This Is the 3-Ingredient Comfort Meal Stanley Tucci Loves Making

Stanley Tucci is king of the silver screen, the kitchen and our hearts. Sometimes, all of these categories overlap, like when he starred in Julie & Julia as Julia Child’s husband, Paul Child. Or when King Charles invited him to a stunning Italian-themed dinner party. Stanley is so good that he is a perpetual star of the A-list food and film scene. 

And, A-list or not, I think pretty much everyone will become obsessed with Stanley’s three-ingredient comfort meal. It’s even easier than his leftover risotto recipe, and it’ll make you nostalgic for childhood. 

What is Stanley Tucci’s favorite comfort meal?

Unsurprisingly, it’s a pasta dish. The basis for the meal is just three simple ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 pound dry pastina 
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Now, you may think that pastina, the delightful star-shaped pasta, might have been discontinued. That is not the case! While it is true that popular pasta brand Ronzoni announced it was discontinuing the shape, the brand brought it back a year later. Other brands make the tiny stars too. And I’d argue that the star-shaped pasta is a crucial component to making this comfort dish truly comforting. But if you can’t get your hands on it, any small pasta shape will do just fine.

How do you make it?

It’s as simple to make as it is to eat. Boil and cook the pasta according to package directions, making sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water to make the sauce. Then, you simply mix the drained pasta with cubes of salted butter, tossing to coat. Next, add about half of the cheese and half of the pasta water, and stir. Once all of that has been incorporated, add the rest of the cheese and the pasta water. All of it should combine into a creamy, cheesy sauce.

If you want to get fancy when you serve, top the pasta with breadcrumbs and freshly cracked pepper. But since this is a comfort meal, I would argue that it’s best served in a big bowl and eaten while sitting on the sofa. Preferably while watching Julie & Julia.