Eats History: Al Capone’s Favorite Dish: Walnut Sauce Pasta🍴

 

When you think of Al Capone, the notorious Prohibition-era gangster, you probably picture speakeasies, tommy guns, and Chicago’s dark underworld.

But beneath the legendary criminal persona was a man who had a surprisingly soft spot for home-cooked Italian food, particularly a simple dish of walnut pasta his mother used to make.

Like many Italian-American families, food played a central role in the Capone household, and this humble yet flavorful dish offers a glimpse into the man behind the myth. Let’s dive into the history of Al Capone and explore how this rustic recipe connects to his story.

One dish that particularly resonated with Capone was his mother’s walnut pasta. Simple yet rich in flavor, it was made with basic ingredients that would have been readily available in Italian kitchens—spaghetti, garlic, walnuts, olive oil, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

Teresa Capone would crush the walnuts into a coarse paste and toss them with garlic and olive oil before coating the pasta. The dish was hearty, comforting, and deeply tied to the family’s Neapolitan heritage.

Even as Capone’s criminal empire grew, he never lost his love for simple, home-cooked meals. He would often host lavish dinners for friends and associates, but his favorite dishes remained those that reminded him of his mother’s kitchen. The walnut pasta was a taste of his past, a grounding reminder of family and tradition in a life otherwise filled with chao.

Read the full story and recipe here:

👉Al Capone’s Favorite Dish: Walnut Sauce Pasta – Eats History