Italians everywhere, brace yourselves—Meghan Markle, in her infinite wisdom, has apparently decided that centuries of Italian culinary tradition are merely suggestions rather than rules.
Her new Netflix cooking show, With Love, Meghan, debuted with a truly unforgettable episode, one that saw her tossing caution, culture, and common sense aside as she attempted to prepare what she called "Skillet Spaghetti." Any true Italian, however, would likely describe it as nothing short of an abomination in a pan.
The first offense? Referring to pasta as "noodles"—a linguistic crime sure to enrage any Italian who refuses to lump their beloved pasta into the same category as instant ramen. But that was just the beginning. Instead of the time-honored method of boiling pasta in a large pot of salted water, Meghan chose to pour a mere three cups of water into a skillet with dry spaghetti and simply hoped for the best. No boiling, no stirring—just pure vibes. Somewhere in Italy, a nonna likely clutched her chest and collapsed.
With the confidence of someone who has clearly mastered Italian cuisine (at least in her own mind), Meghan cheerfully informed her audience that this is how she cooks for Prince Harry and their children, Archie and Lilibet. Presumably, it’s also how she ensures they’ll never ask for seconds. Social media wasted no time in delivering a swift and ruthless verdict. One ex-user quipped, "Netflix paid a lot of money just to let us know Meghan Markle doesn’t know how to cook pasta." Another joked, "Next, she’ll show us how to make frozen pizza." Others were more direct: "She overcooked the noodles—they look slimy," one viewer remarked. Another simply summed it up: "It looks like she made some sort of soup, overcooked the vegetables to oblivion, threw in spaghetti, and called it a day."
Just when it seemed the disaster had reached its peak, Meghan topped off the dish by grating parmesan—except, in a final affront to Italian ears, she mispronounced it as parmigian. In that moment, chefs across Italy likely felt an involuntary shudder. Somewhere, Gordon Ramsay was probably composing an angry tweet. But the final insult? Meghan proudly declared that she makes this dish in such large quantities that she can pack the leftovers in her kids’ lunch boxes, as if she had just invented the concept of saving extra food. Revolutionary.
The cherry on top of this culinary catastrophe was Meghan’s attempt to make it all sound endearing. Comparing the dish to Beyoncé’s song Cozy, she left viewers wondering if that meant overcooked and drowning in liquid. Millions were spent on this production, and fans weren’t having it. "Netflix paid Meghan millions to make awful pasta using expensive cookware," one unimpressed viewer pointed out. Many were left hoping that whoever greenlit this project had already been fired.
But perhaps the greatest offense of all was the underlying implication—that Italians have been making pasta wrong this entire time. Centuries of perfected techniques, sacred family recipes passed down through generations, and Meghan waltzes in with her lackluster dish, essentially saying, "Forget all that—just pour some lukewarm water on it." What’s next? Telling the French they’ve been making croissants wrong? Explaining to the Japanese how to prepare sushi?
Meghan, we get it. You’re trying to be quirky and relatable. But maybe, just maybe, leave pasta to the professionals. Italians deserve better. Honestly, so do we. Arrivederci, Duchess—and for the love of all things al dente, put down the skillet.
