Loredana Passariello said she hopes her win at the International Pizza Challenge inspires women and girls
Credit: La Leggenda Pizzeria/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- Loredana Passariello became one of the first women to win the Neapolitan division of the International Pizza Challenge
- Passariello and her husband Giovanni co-own La Leggenda Pizzeria in Miami and have been married for 30 years
- She hopes her win inspires women to enter the pizza industry and try new things
A Florida restaurant owner won the same international pizza competition that her husband holds a title at, marking a culmination of their 30-year partnership in pizza and a landmark win for women.
Loredana Passariello, the co-owner with her husband Giovanni of popular Miami pizza restaurant La Leggenda Pizzeria, became one of the first women to win the Neapolitan division of the International Pizza Challenge on March 24, per WPLG Local 10.
Passariello used to be an accountant in Italy before moving to the U.S. and building La Leggenda Pizzeria with her husband, who she has been with for 30 years, per the outlet.
Giovanni has won awards like the International Pizza Challenge and holds a Guinness World Record, per the pizzeria’s website.
As for Passariello, “I [wanted] to prove that all those years of sacrifice can actually yield results,” she told WLPG Local 10. “I wanted to validate our shared work and see what those 30 years of working side-by-side with him had truly amounted to."
“So, I decided to put myself to the test," she said.
She competed in the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas on March 24 in the Neapolitan division and won.
Pizza Today reported that her pie was made with the same fermented dough recipe method she uses in the restaurant. It was finished with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh garlic, oregano and olive oil and just one minute in a 842 degrees Fahrenheit oven.
La Leggenda Pizzeria did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Pasariello shared how she made the pizza in an Instagram reel, adding "lots of oregano" and extra virgin olive oil.
Credit: La Leggenda Pizzeria/Instagram
“Quite unexpectedly, I won! I won a very prestigious championship," Passariello told WPLG Local 10 of the win.
She said that her success felt “rewarding,” adding, “long live women!”
The pizza restaurant documented the win on their Instagram as well, sharing the moment that Passariello was announced as the winner.
Giovanni and Passariello hugged as the announcer expressed her surprise that a woman had taken the title.
“I mean, if there was ever a doubt that this women in pizza movement is going somewhere, here you go,” the announcer said. “This is really unbelievable.”
Credit: La Leggenda Pizzeria/Instagram
According to Pizza Today, Passariello, by winning the Neapolitan division, was also the only woman in the 2026 competition who competed for Pizza Maker of the Year.
“It’s a great honor and also a responsibility,” Passariello told Pizza Today, adding, “I hope this result inspires more women to enter this field and believe in themselves.”
She also said that she wants to compete again as she loves “challenging myself and continuing to grow.”
Passariello told WPLG Local 10 that she wants to encourage girls and women to try something new.
In a video filmed at the restaurant following the competition, Passariello talked about her win.
She said that she “did not expect to win” and, along with her husband, thanked her late friend Umberto Fornito, whose name was coincidentally engraved on the award she won, per the post.
In another reel, Giovanni wrote in the caption that the win was “a story of love, sacrifice, and passion” and meant even more because he had won a category at the International Pizza Challenge before.
“After more than 30 years working side by side with my husband, this victory represents love, sacrifice and dedication,” Passariello told Pizza Today. “It’s a dream come true.”
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