For Unexpected Guests, Jacques Pépin Always Serves This Staple

Jacques Pépin is a legendary celebrity chef beloved for his soothing style, practical home cooking tips, and sophisticated, yet achievable, recipes. Unsurprisingly, the chef brings that same serene, pragmatic approach when guests show up for dinner out of the blue. While many of us might be tempted to take the Swedish approach and not feed unexpected visitors, Pépin gracefully takes the surprise in stride and prepares a pantry staple sure to please even the pickiest palates: pasta.

In an interview with Tasting Table, Pépin revealed, "When people come to eat unexpectedly, I [always] have pasta." In addition to its convenient shelf-stable nature, the Italian staple is incredibly versatile, the French chef explained. "With pasta, you can put in all kinds of vegetables that you have around," Pépin said. "A soup with canned beans is also very good." Basically, throw together pasta, canned beans you should always have in your pantry, and whatever vegetables you have in the back of your fridge, and you've got a quick, hearty, and satisfying meal to feed a crowd.

While it might seem surprising that a French-born chef is recommending an Italian classic, Jacques Pépin's suggestion to prepare pasta for unexpected guests makes perfect sense. Pasta is the ideal dish to make on the fly for several reasons. First of all, it's relatively easy to improvise a tasty pasta dish from the stuff that's already in your kitchen. With just a few simple staples — pasta, maybe some veggies and beans, and a quick sauce (such as a three-ingredient luscious alfredo) — even novice chefs can produce a tasty, filling, and fancy-feeling meal in no time. 

In addition to its forgiving and flexible nature, pasta is quick to prepare, relatively budget-friendly, and beloved by children and adults alike — the stereotype that many picky eaters only eat buttered pasta exists for a reason. Speaking of pasta with butter, if you're truly in a pinch, we're pretty sure few guests would object to being served a steaming plate of buttered noodles, which you can give a luxurious twist with a quick trick (and no additional ingredients).

Static Media owns and operates Tasting Table and The Takeout.