Who is The Pasta Queen in real life? Everything to know about the TikTok star

Nadia Caterina Munno, famously known as The Pasta Queen, has become a viral sensation on TikTok with her captivating Italian cooking videos. Born in Rome and raised in a family of pasta makers with roots stretching back to the 1800s, Munno's rise to fame has been swift, but her passion for food and cooking runs deep.

Her TikTok videos, filled with humor, charm, and mouth-watering pasta recipes, have attracted millions of followers, making her a beloved figure in the culinary world.

The Pasta Queen, aka Nadia Caterina Munno, is an Italian-born chef and social media personality who gained fame through her pasta recipes and cooking videos on TikTok. She has also recently collaborated with Amazon Prime Video for a special series titled The Pasta Queen, in which she travels through Italy and shares recipes for classic Italian dishes.

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The Pasta Queen's real-life details explored

Nadia Munno’s life combines tradition, family, and entrepreneurship. While she is widely known for her online persona as The Pasta Queen, in real life, she is a mother of four and a successful entrepreneur. Her official website states,

"I was born and raised in The Eternal City and spent my childhood surrounded by pasta. My family, known in Rome as the “Macaronis,” has been making pasta and wine in our factory in Southern Italy since the 1800s."

Munno deeply respects cooking, specifically Italian cuisine, which is why so many of her loved recipes carry the traditional Italian touch. While speaking to Italy Magazine in 2022, she said,

"In Italy it was easy to find farmers' markets where people could buy the freshest fruit, vegetables, fish, bread, and more. "That's how I grew up," she says. "going to the mercato and watching the farmers bring their goods from their land very early in the morning, every single day."

Growing up in Italy, she had access to fresh produce all the time, but America gave her the biggest culture shock when she couldn't find easily accessible Farmer's markets all the time. To combat this hurdle, she befriended local farmers in her area.

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How did The Pasta Queen rise to fame?

Munno’s rise to fame on TikTok was somewhat accidental. Her daughter introduced her to TikTok in 2020, and Munno wanted to check if the content on the app was age-appropriate.

However, as per Daily Meal, when she saw someone making lasagna the worst way possible, her Italian roots couldn't help but make amends. Her love of real Italian cooking and her pride in it motivated her to make her videos and release some of her family recipes. This made her determined to launch her brand. While speaking to David Leite podcast, she said,

"I'm locked in my house, my company is on standby, there was nothing better to do really. We couldn't go outside much, we couldn't mingle with friends, so I had a lot of time on our hands. At that point, it was about March [2020], I started posting at least once a day."

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What are The Pasta Queen's favorite recipes?

One popular pasta recipe on Munno's TikTok is "Angry Baroness." About the dish, she said:

"Something amazing happens when you combine garlic, onions, and a little tomato base with vodka. It's a chemical reaction of love. Next, add some heavy cream and chili pepper, with a drizzle of salt, and a scrunch of pepper."

Another popular dish by the Pasta Queen is "The Assassin's Spaghetti." It is a simple dish consisting of merely 3 ingredients: minced garlic, chili peppers, and tomato broth.

While speaking to Fed and Fit, Munno said:

"I found that there's one thing we can agree on – Pasta. You can't hate it. You can't attack it. You can only love it."

During her interview with Italy Magazine, she stated that her preferred pasta type is spaghetti, giving her reasons for it:

"It is so southern Italian and versatile; you can make it for nearly everything, and you can't help but love twirling it with a fork."

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In 2024, Munno took her talents to a new level with the release of her Amazon Prime series, The Pasta Queen, a culinary travelogue that takes viewers on a journey through Italy, exploring the country’s rich food culture and traditions.