Nicole Kidman (58) Says She Can’t Cook — So Why Does Her Pasta Recipe Have the Internet Obsessed?

Nicole Kidman has one of the most celebrated careers in Hollywood, a shelf full of awards, and the kind of effortless glamour that makes press junkets look easy. But step into her kitchen, and the Oscar-winning actress is the first to admit the magic disappears fast. So what’s the story behind the dish that has home cooks and food writers buzzing?

A Self-Confessed Kitchen Disaster

Kidman once told People magazine that she always overcooks chicken and considers herself a much better eater than a chef. She would, by her own admission, rather be on the other side of the table. In the Kidman household, it was her ex-husband Keith Urban who handled most of the cooking.

The actress follows a relaxed 80/20 approach to eating, and as she told Women’s Health, being overly strict has never been her style. She eats pretty much everything, just in moderation. It’s a philosophy that clearly works for her, even if the actual cooking is largely left to someone else.

The Ellen Moment Nobody Can Forget

Things got memorably chaotic when Kidman appeared alongside celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for a live cooking segment. De Laurentiis scolded Kidman to use more olive oil and at one point advised her to simply “not make so many things” in order to become a better cook. Kidman, to her credit, received all of it with a masterclass in polite side-eye.

The tension peaked when Kidman perfectly shaped a rice ball, prompting De Laurentiis to announce, as Variety reported, “Oh my god, the woman who can’t cook made the perfect ball.” It was an unintentionally revealing moment. Kidman may downplay her abilities, but there’s clearly something quietly competent happening in there.

The Pasta That Started It All

Long before that segment, Kidman contributed a recipe to Paul Newman’s 1998 charity cookbook, and that dish has since taken on a life of its own. Her crispy orecchiette with broccoli, pine nuts, and garlic is, according to Standing Stone Brewing, experiencing a major surge in popularity in 2025, captivating home cooks with its surprisingly clever technique. The secret is pan-frying already-cooked pasta in smoking hot oil until it turns golden, crunchy, and slightly charred at the edges.

Once the pasta is crisped, garlic and broccoli are sautéed in the same pan, then deglazed with white wine and lemon juice, as Dining and Cooking describes in detail. The whole thing is then tossed with butter, balsamic vinegar, toasted pine nuts, and a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan.

Why This Dish Works

What makes it so compelling, as Chef Jamie Levine points out, is the contrast of textures: shatteringly crispy pasta against tender broccoli, with the brightness of lemon and the deep umami of balsamic pulling everything together. It’s elegant without being fussy, which might explain why it has endured for nearly three decades.

For a recipe from someone who claims to be a kitchen disaster, it sounds suspiciously like the work of someone who actually knows exactly what they’re doing.

More Than Just Pasta

Away from the stovetop, Kidman’s food personality is firmly rooted in her Australian upbringing. In an interview with Food and Wine, she revealed that the sausage sizzle, a beloved Australian classic of grilled sausage on white bread with onions and tomato sauce, was one of her favorite childhood treats. It’s a long way from pan-fried orecchiette, but both tell the story of someone who genuinely, deeply loves to eat.