The four-course menu that will be served during the seventh edition of La Cena dei Mille, which will take place in the historic center of Parma on September 8, has been revealed. The “guest chef” is Gennaro Esposito, two Michelin stars and owner of La Torre del Saracino in Vico Equense near Naples, whose name joins the event’s hall of fame alongside stars of Italian and international cuisine including Carlo Cracco, Chicco Cerea, Davide Oldani, and Giancarlo Perbellini. La Cena dei Mille represents a unique experience and the thousand tickets sold out in just 6 minutes; in 2025 it took almost an hour, attracting enthusiasts from all over Italy. More than 80 were purchased by enthusiasts from all over Europe, and there will be attendees coming from the USA and even Australia. Part of the proceeds is donated to charity, including the Emporio Solidale of Parma.
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The evening and the menu
The evening, organized with the Municipality of Parma, will open with the convivial ritual of the aperitif featuring 18 stations. Twelve are dedicated to food: six will represent the supply chains of the Parma Food Valley: Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, pasta (Barilla), tomato (Mutti and Rodolfi Mansueto), milk (Parmalat), and anchovies (Delicius, Rizzoli Emanuelli, and Zarotti). A group of multinationals with a consumer turnover of 12.5 billion euros in 2025 (+8.7% over 2024). The other six stations will feature the Protection Consortia of Culatello di Zibello, Coppa di Parma and Salame Felino, Piacenza PDO cold cuts and Borgotaro mushroom, together with Coppini Arte Olearia and the Emilia Tourist Destination with the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia. The remaining six will be dedicated to beverages, evenly divided among wines, non-alcoholic drinks, and mixology.
The appetizer will be from Parma Quality Restaurants, with a “Tomato velouté, crunchy vegetables, shrimp, and basil oil,” a choice that pays tribute to the territory. “It was born from the desire to pay homage to Parma starting from a vegetable strongly rooted in our territory,” explains Enrico Bergonzi, president of the Consortium that brings together over 40 restaurateurs from the province. “The tomato becomes the base of a revisited gazpacho, with celery, basil, and cucumber giving crunchiness and freshness, and the surprise of mango adding an exotic note.”
The first course is signed by guest chef Gennaro Esposito who chose his iconic “Mixed pasta soup with rock fish” to pay tribute to the Parma Food Valley. The second from Chef to Chef Emilia Romagna, “White ox, vineyard peach, and Fragno truffle,” dedicated to the rural memory of the area. “It is a dish inspired by the past, when oxen were an integral part of the work in the Parma countryside and butcher shops proudly offered their succulent meats during festive periods,” says Massimo Spigaroli, honorary president of Chef to Chef Emilia Romagna and president of the Parma UNESCO Foundation. “From there came the idea to revalue these important meats, which are now disappearing.” The ox, fattened for six months for maximum fat infiltration, is thinly sliced, rolled, and finished in the oven, with a sauce made from the trimmings and enriched with truffle, alongside late vineyard peaches soaked with Fortana wine.
Alma, the International School of Italian Cuisine, chooses the “Gold of the Lowlands.” “We wanted a sweet ending that told the story of the vegetal richness of the Lowlands,” explains Matteo Berti, the school’s educational director. “In the form of panna cotta, one of the typical local plants, melilot, finds its place, while the insert of English cream with pollen recalls its sweetness and the kaleidoscopic variety of vegetation.”
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