(Decanter) - Slow Food and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver are among a rising number of food lovers, chefs and restaurants signing up to help raise funds for those affected by the severe earthquake in central Italy, which has killed at least 250 people. 

Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini called on Italian restaurants around the world to put pasta Amatriciana on their menus for a year and donate two euros from every order to earthquake relief.

One of the worst hit towns, Amatrice, is known as the birthplace of Amatriciana; the traditional meal of pasta with tomato sauce and cured pork cheek.

Rescue workers have spent days and nights picking through the rubble of several small towns left devastated by the 6.2 magnitude earthquake.

It struck in the early hours of Wednesday morning (24 August) southeast of Norcia in the mountainous area of central Italy.

At least 250 people are reported dead and hundreds more were still being treated in local hospitals on Friday. 

Amatriciana campaign

Jamie Oliver said that all of his Jamie’s Italian restaurants in the UK would serve Amatriciana for one month. He said £2 from every dish would go to earthquake victims. 

‘Many restaurants are getting involved and this could really make a difference,’ Oliver said on Instagram.

Around 600 restaurants in Italy are reported have signed up to donate money from Amatriciana dishes.

Restaurants in several areas of the US, including New York and San Francisco, have also got involved.