Stanley Tucci can do it all: steal scenes on screen, slay fabulous fashions, and cook. But there’s one meal his wife forbids him from cooking.
In an interview with E! News published Thursday, October 10, the Big Night actor, 63, revealed that his wife, Felicity Blunt — who is the sister of Tucci’s The Devil Wears Prada co-star Emily Blunt — doesn’t care for an Italian dish called timpano.
“Unless my mother and father come, there won’t be [any timpano],” he said. “My wife hates it. No one likes it, except me and my son Nicolo. Huge amount of effort for just two people.”
Stanley Tucci attends the “Conclave” Headline Gala during the 68th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on October 10, 2024 in London, England. Tucci is gearing up to drop his new food memoir, ‘What I Ate In One Year.’
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for BFI
Timpano is a layered pasta dish, typically comprised of vegetables, meat, cheese and eggs baked in a layer of dough. The dish was the centerpiece of the 1996 movie Big Night, as well as a regular fixture in Tucci’s family when he was a child. However, the actor said that it likely won’t be served at his family Christmas dinner this year.
He did, however, explain what his family plans to eat while he celebrates with Felicity’s family overseas.
“I’m in England, so they do a roast on Christmas,” Tucci said. “But I kind of want to do a lasagna Bolognese for Christmas Day, which I think would be great.”
While Felicity likely gets the final say over what’s at the table, Tucci noted a must-have for any occasion.
“There’s nothing wrong with a baked camembert is there?” he said. “You’re using pecorino and you’re using some Parmigiano. I love all that. I save all the rinds of parmigiano, put them in the freezer and then use them in soups, stews, sauces, whatever.”
Tucci’s affinity for cooking, as well as food and wine pairings, has been the subject of many books over the years. His latest book What I Ate In One Year arrives on shelves on Tuesday, October 15.
