Stanley Tucci says he would never order pasta alla carbonara outside of Italy

• Stanley Tucci says his favorite dish that he's had in Italy is pasta alla carbonara.
• He told Insider that he'd never order it outside the country.

Stanley Tucci has become a go-to source for what to eat in Italy since the first season of his CNN show, "Searching for Italy," aired in February 2021.

The actor spoke to Insider about his love for Italian cuisine while promoting his S.Pellegrino partnership, which celebrates their shared values of slowing down to savor everyday moments.

He said his favorite dish to eat while in Italy is pasta alla carbonara, and that he would never order it outside of the country.

"It has to do with the quality of the ingredients and an understanding of the dish itself," Tucci said. "Italians, Romans know that better than anyone when it comes to this dish."

The dish is said to have originated in Rome (though, that hasn't yet been proven), which is where Tucci filmed the "Searching for Italy" episode showcasing the meal. It is traditionally made with five ingredients: pasta, eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper.

While the "Julie and Julia" actor won't eat it outside of Italy, the dish has landed on menus and in cookbooks available around the world. Chefs like Jonathan Waxman of Manhattan's Barbuto and Giorgio Locatelli of Locanda Locatelli in London have become known locally for their recipes.

Even Martha Stewart published her riff on the classic, though she took some heat from Italian chef Barbara Pollastrini, who said Stewart's recipe gave her a "heart attack."

"It is sacrilegio to use pancetta or bacon," Pollastrini previously told Insider. "It's like making an apple pie, and instead of apple, you use pears. You can't call it apple pie!"

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Tucci agrees with Pollastrini, saying that the guanciale (cured pork cheek or jowl) is part of what makes this dish unique.

"It is special because of the pork cheek and the way it is cured," Tucci told Insider. "Also the freshness of the eggs and the high quality of the Durham wheat pasta."

Though he didn't mention which cocktail he thinks pairs best with his favorite dish, the "Taste: My Life Through Food" author has been working on his mixology skills throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing recipes on his Instagram. Maybe his tequilatini — a tequila cocktail that doesn't actually have a martini's signature vermouth ingredient — would go well with a bowl of carbonara.