The Italian Pasta Dish Ellen DeGeneres Can't Live Without

Ellen DeGeneres may have made her name as a talk show host and voicing the much-beloved animated character Dory in Pixar's "Finding Nemo," but it's the foodie in her that has us kibitzing around the proverbial watercooler. Per Insider, DeGeneres follows a pretty strict vegan diet. So, you won't find her at Chick-fil-A noshing on its classic fried chicken sandwich or enjoying the sweetness of honey (via Vegan.com). It's pretty intense, so you really need to be committed if you are going to go vegan.

DeGeneres is so faithful to this way of eating, that TheRecipe.com shared that she and Portia de Rossi had their wedding catered to adhere to vegan diet rules. The menu was said to include vegan sliders, vegan spring rolls, and the piece de resistance, a vegan red velvet cake. But while we often think of being veganism in terms of foods that adherents can't have, for DeGeneres, there is one Italian pasta dish that she simply cannot live without. 

Ellen DeGeneres is apparently a fan of pasta arrabbiata, particularly the dish served at Madeo in LA, which Elle Decor has called one of a dozen things the star "can't live without." If you are not familiar with this pasta dish, according to Salt and Lavender, pasta arrabbiata literally translates to "angry pasta." What makes this pasta "angry?" It's all in the sauce. It starts with olive oil, garlic, chopped tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to give it that spiciness that keeps your taste buds coming back for more and more heat. It is absolutely delicious and we totally get why DeGeneres has such strong feelings about this dish.

Per LA Eater, Madeo is an upscale celebrity haunt where you might expect to rub elbows with Drake or Sylvester Stallone as you graze on your favorite Italian dishes. Sadly, the restaurant that has been a part of the Beverly Hills landscape for over 30 years has had to close its doors as it searches for a new location. Hopefully, DeGeneres can find her favorite dish somewhere else and find it just as good as Madeo's. Celebrity chef and TV icon Valerie Bertinelli makes a spicy pasta arrabbiata of her own (via the Food Network website). So maybe DeGeneres should invite Bertinelli to appear on her show for its final season to talk pasta.