Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis rose to fame by showcasing her old-world culinary skills in Food Network shows such as Everyday Italian and Giada at Home. However, fans are squarely divided over a pasta dish she shared on her TikTok account this week, with many expressing disgust at the recipe.
On Wednesday, the 54-year-old posted a video responding to a user comment who asked for the recipe for a "chocolate pasta" dish she featured on her account last month.
"A bowl of pasta, topped with a little chocolate," she said in the start of the video, stirring around the brown contents of a bowl. "Honestly, nothing is more comforting, and more of a hug." And while she admits, "it's not the sexiest of dishes," maintains that it is "dang good."
Starting from the beginning, De Laurentiis walked fans through the recipe, which started out straightforward enough, by dumping dried, uncooked pasta shells into a pot of boiling water.
"So you know, this started when I was a kid, my mom used to do it with Nutella or chocolate chips or whatever," she explained, spooning the cooked pasta into a bowl. "But I’m also the kid who had chocolate sandwiches for breakfast, so like, I don’t think it’s that weird."
@giadadelaurentiis Replying to @RoVilla ????️???? goooo make it!!!! Chocolate pasta movement has begun ????
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Next, De Laurentiis took a jar of chocolate hazelnut spread—opting for her "Giadzy" brand, which she says is "little bit cleaner" than traditional Nutella—adding several heaping spoonfuls to the steaming pasta. Then she simply mixed it all together before adding the final touch on top, grated Italian chocolate in lieu of Parmesan cheese that would go on a savory dish.
"And life is so good," she gushed, while spooning the chocolate pasta into her mouth, adding: "I challenge you guys to try it sometime."
Be that as it may, not everyone was on board. "I love you forever but I don't know about chocolate pasta," commented one fan, while another added, "Giada, I love you like cooked food but this is a bridge too far." One user claimed that they "gained 10 pounds" just watching the video and another wondered whether the movie Elf influenced the dish.
Yet, others weren't so quick to yuck De Laurentiis' yum. "If Giada says to eat pasta with chocolate… we eat pasta with chocolate!!" wrote one fan, as another chimed in, "This looks bomb I don't care what anyone says."
A few people likewise attested to sweet pasta, with one user saying that they eat buttered pasta with cinnamon and sugar. "I was married to an Italian. Born and raised and I can 1000% attest to this!" added another.
Well, in that case, perhaps don't knock it 'til you've tried it. If chocolate works with other savory snacks such as pretzels and even potato chips, then maybe chocolate pasta also knocks it out of the park. It might just end up being your new favorite comfort food.
