Stanley Tucci's Favorite Grilled Cheese Explodes With Italian Flavor

While you may have seen him play Paul Child and savor French cuisine in the movie "Julie & Julia," it's no secret that in real life, actor Stanley Tucci loves Italian food. From dining in Milan with the gold-medal-winning U.S. women's Olympic hockey team, to hosting the shows "Tucci in Italy" and "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy," Tucci is one Italian American who knows and loves his ancestors' culinary heritage front to back. That's why it's no surprise that his favorite grilled cheese recipe, which recently made waves on the podcast "Desert Island Dishes" and subsequently on TikTok, is an Italian-inspired confection featuring cheese, pesto, and prosciutto.

To make a "Tucci grilled cheese," you'll need to start with the right bread. Thick slices of farmhouse-style white or sourdough will hold up against the rich, heavy fillings you'll be putting inside. Those fillings start with shredded mozzarella and a layer of thin-sliced prosciutto. Top the prosciutto with even more mozzarella, but this time, use fresh slices. Add some fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of pesto. Finally, butter the exterior of the sandwich, pop it in a skillet, and toast until golden brown, with the cheese slightly melted and the whole thing ready to enjoy.

While Stanley Tucci's Italian grilled cheese sounds mouthwatering, there are plenty of ways you can tweak the recipe to your own preferences. For example, if you don't eat pork, skip the prosciutto and consider replacing it with tomatoes for a note of brightness and acidity. You can use sliced fresh tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes in keeping with the Italian motif. For another punch of Italian flavor, consider swapping the farmhouse bread used in the TikTok video for slices of frozen garlic bread.

Remember, though, that however you choose to experiment with your Italian grilled cheese, there are a few "musts" to follow. For one, be sure to pile on plenty of cheese to give the sandwich the rich creaminess that makes it a favorite (and even a little on the outside for a cheese crust). You should also preheat the pan before adding the sandwich. This will ensure that, rather than overcooking or becoming soggy, the grilled cheese, Italian or otherwise, will crisp up and develop the signature, iconic golden brown color. If you serve your Italian grilled cheese with tomato soup for a classic combination, you can also add some basil and olive oil to the soup itself for a full, Italian-inspired comfort meal Tucci himself would enjoy.