagna entries during the competition.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)How it went down<\/p>\n

It took a small army to stage the lasagna showdown.<\/p>\n

Alongside a roster of home cooks competing for Nonna bragging rights, Staten Island restaurants from across the borough supplied chef entries.<\/p>\n

\"Lasagna\"The kitchen crew at Bethany Lutheran Brethren Church worked behind the scenes to prepare samples, organize service and keep the lasagna tasting moving during the inaugural Lasagna Extravaganza fundraiser.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

The lineup included Basil Cucina in Port Richmond; Da Damaso in Great Kills; Gino\u2019s Villa Monte in New Springville; La Piazza Pizza & Tap in Bulls Head; Mangia Pizza and Patricia\u2019s of Tottenville in Tottenville; Monte\u2019s Pizzeria and Patrizia\u2019s Tavern in New Dorp; Mona Lisa Pizzeria in Annadale; Mr. Pizza\u2019s Pasta House, with locations in Rossville and New Springville; and Frank & Sal Italian Market.<\/p>\n

Local merchants filled raffle and prize tables with donations, while Bella Bacci Bakery supplied the bread and Annadale Bakery brought the cannoli.<\/p>\n

\"Lasagna\"With restaurant names hidden from the judges, the lasagnas were identified only by numbers. In the front row sat the eventual winner from Pizza Parlor, while second-place finisher Gino’s Villa Monte was positioned to the left. Just behind it stood the tray from Patricia’s of Tottenville, which earned an honorable mention.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n

When the tasting was complete, top honors went to Pizza Parlor, whose lasagna earned first place among the 24 entries. Second place went to Gino\u2019s Villa Monte, while home cook Annmarie Mercaldo claimed third. An honorable mention was awarded to Patricia\u2019s of Tottenville.<\/p>\n

Many of the evening\u2019s raffle baskets were assembled using donated items collected through the organization\u2019s semiannual flea markets, volunteer-driven fundraisers that help support the center\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

Located on Dongan Hills Avenue, the church\u2019s self-funded Pregnancy Care Center of New York has served Staten Island families for more than 40 years. It operates through private donations, church sponsorships and grassroots fundraising efforts. The center offers free sonograms, counseling and grief support for mothers and fathers, as well as a \u201cbaby boutique\u201d stocked with necessities including diapers, formula, clothing, cribs and car seats for children up to age 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re Staten Island\u2019s best-kept secret,\u201d Devito said. \u201cNobody gives us funding. We\u2019re very much a grassroots organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lasagna\"From neighborhood pizzerias and Italian restaurants to bakeries, retailers and individual contributors, the board reflected the many hands that helped bring the inaugural fundraiser to life.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Frank Sinatra is credited with saying, \u201cYou better know your pasta if you\u2019re going…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":379039,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-379038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379038\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/379039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}