pacino

Bellino and Pacino – Al Pacino Favorite Pasta

 

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AL PACINO

 

 

“BELLINO & PACINO”

Daniel Bellino is an Italian-American author who highlights Al Pacino in his cookbooks, particularly focusing on Italian-American cooking, “Sunday Sauce” (meat-based Red Sauce), and shared Sicilian roots, Bellino’s family from Lercara Friddi, Sicily, and Al Pacino – “Believe It or Not” hails from Corleone, Sicily.

Bellino’s books, such as Grandma Bellino’s Cookbook, discuss recipes like Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, which is noted as a favorite of Al Pacino.

Daniel Bellino’s Connection: Daniel Bellino Zwicke is known for writing books about Italian-American life, food, and culture. He features “Sunday Sauce” and mentions Sicilian-American connections.

Daniel writes in his book of the times when he was the Wine Director of Barbetta Ristorante in New York, where Pacino occasionally dined at. When Daniel was taking Mr. Pacino’s food order, Al would always ask if the kitchen would make him Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Spaghetti with Garlic & Olive Oil). “The dish was not on the menu, that why Al asked if we could make us. It was an offer we couldn’t refuse,” states Bellino. And of course we always made it for Al, and he was a wonderful client to have dining with us.” The rest is history, shall we say. Al Pacino’s favorite paste was Spaghetti with Garlic & Oil (Aglio e Olio). We know this thanks to Daniel Bellino, who felt with Pacino first hand. Bellino tells this story in his book Sunday Sauce

  • Al Pacino & Pasta: In his book Grandma Bellino’s Italian Cookbook – Bellino features a “Spaghetti Aglio e Olio” recipe that he associates with Al Pacino. While Pacino is of Sicilian descent, this specific garlic and oil dish is commonly known as a Neapolitan specialty.
  • Sunday Sauce: Bellino’s recipes, often termed “Sunday Sauce alla Bellino alla Pacino,” highlight traditional, slow-simmered sauces featuring meat such as meatballs, sausages, and pork braciola.
  • Key Themes: Bellino’s work often highlights connections between famous Italian-Americans (like Pacino and Sinatra) and the culinary traditions of New York and New Jersey Italian-American communities.
  • Related Works: Other books by Bellino-Zwicke include Sinatra Sauce: Meatballs & Merriment.
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Bellino frequently shares these stories and recipes on his “New York Italian” Instagram and blog, often framing them within the context of classic Italian-American films and culture.
 
 
 
 
NONNA BELLINO’S COOKBOOK
RECIPES From MY SICILIAN NONNA
AMAZON.com

 

 
 
AL APCINO & AGLIO e OLIO
 

Al Pacino and Aglio Olio you ask? What about it? Well it’s just that Spaghetti Aglio Olio always reminds me of that great fellow New Yorker Sicilian American, the one-and-only Al Pacino from da Bronx. It’s not a big deal, just a wonderful little memory for me. When I was the Wine Director at the famed Barbetta Ristorante on Restaurant Row in New York’s Theater District (where Al often performs on stage), Al Pacino used to come and eat there every now and then. He never wanted anything to fancy, but something that just about all true blooded Italian-American wants, and that dish is Spaghetti Aglio Olio, plain and simple, yet it’s in our blood. That’s what Al wanted and that’s what we gave him, and Al loved it and you will too. 

 

Note: As has already been noted, you can make Spaghetti w/ Garlic & Oil, simply by making the above recipe, and omitting the Anchovies, and you’ll have it just like Al Pacino does. 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Excerpted form GRANDMA BELLINO’S ITALIAN COOKBOOK

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE
 
 
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Sunday Sauce alla Bellino alla Pacino


A Pot of SUNDAY SAUCE

alla BELLINO alla PACINO

“SOME CALL IT GRAVY”

 


SUNDAY SAUCE

Daniel Bellino Zwicke
AMAZON.com


SUNDAY SAUCE


Daniel Bellino-Zwicke’s recipe for Sunday Sauce is a classic Italian-American gravy, featuring a long simmer time and a combination of meats

. His recipe is published in his book, Sunday Sauce: When Italian-Americans Cook. 

About Daniel Bellino’s recipe –

Bellino-Zwicke’s recipe, like others in his cookbook, is based on traditional Italian-American family recipes and food culture.
  • It celebrates the tradition of simmering a meat-based tomato sauce for several hours to create a rich flavor.
  • An excerpt from his book notes that meat combinations often include sausages, meatballs, and beef braciole, though pork neck and veal shank are also possible additions.
  • His book also includes recipes for famous movie-inspired sauces, such as Clemenza’s Sunday Sauce from The Godfather and Sinatra’s Spaghetti & Meatballs. 
  • Where to find the recipe
  • The book: The full recipe is available in his cookbook, Sunday Sauce: When Italian-Americans Cook. This can be purchased from online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AbeBooks.
  • Excerpts: Excerpts and summaries of the recipe’s approach and ingredients can be found on Daniel Bellino-Zwicke’s personal website and various food blogs.
  • Inspired recipes: Since Bellino-Zwicke’s recipe is a classic version of the Italian-American Sunday Sauce, many similar recipes exist online, often referencing the same key elements, like a long simmer time and a combination of meats. 
  • General Sunday sauce preparation
  • While the specific recipe is proprietary to Bellino-Zwicke’s book, the general method for this type of Sunday sauce, or “gravy,” is widely known. It involves: 
Browning a combination of meats, such as Italian sausages, meatballs, and pork.
  1. Adding aromatics like onion and garlic.
  2. Combining with tomatoes and other flavorings (such as tomato paste, wine, and herbs).
  3. Slow-simmering for several hours to allow the flavors to meld and the meats to become tender. 
  4. The final sauce can then be served over pasta, with the cooked meat as a second course.





“MAKING SUNDAY SAUCE”

Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

At UNCLE TONY’S HOUSE

LODI, NEW JERSEY


MORE on SUNDAY SAUCE

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke’s book, 

Sunday Sauce: When Italian-Americans Cook, doesn’t contain just one single recipe, but rather presents a variety of Sunday sauce traditions reflecting different family customs. The core difference between the recipes is typically the combination of meats used. 

Here are the variations of Sunday sauce included in the book, based on Bellino-Zwicke’s writing: 

The popular trio: Many families, including the most popular version Bellino-Zwicke describes, make their sauce with a trio of Italian sausages, meatballs, and beef braciole. This is considered a foundational version of the dish.
  • A simpler sauce: For some, a simpler version of the sauce is made with just sausages and meatballs. This version is notably featured as Pete Clemenza’s sauce in The Godfather.
  • Pork variations: Other families incorporate pork into their sauce. Some versions use pork neck, while Bellino-Zwicke mentions that he sometimes makes his Sunday sauce with sausages, meatballs, and pork ribs.
  • Other meat options: The author notes that other meats can be added to the mix. Some families might include chicken thighs or a veal shank.
  • “Secret Sauce”: The cookbook also includes a “Secret Sauce,” or Salsa Segreta, recipe. Inspired by the old-school Italian red-sauce joint Gino’s of Lexington Avenue, this version is distinct from the typical meat-heavy Sunday sauce. 






“RED SAUCE”

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Bellino on Pacino – Al Pacino Favorite Pasta – Recipe

AL PACINO
 
 
 
AL PACINO Eating PASTA
 
 
 
 
AL’S FAVORITE PASTA
 
 

Al Pacino is a big fan of a pasta dish called spaghetti aglio e olio. It’s a Neapolitan dish that features spaghetti noodles, good olive oil, lots of garlic and red pepper flakes for a spicy kick. It goes without saying the pasta dish and the Scarface star have been linked together a lot in recent history. 

Al Pacino’s love of spaghetti aglio e olio also came up in Daniel Bellino Zwicke’s Positano The Amalfi Coast – Travel Guide – Cookbook.
 
 “When I was the wine director at Barbetta Ristorante in New York City, whenever Al came into the restaurant, he would often ask if we could make him a plate as it wasn’t on the menu,” Zwicke wrote. “Al literally made us an offer we couldn’t refuse, naturally we didn’t, and we always gave Mr. Pacino a plate of his beloved spaghetti aglio olio, just the way he liked it. You’re welcome Al.”
 
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Yes, it was Italian Cookbook author Daniel Bellino Z, an Italian-New Yorker like Pacino who first let it out of the bag that Al Loved Spaghetti with Garlic & Oil. It was with Bellino’s publication of his book Sunday Sauce in 2014, where the author first writes about Pacino’s love of this pasta, which no one had known about before the publication of Bellino’s Sunday Sauce. Daniel knew Al Pacino’s love for Spaghetti Aglio Olio, as whenever Al Pacino would come to the restaurant where Bellino was the Wine Director, Pacino would always ask him if he could get a plate of Spaghetti with Garlic & Oil, as it was not on the menu. The restaurant in question was Barbetta on West 46th Street in New York. of course Bellino  said “Yes.” Daniel went into the kitchen and told the cooks, who naturally made the dish, which Daniel brought out to Mr. Pacino, and he was always quite pleased.
 
….. The above paragraph is from PARADE MAGAZINE  April, 2025 
 
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When writing his book Sunday Sauce, Bellino figured it would be a great recipe and story to add to his book. All Italian-Americans love the dish, including Al Pacino, so Daniel wrote up his recipe, and told the story of Al eating at Barbetta, and always asking for the dish. And yes, everyone loves the story, and the recipe for Spaghetti alla Pacino, which Daniel named after the great Italian-American actor from the Bronx, New York.
 
In April 2025 Parade Magazine published the story of New York writer Daniel Bellino-Zwcike writing this story about bring Al Pacino his favorite pasta, putting the recipe for Pacino Pasta, and the story about Pacino eating it at Barbetta Ristorante, in his book Sunday Sauce. Once Parade Magazine published the story about Bellino & Pacino, the story spread like wildfire, and now hold the world knows Al Pacino’s favorite pasta. – Spaghetti with Garlic & Oil (Aglio e Olio).
The rest is history.
 
 
 
PS … Bellino also put the rescipe in his latest book – POSITANO The AMALFI COAST – Travel Guide – Cookbook.
 
This book is also available on Amazon.com   
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SUNDAY SAUCE
 
alla BELLINO alla PACINO
AMAZON.com
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Daniel Bellino Zwicke