Stanley Tucci and Italian food go together like spaghetti and fresh tomato sauce, chianti and Florentine steak, ricotta cheese and a pastry shell (aka a cannoli) … but never pineapple on pizza.
As the host of “Searching for Italy,” a show that explores the culinary history and flavors of cities and towns across Italy’s 20 regions, Tucci demonstrates that he is curious by nature a la delicacies that he tastes. But that curiosity has its limits, as proven during a chat with TODAY Food when he shared his thoughts — or lack thereof — on pineapple as a pizza topping.
“I have no thoughts on it,” Tucci expressed upon hearing the question. “It’s so repellent, were I to think of it, I might not survive," Tucci expressively described. "It’s just gross."
The "Devil Wears Prada" actor then wondered, "Where does it come from? Like who’s the guy who said, 'This is a good idea?'"
A valid question, Tucci.
Contrary to popular belief that the dish originated in Hawaii (it is, after all, commonly called "Hawaiian pizza"), it was actually a Greek-born Canadian immigrant named Sam Panopoulos who was largely responsible for popularizing the sweet fruit as a pizza topping in the 1960s, according to the BBC. Panopoulos opened a restaurant in Ontario, Canada, and decided to break from the traditional pizza toppings by adding pineapple — and gained a lot of attention as a result.
Tucci says he "can't fathom" having pineapple on pizza, but after moment, recalls that he did try it once as a kid and "blocked it out."
Pasta is another Italian food staple that Tucci has strong opinions on: He reveals that, generally, he isn't a fan of anything creamy.
"I don't really care for creamy. I like lasagna Bolognese, it has a little béchamel, they don't put too much," Tucci said. "But I never like when people are adding cream, too."
The host then mentions that American and Brits often like to add cream to dishes, such as Fettuccine Alfredo, which is — to many people's surprise — traditionally made without any cream — just butter and Parm.
Speaking of pasta, Tucci also spilled his favorite pasta dishes during his chat with TODAY. His number one is a simple dish: pasta with fresh tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic and ginger. Second place goes to carbonara with guanciale, followed by Spaghetti alla Nerano (zucchini, basil, olive oil and "a little Parmesan"), pasta with pesto, green beans and potatoes, and pasta con tonno (dark tuna, canned tomatoes, onion and spaghetti).
During the interview, the Emmy award-winning actor had a can of S.Pellegrino nearby, whom he partnered with for its summer campaign on how Americans can take a true summer holiday like the Italians do. An insider tip from Tucci: Pair the Lemon Zest sparkling water flavor with his top choice-pasta (the one with the fresh tomatoes). The acidity and sweetness of the pair makes for a "great combination" — unlike, you know, pineapple and pizza.
