The Italian Dish White Lotus Season 3 Star Jason Isaacs Serves to Please His Real Life Children And Wife

Warning: White Lotus spoilers ahead.

Some of us recognize Jason Isaacs best as Lucius Malfoy, the cruel and conniving father of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movie franchise. But if you've tuned in to HBO every Sunday for the last few weeks, you will know that Isaacs shed his long ice blonde locks for a Duke University t-shirt to portray Timothy, the patriarch of the Ratcliff family on Season 3 ofThe White Lotus.

All the cinematic evidence may lead White Lotus viewers to assume Isaacs is always in it to corrupt his children. After all, it was Timothy Ratliff in The White Lotus Season 3 finale who attempted who kill his wife, Victoria (Parker Posey) and two of his three children, Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), by feeding them piña coladas laced with a toxic fruit from a "suicide tree". It's only after watching his loved ones take a few suspicious sips that Timothy finally comes to his senses and knocks the glasses from their hands, explaining that "the coconut milk is off."

In real life, Isaacs also takes on the role of the father figure to his two children and it turns out, he's in it to genuinely please them—and by that, we mean by feeding them simple (read: non-poisonous) home-cooked meals.

In a 2020 interview with BBC Good Food, Isaacs revealed that "there’s an Italian chef inside him that longs to be acknowledged by his children." One of his tricks to win them over? He cooks his signature dish: spaghetti bolognese.

Related: What Walton Goggins Ate on the Set of White Lotus Season 3 To Transform Into His Character

What Makes Jason Isaacs' Spaghetti Bolognese So Special?

Isaacs claims this spaghetti bolognese recipe as his signature dish, hinting that it may be the one dish he's allowed to make in the household kitchen. "My kids won’t let me cook. Anything. They want their mum’s dishes and nothing else. I’m hoping it’s less a vote of no-confidence in me, and more a reflection of their hunger for the familiar during this strange time," he tells BBC. "It’s been great to have this feature as an excuse to cook this over-garlicky version of bolognese that’s usually eaten for weeks afterwards on toast in our house."

And "over-garlicky" isn't an exaggeration. He cooks a whopping 10 cloves garlic until fragrant and caramelized to build a rich, flavorful foundation for the bolognese sauce. Instead of the classic ground beef and pork, Isaacs uses a mix of ground beef, bacon and chorizo in his recipe. The combination of the richness from the beef and salty bacon, plus the smokiness of the chorizo all contribute to a bold, robust sauce.

While his kids approve of the dish, Isaacs enjoys it, too. When eating this self-proclaimed 'mutant' spaghetti bolognese, Isaacs says "I could entirely indulge my twin desires: first, that every bite must be a sensory overload of riches—sweet, savory and spicy—and, secondly, that everyone must be left undoing buttons and groaning with equal parts regret and delight. This recipe wins on both those accounts."

Related: The Surprisingly Delicious Breakfast Arnold Schwarzenegger Swears By

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How to Make Jason Isaacs' Spaghetti Bolognese

This recipe is a labor of love, but it's also a guaranteed hit. You can find the full recipe details over on the BBC Good Food website, but here's a quick recap of how to make Jason Isaac's spaghetti bolognese.

Isaacs' slow-cooked spaghetti bolognese starts with the sautéed garlic, plus onions, red chili pepper and carrots. Once that mixture is caramelized, he adds mushrooms and red wine.

In a separate pan, he crisps up some bacon and combines that with browned ground beef before stirring the meat into the veggie mix. Next up, tomato purée, herbs, and some red wine before the sauce simmers for 4 hours.

Just before serving, Isaacs stirs in some milk for creaminess. Toss the sauce with your preferred pasta and some Parmesan cheese, then serve with more cheese and crusty bread.

Pair with your favorite beverage, but we'd skip the piña coladas, just in case.

Related: The Surprising Two-Ingredient Breakfast Clint Eastwood Eats Every Day