When actor Stanley Tucci isn’t strolling piazzas wearing Boggi, Brunello Cucinelli, and Ferragamo— the favored Italian designers that the father of five says he can “ill afford”—he’s often in an apron.
If Tucci’s chosen love is acting, his passion for cooking and eating probably came at birth. Food is his muse, especially Italian food, as seen in his films, family cookbooks, and a forthcoming food memoir. These days, there are plenty of ways to watch Tucci in the kitchen. And there’s nothing like seeing Tucci in food scenes. So, what dishes and recipes are most deserving of our attention?
In the newly released CNN Original docu-series, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, the actor rolls up his sleeves in at least three different episodes—Naples, Lombardy, and Florence—to wow us with his repertoire of Italian cooking. Equally important are the restaurant scenes in Big Night (1996), the film he co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in. There, Tucci acted as Secondo, an Italian chef-restaurateur, by adopting the mannerisms and techniques of a real Italian chef, Gianni Scappin, who he shadowed for a year and a half. All in all, the actor made a pretty convincing performance of pretending to be Italian.
When he’s not filming, Tucci often cooks with his family. He says he fell in love with wife Felicity Blunt (the sister of The Devil Wears Prada actress Emily Blunt), over a discussion about food and cooking. That became an ongoing tradition, involving detailed meal planning and a meticulous selection of ingredients. Many of their family-cooked dishes fill the pages of “The Tucci Table: Cooking with Family and Friends,” a cookbook written by Tucci and Blunt with contributions from their children.
“When they were younger and everyone went to high school, we sat down together every night,” says Tucci, adding that the age difference between his children has made the meal schedule a bit fractured in recent years. “But the goal is to sit together as much as possible and eat.”
But for our purposes and for a taste of action, comedy, and drama, here are the top Italian dishes plucked from Tucci’s best scene-stealing food moments.
Note: for the Big Night dinner recipes, we recommend a wine pairing of Chianti.
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1. The Perfect Winter Pasta: Pizzoccheri from Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy the Lombardy Episode
In the upcoming Lombardy episode, Tucci travels to the Orobic Alps to taste the mountain cheese of Paolo Ciapparelli. Stunned by the flavor, Tucci decides to cook pizzoccheri, a regional pasta dish from Valtellina, Italy for everyone. “The noodles are made with buckwheat and regular flour. It has cabbage, huge amounts of butter, garlic, potatoes and Valtalline cheese called Bitto Storico Ribelle, which is similar to Parmigiano, but can be aged longer, up to 18 years,” he says. “It's an incredible dish, and it’s one you would only eat where it’s really cold."
Try our recipe for Pizzoccheri
2. The Go-To Family Meal: Penne alla “Salsa Maria Rosa” from Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy the Tuscany Episode
Tucci’s family recipes reflect his Southern-Italian American heritage and the influence of a year spent in Florence, Italy. During the Tuscany episode, Stanley and his parents will return to Florence, to reminisce and cook their go-to Tuscan tomato sauce made with a celery and carrot base and a bit of butter. During that year abroad, Stanley says his mother was inspired by the spirit of the Renaissance and learned this simple, yet delicious combination from a neighbor from whom the pasta takes its name.
Try our recipe for penne with tomatoes, herbs, and Pecorino.
3. The Subtle Seafood Risotto from “Big Night”
The opening scene of Big Night is a monument to all Italian restaurateurs who arrived in America to open a restaurant dedicated to their regional cuisine only to be pressured into serving spaghetti and meatballs. When Secondo, played by Tucci, serves a creamy stew of arborio rice with seafood and fresh diced parsley, his dismayed customer asks for rice and a side of spaghetti. Tensions mount, but the customer is always right. Seafood remains one of Tucci’s favorite things to buy in London, where he lives, and where he finds great oysters and langoustines.
Try our recipe for Seafood Risotto.
Tony Shalhoub (left) and Stanley Tucci in Big Night.
4. Roasted Herb Chicken with sautéed grapes and onions from “Big Night”
In Big Night, Secondo is led to believe that if he prepares a giant feast for the legendary singer, Louis Prima, his failing business will turn around. In a Fellini-style scene, we see platter after platter paraded through the dining room as the magic of the food makes guests go crazy. During the second course, Tucci and co-star Tony Shalhoub (as Primo) prepare oven-baked chickens stuffed with rosemary and herbs. They serve several vegetable sides, including sautéed grapes and onions, potatoes and asparagus.
Try our recipe for herb-baked chicken with potatoes and artichokes.
5. The Secret Recipe for Timballo di Maccheroni from “Big Night”
This Southern Italian baked pasta stuffed with sausage, hard boiled eggs, and a delicious ragù must be cut at the precise moment to maintain its beautiful consistency. And when sliced, it's a marvel of a dish, so good it sparks an outburst from one guest during the final dinner scene who gets up to kiss the chef in praise of his talent. Tucci will revisit the dish once again in the Sicily episode of Searching For Italy, this time to try a version made by a princess.
Try our recipe for timballo.
6. The Hangover Cure: Breakfast Frittata from “Big Night”
For the final scene of Big Night, we're back in the kitchen, and it's the morning. Tucci, Tony Shalhoub and their trusted server played by Marc Anthony show up haggard from a hard night of fighting on the beach and entertaining. Too exhausted to speak, they sit together and eat. According to film trivia, this scene was done in one take, which meant that Tucci had to flip the fried frittata perfectly without pausing.
Try our recipe for a breakfast frittata.