If you ever get the opportunity to dine with the viral Pasta Queen Nadia Caterina Munno, don’t even think about ordering a cocktail with your meal.
“Wine goes with dinner,” she proclaimed during a visit to Patsy’s Italian Restaurant in Midtown. “Cocktails are always for aperitivo beforehand, and then to sip if you go out dancing after.”
Such morsels of wisdom have, along her mouth-watering, authentic Italian recipes, earned the Lazio-born Munno a viral audience of millions of followers — including the likes of Kylie Jenner and Drew Barrymore — and turned her into a best-selling author with 2022’s “A Just Gorgeous Italian Cookbook.”
Now, the Florida transplant is expanding her empire with a newly released second book, “The Pasta Queen: The Art of Italian Cooking,” and a self-titled series on Amazon’s Prime Video which combines cooking tutorials and travelogs from around Italy.
“I’m so proud of the show because we really worked hard to make it match my personality,” Munno told The Post of the fast-paced Amazon series, which counts Reese Witherspoon as an executive producer.
“It’s like what you see on my socials, but is a more expansive view of my mind and everything that I love.”
On Monday at Patsy’s, the 80-year-old red sauce institution that once counted Frank Sinatra as a fan, even owner Sal Scognamillo was thrilled to see the Pasta Queen.
“It’s an honor to have you here,” Scognamillo told her, gifting her a jar of Patsy’s sauce. “It’s spicy, just like you.”
“I love Italian Americans, I’m actually obsessed with them,” she remarked. “It’s a completely different culture.”
Born in the old country into a family of pasta-makers, Munno now lives in Tampa with her husband Brook, who runs a cybersecurity company.
While working as its director of finance in 2020, she found the TikTok app on her daughter’s phone.
“I was about to delete it and then I got addicted myself,” she laughed. Just a few years later, her cooking clips on the platform are regularly viewed by hundreds of thousands.
One of the queen’s go-to’s, both in her kitchen and when she dines out, is spaghetti carbonara. She’s so passionate about the quintessential Roman dish she named one of her two dogs after it. (The other’s named Cacio & Pepe, borrowing the title of another iconic Roman dish, which she notes must never contain cream.)
“One thing about carbonara is that it should be made with guanciale, not bacon or pancetta,” said Munno.
“Guanciale is the jowl of the pig and pancetta is the belly, so they give different flavors. Guanciale is a lot more gamey,” she said, advising to keep fat rendered from the guanciale. “You’ll want to add that back into the dish.”
When platters of hot antipasto, crispy calamari and succulent shrimp scampi arrived at the table, she cautioned not to reach for the formaggio for those.
“You cannot put cheese on anything served with fish,” she said, noting some exceptions. “Pecorino could be allowed and there are some dishes that combine it, but they’re few and far between.”
And yes, that includes fettuccine alfredo. “Don’t serve it with shrimp, or even chicken. That combination doesn’t exist in Italy.”
After perusing Patsy’s menu, Munno ordered Patsy’s puttanesca with linguine. “That translates to Lady of the Night,” she said mischievously. “It’s the whore’s pasta.”
When it comes to sauces, the age-old question was posed for the queen’s royal review to settle for once and for all: is it called gravy or sauce?
“Gravy is what you serve a roast with, so it’s sauce,” she explained. “Or in Italian, we’d say sugo or salsa.”
Speaking of, there’s another American habit she’d like to set the record straight on; it’s an issue she posted about on TikTok to the tune of 18 million views: “No cappuccino after lunch,” she said. “It’s a breakfast drink.”
Once her puttanesca was served, aside from the fact the sauce was served on top (Munno mixed it in herself), the queen was pleased.
“The capers were fantastic. The olives were the right olives. And they put parsley, which I was really impressed about. Not many people remember the parsley. Great touch. And I’m sure there’s an anchovy melted in there, which is always the secret.”
“It’s also perfectly al dente,” she said. “Just like in Europe.”
Alma Gourmet: She gets all of her imported Italian goodies from the Long Island City wholesale shop. “They actually sell the pecorino I helped make when I went to the factory for my show.”
39-12 Crescent St, Long Island City, almagourmet.com
La Devozione: “They are truly like family,” she said of the Chelsea Market restaurant run by the Pastificio Di Martino pasta company. “They’re Neapolitan and the owner, Giuseppe, is one of the biggest pasta makers in Italy. They do such a beautiful job with the packaging and everything and they partner with companies like Dolce and Gabbana. I feel like I’m in Naples when I’m there.”
428 W 16th St, West Village, ladevozionenyc.com
Ribalta: Another Neapolitan restaurant, Ribalta is known for its pizzas and boasts a party atmosphere on the weekends packed with Italian expats. “They are very high quality and it’s just delicious.”
48 E 12th St, East Village, ribaltanyc.com
Amo Seafood: Owned by the team behind Ribalta, fish-centric spot Amo is located a few blocks away in Union Square. “The seafood is incredible,” Munno said of the Italian eatery. “Like, mind-blowing.”
15 E 12th St, East Village, amoseafood.com