MondoPasta! returns to Gragnano, where pasta meets the world

From 11 to 13 September 2026, “Gragnano, City of Pasta” returns, the event promoted by the Consortium for the Protection of Gragnano PGI Pasta with the Municipality of Gragnano and the Campania Region.

And this year it projects itself even further afield: the theme of the 2026 edition is, in fact, “MondoPasta! Pasta in the world. The world in pasta.”

Because, if pasta has conquered the tables of every continent, the world has done the same with it. Each culture has interpreted it in its own way, entrusting it with different ingredients, techniques and pairings. MondoPasta! tells the story of this meeting: between a product deeply rooted in its origins and the countless cultures that have welcomed it, transforming pasta into a universal language.

For three days, Gragnano will be the meeting point between pasta and the gastronomic cultures from around the world.

The 2026 cultural award to Lina Sastri

The “Gragnano, City of Pasta 2026” Cultural Award, established by the Municipality of Gragnano with the support of the Campania Region, will be presented this year to Lina Sastri, an artist who has brought Naples and its culture to Italian and international stages, while preserving her ties with her roots. A strong identity, capable of speaking to the world while always remaining faithful to its origins.

The award ceremony will be held on Friday 11 September at 18:30 and will have a special connection with Gragnano’s ancient history. The award will in fact be created by the sculptor Domenico Sepe, who will draw inspiration for his work from the terracotta balsamarium in the shape of a siren (6th century BC), discovered in the Necropolis of Via dei Pastai in Gragnano, with the authorisation of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan Area of Naples.

The world enters the dish

If MondoPasta! is the meeting between pasta and the cultures that have welcomed it, it is at the table that this story comes to life.

In collaboration with Lac – Food Anthropology Laboratory, ingredients, techniques and distant traditions will give life to new interpretations, showing how pasta can cross different cuisines and become each time the bearer of new stories without ever losing its identity.

India will tell its story in the Vesuvio at Dahl, the flavours of West Africa in the Pacchero with Senegalese ragù, while Japan will arrive in Gragnano with Yakisoba prepared with Gragnano PGI Spaghetti.

Dishes to discover at the stands along the route, where chefs from Gragnano and from different parts of the world will give form and flavour to their own gastronomic cultures, and in the show cooking sessions at the Pasta Hub, which will bring the public even closer to the stories, gestures and traditions preserved in every recipe.

The Pasta Hub

The international character of MondoPasta! will also extend to the Pasta Hub in Piazza Aldo Moro, the heart of the event’s meetings and discussions, with guests invited to tell the story of pasta from different perspectives. The meetings will be moderated by Monica Caradonna, Rai journalist and presenter.

On Friday 11 September at 18:45, “MondoPasta. Pasta in the world. The world in pasta” will bring together Rachel Roddy, correspondent for the Guardian and author of "An A-Z of Pasta", food historian Luca Cesari, Giulia Mancini, journalist for Il gusto, and Lina Sastri. A conversation about pasta’s ability to preserve a strong Italian identity while, at the same time, becoming a shared heritage at every latitude.

On Saturday, the focus will shift to Italian excellence abroad and pasta as a universal language. On Sunday, with “Around the world without losing our roots. MondoPasta! and Intercultura”, it will instead be the experiences of students, families and volunteers that tell what it means to discover other countries and other ways of life without losing the bond with one’s origins.

And it is precisely from this idea that a tangible sign will emerge: the Consortium for the Protection of Gragnano PGI Pasta will award a scholarship in support of Intercultura, offering a young student the opportunity to take part in a training and exchange experience abroad.

The stamp and the “Pastaporto”

Among the symbols of this edition, there is one that, by its very nature, is made to travel far. Friday 11 September at 19:45 the ordinary stamp dedicated to Gragnano PGI Pasta, issued by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy in collaboration with Poste Italiane. An accolade that brings Gragnano PGI Pasta into Italian philately and entrusts a small paper ambassador with telling the story of an excellence known well beyond Italy’s national borders.

And where there is a stamp, a special passport could not be missing. Thus the “Pastaporto”, the official passport of Gragnano, City of Pasta 2026, is born, guiding the public in discovering MondoPasta! To receive it, all you have to do is purchase the Gragnano Combo Ticket 2026 and you can immediately begin your gastronomic journey: the aim is to complete the collection of stamps with all 7 countries, stand by stand, in order to receive a special gift – as well as a discount voucher worth 2 euros to use immediately at the event’s official store, with merchandise dedicated to MondoPasta!

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.