'Top Chef's Buddha Lo Jokes His 'Marry Me Pasta' Could Have Been Named 'Divorce Me Pasta' If He Lost
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Emily Shur/Bravo
As part of the 50 Food Faves package, PEOPLE named our top tastemakers — including Selena Gomez, Top Chef's Buddha Lo, and more — who made an impact on the culinary world with their cooking and creativity in 2022. Catch up with Lo below, and for the full list, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
Buddha Lo set a goal "a long time ago" to win Top Chef.
The Port Douglas, Australia, native did just that on the show's 19th season in Houston. Not only did Lo impress the judges early with his fine-dining skills — host Padma Lakshmi deemed his Parker House rolls and strawberries-and-cream dessert two of the best dishes ever made on the show — but he also demonstrated his mastery of preparing simple foods, like his "Marry Me Pasta" (below), inspired by a dinner his wife, Rebekah Pedler, made him 12 years ago.
The two were working at Hare and Grace in London when Pedler made the Rigatoni Amatriciana for a staff meal. Lo loved it so much that he told Pedler if they were still single by the time they were 30, he would marry her.
RELATED: Top Chef Heads to London for Season 20 with a Cast of All-Star Chefs from Around the World
Now 31, and happily wed for four years, the chef tells PEOPLE he "has not changed a thing" and it's a meal they still enjoy together. Making it during the family-style challenge in episode 11, which Pedler appeared on, was no different for him than making it in his own kitchen.
"I had no pressure in doing this dish. It's a dish that was the turning point of my life and if I was to go home for it I wanted people to know about this story and how special this dish is for me," he says.
"My wife on the other hand didn't get to know the result and was panicking her way back to New York and was hoping that I didn't get sent home for the dish," Lo adds. "We have a chuckle about if I were to get eliminated for this dish that we might have to change the name to 'divorce me pasta.'"
Now an executive chef at Huso in New York City, Lo is looking for a restaurant space of his own where he can focus on achieving his next goal. "I'm hoping to get three Michelin stars one day," he says. "Everything starts with a goal, right?"
Jen Causey
Rigatoni Amatriciana
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 oz. guanciale or pancetta, chopped
1⁄2 cup finely chopped red shallots (about 2 medium shallots)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme, plus leaves for garnish
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes, undrained
1⁄4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. uncooked rigatoni
4 oz. pecorino romano cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add guanciale; cook until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl and set aside, leaving any rendered fat in Dutch oven.
2. Add shallots, thyme, crushed red pepper, and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt to fat in Dutch oven; cook over medium-low, stirring often, until shallots are soft, translucent and just beginning to gain color, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, about 30 more seconds. Stir in canned tomatoes, and remove from heat.
3. Cover and place Dutch oven in preheated oven; bake until oil separates from the tomatoes, about 45 minutes. Use a spoon to crush tomatoes into a sauce. Stir in the crispy guanciale, black pepper, and remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt into Dutch oven until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Meanwhile, cook rigatoni until just shy of al dente according to package directions. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer pasta directly into Dutch oven, reserving pasta water. Place Dutch oven over low heat; toss pasta in sauce. Add 1/4 cup pasta water as needed to help loosen the sauce. Stir gently until sauce evenly coats the pasta, about 20 seconds. Top with finely grated pecorino, thyme leaves; drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Serves: 6
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
