The Pasta Queen Says Your Pasta Recipe May Be Missing Fruit - Exclusive

Pasta is versatile. Besides the fact that it is an incredibly easy grain to cook with, pasta also offers an assortment of recipes that you can grab online, from your favorite cookbook, or make up on the spot based on your current cravings. Nine times out of 10, the dish will come out delicious. Arguably nobody knows pasta better than The Pasta Queen herself, Nadia Munno.

The social media mogul has brought authentic Italian cuisine to the internet — specifically 2.6 million followers on TikTok — by showcasing innovative dishes and classically underrated ingredients. 

When Tasting Table asked Munno to name the Italian foods that are not talked about enough in an exclusive interview with Tasting Table, she surprised us again, saying, "Fruit — the use of fruits in pasta." The cookbook author elaborated, "For example, one of my most popular recipes, the pear and gorgonzola pasta — it's delicious. And we have figs and bacon — that's a separate dish." 

Whether it's pears, apples, or cantaloupe — you can't go wrong with throwing fruit into your pasta dinners.

The Pasta Queen advised combining apple and sausage, as well, saying, "I use green apples. It's the perfect acidity — the sweetness combined with the sausage." Munno added, "then I added a creamy red bell pepper sauce on top of it to garnish it, and it was really, really, really delicious." 

The TikTok star advised picking fruits depending on the season. She's created recipes with foods like orange cantaloupe. Although it seems unexpected, orange cantaloupe and prosciutto (aka prosciutto e Melone) is a match made in heaven and actually a well-known appetizer throughout Italy. The savory sweet combination must be even tastier with pasta and some cheesy goodness thrown in. Plums with artichokes, berries with ricotta, and lemon with fennel are just a few additional fruit pairing alternatives that can be incorporated into pasta. The summer is known for cherries, strawberries, peaches, and more while apples, kiwis, oranges, and other fruits thrive in the winter. 

Don't be afraid to get creative with new ingredients in the kitchen and make some gorgeous dishes — "Just like you are," as The Pasta Queen would say.