The Viral Marry Me Pasta Dish That Gave TikTok Cold Feet
If you haven't heard about the lore of "marry me" recipes that have taken the cooking community by storm, we'll briefly fill you in. Essentially, these dishes act as a pseudo-love potion that supposedly can prompt proposals shortly after a person makes said recipe for their partner.
That may sound like a bunch of hoopla, but there have actually been a number of instances when these "marry me" recipes have done their job. Giada de Laurentiis' marry-me muffins, for instance, have an adorable story behind their name, while marry me chicken (not to be confused with engagement chicken, the Ina Garten recipe Emily Blunt credits for her marriage) is another famous example of the phenomenon that has even been transformed into a pasta dish that promises to elicit the same results. However, when food blogger Carleigh Bodrug, a.k.a. plantyou, shared their plant-based version of the viral dish earlier this year, some TikTokers got cold feet due to the potential marriage proposal it could bring on.
"Never make this for someone else, got it," one person jokingly commented on the August 20 TikTok video. "That's definitely off my list then," another quipped, while a third raised their eyebrows over Bodrug's choice of utensil in their video. "Pasta = marry me. Metal tongs on nonstick = Divorce me," they teased, though the blogger assured them they were being very careful.
Some TikTokers asked for ingredient substitutions
All jokes aside, Bodrug's viral, 15-minute, plant-based marry me pasta has impressed a number of TikTokers, including one who even said that their "very non-vegan husband also really liked it." However, some did request ingredient substitutions to help curate the recipe for their palettes, including one for the nutritional yeast. In response to one commenter looking for a swap, the food blogger said that it could be omitted — though doing so could deprive your meal of the cheesy, umami flavor that this trendy ingredient provides.
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Bodrug's use of coconut milk was another area of concern for several of their followers, some of whom cited an allergy or aversion to it. Fortunately, the TikToker offered several replacement options for this ingredient, as well. "COCONUT MILK SUBS: cashew cream, sunflower seed cream, pasta water for a lighter sauce, culinary plant-based cream, or regular cream if you're not veg," they said.