Look out for Garfield, because this grocery store just lined up over 1,200 lasagne!

A famous cartoon cat would’ve loved an invite to this party – but we doubt even Garfield could eat all this pasta!

On a bright and sunny Sunday, 20 July, a crowd of hungry festivalgoers swelled around tables full of one of the most popular dishes in Portugal – and yes, we’re talking about lasagna.

Even though the classic layered-casserole is famously attributed to Italy, their neighbours to the north are also incredibly fond of the meal, in all its variations.

And luckily for those lasagna fans, the chain grocery store LIDL became well-known for its delicious ready-made version of the dish – even inspiring many irritated TripAdvisor and Yelp commentators to decry “LIDL lasagne tastes better than what I was given at this place!”

So to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the grocery store’s presence in the country, LIDL (Portugal) decided to give back to their hungry community by turning the popular dish into a record-breaking attempt that guaranteed that nobody was left hungry.

With the help of a team of chefs and event organizers, the LIDL flagship store in Lisbon became the basecamp for a pasta-party on the banks of the Tejo River, where 1,215 individual ready-to-eat lasagne were arranged in the longest line of lasagne in the world.

Back-to-back tables were arranged under a canopy, and volunteers filled them in with dozens of trays of the mouth-watering meal, as attendees eyed up the freshly prepared food. 

After all the lasagne were counted, Guinness World Records Adjudicator Richard Stenning announced to the crowd that LIDL (Portugal) had taken the record, which prompted cheers and applause from the hungry crowd.

“I personally sampled the lasagna a couple of months ago and have already ordered again, it's tasty!” said Richard.

Once all the official business was done, festivalgoers were finally able to take their free lasagna, and people were spotted all around the event grounds excitedly digging into their pasta with forks. Numerous others took their lasagne home, ready to devour the meal with the comfort of their loved ones.

And of course, nobody left the event hungry – LIDL donated the rest of the lasagne immediately afterwards to a food charity in the neighbourhood, allowing countless others to enjoy the taste of the classic dish.

So Bon Appetit to all the lasagna and LIDL-lovers of the world – your pasta has made history!