The traditional Columbus Day pasta-eating contest at Paesano's Restaurant in Little Italy Monday had contestants competing for most voracious appetite.

Each contestant was given plate after plate containing one pound of linguini and marinara sauce. The object was to eat as much pasta as possible in ten minutes.

The winner was Ed "Cookie" Jarvis who ate almost seven pounds of pasta.

“The secret is just keep consistent throughout the whole contest,” said Jarvis. “Don't listen to anybody else, just go all the way. Just consistently keep eating because people, as the contest goes along, have a tendency to slow down and the important thing is consistency. Even if you're behind, keep eating, keep eating, keep eating, and pray at the end that it's enough.”

Jarvis is known for his competitive appetite. He was also the runner-up at Nathan's hot dog eating contest in Coney Island on July 4.