Sylvester Stallone’s Favorite Meal Is an Italian Comfort Classic

Sometimes the favorite foods of celebrities aren’t what you’d expect. For example, you might be surprised to find out that the favorite sandwich of Ryan Gosling is an ice cream sandwich, or that Hugh Jackman’s ideal Belgian waffle comes smothered in mushroom gravy. Want to guess the midnight snack Snoop Dogg loves most? A couple of boiled eggs.

But that isn’t the case with all stars, including Sylvester Stallone. When we sat down with the Hollywood icon to find out his favorite food, his answer was pretty much perfectly on brand for the Italian-American action hero.

Sylvester Stallone’s Favorite Pasta Dish

Stallone began his answer with one word: Italian—never a bad place to start. Whether you grew up with it or not, Italian food has a way of feeling like home, with its simple ingredients, comforting flavors, and dishes that appeal to just about everyone. That simplicity is a major draw for Stallone, who calls himself “a very simple eater.”

But then, the “Rocky” and “Rambo” star got more specific: his all-time favorite meal is rigatoni with meat sauce. He doesn’t say exactly which kind—maybe a spicy sausage version like Emeril Lagasse’s, or the classic mix of ground beef and ground pork you’d find in an old-school recipe. But it’s safe to assume this is a slow-cooked, simmering all-day sort of dish—something you’d expect from a nonna’s kitchen. A little helping of grated Parmesan on the side, and that’s all he needs.

Stallone admits he never developed a very adventurous palate, which makes the flavors of his Italian heritage and New York City upbringing especially meaningful.

At the same time, Stallone jokes about his food background. “I was raised on TV dinners,” he shared. “I wouldn’t know good food if it landed on me.” Of course, his long career has taken him around the world, dining in some of the finest restaurants, so we think he deserves a bit more credit than that.

After all, we can’t forget his own foray onto the food scene. Back in the 1990s, Stallone joined Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger as an original partner in Planet Hollywood, the movie-themed restaurant chain that became a pop culture hit. The brand still exists today, decades later.

But is there a rigatoni with meat sauce on the menu in honor of Rocky Balboa? If not, there absolutely should be.