Stanley Tucci is a film and television legend with six directing credits and appearances in more than 70 films (including The Devil Wears Prada, Julie and Julia, and The Hunger Games, to name a few). He’s also been nominated for an Oscar and has won two Golden Globes and multiple Emmys—most recently for his series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. Now, it looks like he might be able to add “celebrity chef” to his resume.
NBC / CONTRIBUTOR / GETTY IMAGES (LEFT); ANDY LYONS (RIGHT) | DESIGN: BETTER HOMES and GARDENS
Tucci’s heartwarming TikTok account features videos of the icon strolling through farmers’ markets, dining al fresco, and—most notably—whipping up simple Italian recipes in his sprawling London kitchen. Recently, he surprised and delighted everyone by posting a video of him creating (and consuming) a comforting, thrown-together pasta dish—all before 11 a.m.
In a soothing sotto voice, the Searching for Italy star tells his followers that he had some leftover farfalle that he sautéed with garlic, onion, pancetta, and peas before pouring the whole mix into a small casserole dish and dressing it with a bechamel sauce. He then topped the dish with pats of butter and parmesan and put it in a toaster oven to warm. As he pulled it from the oven, he cooed, “Oh, my god. It’s only 10 o’clock in the morning and I think I’m going to have it right now.”
Almost immediately, the internet lit up with people excited to add baked pasta dishes to their breakfast menu. Said one follower @kcurl, “Stanley is making a casserole chic.” @Emma weighed in with her review noting, “Stanley, I made this and I almost cried it was so good. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this.” Even spectacle maker Warby Parker got in on the conversation saying, “If anyone can make breakfast pasta happen, it’s you.”
Is Pasta for Breakfast as Great as It Sounds?
Pasta is traditionally kept for the later hours of the day—but does it have to be that way?
“I am a firm believer that you can eat any type of food for breakfast, including pasta,” says Emily Nienhaus, BHG Test Kitchen culinary specialist. “It’s perfect for nursing a hangover or using leftoverpasta from the night before.”
So it’s official: Pasta noodles may be the base your morning meals have been missing. We already know (and love) oatmeal, bagels, toast, and other grain-based items as vessels for our favorite flavors—why not pasta, too? The possibilities for breakfast pasta are nearly endless.
“Some renditions I’ve made are a sheet pan gnocchi with roasted vegetables and a mushroom gravy, and my personal favorite—but was quite an effort—was an everything bagel tortellini stuffed with a cream cheese gruyere mix, topped with a hollandaise sauce, chives, cherry tomatoes, and smoked salmon,” Nienhaus says. “Other ideas that I’ve been itching to try are a breakfast lasagna or a Bloody Mary spicy bucatini.”
If the “Tuccitok” has inspired you, as well, go ahead and save the oatmeal for another day. If you happen to have some leftover pasta stored in the fridge or freezer, even better. Give yourself a greenlight to mix up a baked pasta dish or toss some spaghetti with your bacon and eggs.