Brooklyn Beckham Loves to Stay Home & Eat Pasta, Just Like the Rest of Us
Brooklyn Beckham is not your typical nepo baby–he’s #relatable. The eldest son of Victoria and David Beckham loves to stay home, hang out with his dogs, and cook, or so he tells me. “My wife thinks I look sexy as a chef,” he says over Zoom. “I have so much fun with cooking, and I love being in the kitchen. Because I don’t really like going out, my favorite thing is to stay home with my wife and dogs and just cook all night.”
Over the last few years, Brooklyn has made a name for himself as a hybrid chef-It boy. His social media is a curated mix of his own cooking tutorials, magazine covers, and photos with his wife Nicola, alongside the kinds of moments you’d expect–a Lakers game invite, a Met Gala appearance. In the last few months however, he’s really solidified his culinary cred. Last fall, he launched his own hot sauce brand, Cloud23, and now, he’s teamed up with Barilla to relaunch its Al Bronzo pasta line with two new pasta shapes: Fusilloni and Orecchiette.
“Barilla and I share a love for Italy and for bringing people together over food,” Brooklyn said in a press release. “My passion for Italian cuisine comes from my childhood—whether it was family vacations or watching my dad cook pasta at home, food was always at the heart of those moments of togetherness. And my love for food continues today as I cook Bolognese with my wife at home. That’s what’s so special about pasta, and what resonates so much to me about Barilla. It’s more than a meal—it’s a way to connect.”
The chef told StyleCaster all about the details of his collaboration, favorite things to eat, and so much more.
What first drew you into cooking?
You know, obviously, growing up, I was lucky enough to currently live in some pretty cool places, and I’ve just always been obsessed with food and with different cuisines. And, you know, I’ve been obsessed with it. And obviously, through COVID, I started cooking a lot with my wife. And she was like, ‘You should do this. You love it so much you should.’ So then I started doing the videos. And now I cook. I cook pasta at least once or twice a week, but I usually cook every day.
What’s your favorite kind of pasta?
So I’ve been trying the last few years to perfect my bolognese, and it’s just something that I have so much fun making. It’s just my favorite dish because of the sauce. And I just use the Barilla Al Bronzo because the sauce really clings to the pasta, so there’s more flavor in every single bite, and obviously allows you to Scarpetta with the sauce.
Who are your top chef inspirations or icons?
I love Roy Choi and I love Nancy Silverton. Those are my two favorites. And obviously they’re in LA so I get to go to Nancy’s restaurants quite a lot, and yeah. So probably, they’re my two favorite.
Do you have a dream celebrity chef collaboration?
I don’t know, I love talking to chefs, and I love going to their restaurants, and I love hearing their story of how they got into it, of how, you know, they kind of found their passion for it. So I don’t really have like anyone in mind. I just love meeting new people, and I love meeting new chefs and just hearing their story and trying their food.
What’s the best piece of advice a chef has ever given you?
That it’s okay to mess up in the kitchen. You just continue. You continue doing it as long as you love it. You just put your head down and have fun with it.
If you could be a contestant on any cooking show, which one would it be and why?
Oh my God, I don’t think I could go on a cooking show, but I love watching cooking shows. I love watching just cooking videos on my Instagram. While my wife is watching makeup tutorials, I’m watching chefs. It’s my favorite thing to do.
What’s your signature dish?
My signature dish is my spaghetti bolognese, probably.
What’s your favorite thing to make for your family and wife?
My favorite thing that me and my wife like to make together is different pasta dishes. She loves the alla Vodka, the pink sauce, that’s kind of the dish that I make her, but my wife’s a very big pasta fan, which I’m very happy about. So we’re always making different types of pasta.
And who’s the better chef–your mom or your dad?
Probably my dad. You know, obviously growing up, me and him were cooking in the kitchen. So probably my dad.
Who’s the best sous chef among your siblings?
The best sous chef is probably Cruz, my brother. Probably him, because, you know, he loves to be in the kitchen. He’s always making stuff late at night. So me and him usually do that.
What’s the best piece of advice your parents have ever given you?
Find what you love. And you know, obviously, that’s my cooking. And just have fun with it. And, yeah, just be happy.
You launched your hot sauce brand last year. What have you learned from that experience?
Yeah, I launched it last year in the fourth quarter with Whole Foods, and it’s been amazing. And, yeah, it’s cool to go from the idea to then finally have the bottle, which I’m really happy about. I hope people like it. I hope people try it, because I’ve worked very hard on it. And, yeah, it’s probably been a lot harder than than I thought, but it’s been amazing.
Which city has the best food?
I love Tokyo, but it really is hard to beat a good pasta dish.
Is pasta your favorite food of all time?
It is definitely my go-to comfort food. It’s just something I love cooking and I love using really good ingredients. I love using Barilla. It’s always amazing when I make a pasta dish, because obviously I’m using the best pasta.
What’s your favorite pasta shape, and why?
My favorite pasta shape? Honestly, the Barilla Al Bronzo, a kind of thick spaghetti. That’s my favorite. I like to keep it traditional.
What’s one food you absolutely can’t stand?
Pineapple on Pizza.
What’s one favorite but weird food combo that actually works?
I’m trying to think. I’m actually not sure. To be honest, my wife is always like sending me videos on Instagram of like these weird little health snacks. They’re very interesting, but they always end up tasting really good. If you put cottage cheese in like a strainer, and then you put it over water, and then you put it in the freezer, and then you put some honey on it. It’s kind of like those, like Dippin’ Dots things.
Sweet or savory?
Savory. I’m more of a savory person. My wife’s a sweet person.
What’s the most underrated ingredient?
I love using thyme and rosemary. They’re probably not underrated, but I love having those in the kitchen. They smell nice.
What’s your best memory that’s tied to food or pasta?
I don’t know. I’m always making new memories with cooking. I think, just like I said, just being at home with my wife and my dogs is my favorite thing to do, and just making pasta all day. It’s like, honestly, I know it sounds strange, but it’s like, my favorite thing to do, I can eat pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Do you ever make your dogs food?
Yes, I do.
Really? They eat human food?
Yeah. I’m always making them like chicken and rice.
And finally, I know you had a photo book called ‘What I See,’ and it kind of became a viral online moment. Did you know that you were making pop culture history when that happened?
Oh my god. Yeah, I do remember that. It was interesting…
Brooklyn Beckham’s Favorite Pasta Recipe:
Al Bronzo Mezzi Rigatoni with Tomato, Onion, Crispy Prosciutto & Cloud 23 Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 package Al Bronzo Mezzi Rigatoni
- 4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 Vidalia onion, sliced thin
- 2 cups crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 cup Prosciutto, julienned
- 2/3 cup Parmigiano cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, julienned
- TT salt and Cloud 23 hot sauce
Instructions:
- Place a pot of water to boil; cook pasta according to directions.
- Meanwhile in a skillet, sweat the onion with half the extra virgin olive oil for several minutes over medium heat.
- Add the tomatoes and one cup of water, season with salt and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Cook pasta according to directions, drain two minutes earlier, and toss with tomato sauce and 1/3 cup of cooking water.
- Meanwhile, sauté prosciutto with remaining extra virgin olive oil until crispy.
- Turn the heat off on the pasta. Stir in basil, Parmigiano cheese, Cloud 23 hot sauce to taste, and top with prosciutto before serving.
