Episode 411: Pasta with garlic and oil is a thousand times better than pasta with tomato sauce
Summary
A self-described half-Italian, half-Arab rider makes his controversial declaration: pasta with garlic and oil beats red sauce every time. His reasoning? "You have like 14 tomatoes going in your stomach all at one time." He thinks Italians are so angry because of constant acid reflux from too many tomatoes. Kareem pushes back hard, championing classic marinara, but the rider stands firm. After 30 years of his mother's Sunday sauce, he's done. The conversation takes a sharp turn when he reveals he's never had cacio e pepe, shocking Kareem. The rider says his garlic and oil preference got him run out of Staten Island to Jersey. Then he pivots to another gripe: bagel shop owners who put fennel seeds on everything bagels should be shut down immediately. He doesn't know what fennel is and doesn't want to know.
Full Transcript
So, what's your take? Pasta with garlic and oil is a thousand times better than pasta with tomato sauce. 100% disagree. Disagree. Give me the red sauce, baby.
Listen, man. It's too many tomatoes at once. You know what I'm saying? Like, you have like 14 tomatoes going in your stomach all at one time. Like, this is why Italians are so angry cuz they just have acid reflux all the time. They're mad because they ate too many tomatoes. Their stomachs are upset at all time. Just add a little garlic and oil, sprinkle a little cheese on top, you're good to go, bro.
I think that a classic marinara classic marinara too is what? Like is it like ragu or we're talking like it's red, bro. I don't know. Okay. All right. This is an Italian test. Don't get me wrong. I love my mother's Sunday sauce, but after 30 years, I just can't do it anymore.
You want to do cacio e pepe? I've never had a cacio a—
You've never had a cacio? I've never had one.
How have you never had a cacio? What's the green called? What's that? Pesto.
Pesto. I've had a pesto. You know what I'm saying? I personally think that the Italians are going to be very obsessed. Listen, growing up Italian, Rocco, Sabino, Kuene, my bad boys, uh, garlic and oil over red sauce.
Anyway, they're going to be mad at you. I'm so sorry to disappoint. Many Italians are going to be upset taking away. This is why I moved to Jersey. I was in Staten Island. I had to go. They were like, "This guy, they ran you out. They ran me out. They said he likes he likes garlic and oil. This guy, you know, because I think Italians are only known for two things. Movies a couple of years ago.
Sure. And then they are currently known for red sauce."
Absolutely. You take away that, what is an Italian? Just some guy. Pretty much an Arab.
Yeah, absolutely. It's funny. I'm half Italian, half Arab. That's a great point.
Anything else you thinking about? To any bagel shop owners out there who put fennel seeds on their everything bagels. We should shut your stores down immediately. Fennel seeds. Fennel seeds. Sometimes bagel shop owners, they'll put fennel seeds on there and ruin everything.
What is a fennel? I don't know what a fennel is. I don't want to know what a fennel is. Just get it off my everything bagel.
I don't know what a fennel is either, but I think the fennel can stay on the bagel. All right. Well, you have your opinion. I have mine.
Thanks for having me.