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Cardinal Dolan's diet advice for the pope: 'Get a new doctor!"

After doctors reportedly put the pope on a diet that includes a reduction in his pasta consumption, TODAY brought in its own eminent expert.
/ Source: TODAY

After Italian doctors reportedly put Pope Francis on a diet that includes a drastic reduction in his weekly pasta consumption, TODAY brought in its own eminent expert on the matter: Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

“Holy Father, you said you always listen to your cardinals," said Dolan, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York: "Listen to me: Get a new doctor!”

Italian news service ANSA reported that doctors have told the pope to reduce his pasta consumption to just twice a week. They also encouraged him to incorporate a few more walks into his schedule.

On Thursday, Dolan paid a visit to the TODAY kitchen to provide some tongue-in-cheek advice for how the pontiff could cut down on the calories.

“Here’s what I do, Holy Father, this really helps cut down the calories,” he said, holding up a bowl of noodles. “Take these basil leaves out of the pasta — and then you can have the whole bowl and it cuts down on calories, all right.”

Dolan also made it clear he wasn't letting any medical advice hinder his culinary plans the next time he visits the pope.

"All I know is, the next time I’m in Rome, it better be on one of those two days that you’re eating pasta."