Julia Child Was A Huge Fan Of This Simple Italian Pasta Dish

It's been more than two decades since Julia Child passed away, but she remains an influential figure whenever French cuisine is discussed in the context of American home cooking. From her books to her television programs, she was an undeniable champion of French cooking and made it accessible to everyone in the United States. And while French food was Child's favorite to cook, that doesn't mean she wasn't open to exploring and even indulging in other cuisines. In fact, one of her favorite dishes is of Italian origin: angel hair pasta pomodoro.

According to her friend and mentee Steve DiFillippo, the owner of Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse, Child often had the dish at his restaurant. In his memoir "It's All About the Guest," DiFillippo fondly described her fondness for the dish: "She always complained that the portions at Davio's were too big, although she loved our food, especially our angel hair pasta with pomodoro sauce." 

The book includes a recipe for the meal, which revealed that the pomodoro sauce was deceptively simple — just canned San Marzano tomatoes simmered with garlic and olive oil before fresh basil and oregano were added to the mix. A touch of butter rounded out the sauce's flavor before angel hair pasta and a splash of pasta water were added. Before serving, the pasta was garnished with Parmigiano Reggiano (which is more than just a fancy way to say parmesan cheese).

Julia Child favored French cuisine over its Italian counterpart for a reason. Italian chef Mary Anne Esposito explained in a PBS article that the pioneering television chef did not think highly of Italian cooking. "It is no secret that Julia thought that Italian cooking was not a serious cuisine. It had [no] structure, no rules and no unification. On the other hand, French cuisine was regimented, organized and had standards," wrote Esposito. The French kitchen philosophy is deeply rooted in meticulous techniques and complex recipes, which are mirrored in Child's cookbooks. Despite this, her fondness for angel hair pasta pomodoro is proof that she also appreciated Italian dishes. 

It's worth noting that outside the two cuisines, Child was quite adventurous with her palate. She once admitted that she couldn't live without Chinese food because she developed a strong liking for Asian cuisine while in China during World War II. As for her American favorites, you'd be surprised to know that one of the most successful celebrity chefs in American history liked munching on Goldfish crackers. Not only that, but Child was also a big fan of In-N-Out burgers, and she adored Costco's hot dogs, too. This just goes to show that in spite of her exceptional culinary career and know-how, she was no different from many of us who indulge in ordinary but delicious food.