Meghan Markle's Bizarrely Controversial Pasta Dish From Her Netflix Show Is Getting People Reaaaaally Worked Up (But According To A Pro, It's Actually Worth Making)

The Duchess of Sussex is no stranger to controversy. Her new Netflix series has sparked fresh backlash — this time, over... spaghetti? The lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan showcases life in her California home and garden with immaculate elegance. Each episode has an aspirational vibe a la Barefoot Contessa or Martha Stewart Living. While the show aims to provide viewers with soothing escapism (and is, honestly, a fabulous post-work watch), Meghan’s return to the small screen has once again stirred up some debate.

In the show, Meghan shares her lifestyle with viewers, offering recipes and hospitality tips alongside shots of her home that look straight out of Architectural Digest. But given her status as a duchess (and neighbor to Oprah), the general splendor of the home should be a surprise to no one.

The most controversial moment from the show had nothing to do with her enviable home design. Instead, it revolved around her one-pan pasta with cherry tomatoes and greens, which garnered negative attention online. Meghan called the dish a "family favorite," and it seems to be a solid addition to any weeknight dinner rotation. The issue wasn’t what she was making — it was how she made it, and that’s where the internet had some strooong opinions.

Rather than boil her spaghetti separately from the sauce, she places most of the dish's ingredients in a cold pan and then covers it in boiling water from a kettle. There is a method to her madness, though. Cooking the pasta with the tomatoes and greens that become saucy in the pasta water makes the dish "creamier, but without adding cream," she says.

Some viewers thought the technique was genius for a low-maintenance meal. Others? Not so much. When she poured hot water over raw spaghetti, a corner of the internet went into meltdown mode. One dissatisfied viewer took to X, posting: "Netflix paid a lot of money just to let us know Meghan Markle doesn't know how to cook pasta."

Since many of the people commenting on the pasta likely haven't tried the technique, we spoke to a pasta expert: Danny Freeman, aka @DannyLovesPasta. Recently, he recreated Meghan's pasta dish and posted his honest reaction in a video that millions of foodies have watched.

Here's Danny's interpretation, just so you know what we're working with. First, "bring 3 1/2 cups water to a boil in a tea kettle. Meanwhile, slice 2 cups of cherry tomatoes in half. Add them to a skillet along with 3 cloves of minced garlic. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt."

Then, "add 1 pound of spaghetti to the skillet, and then cover with the zest of 1 lemon. Chop the stems of 2 to 3 pieces of swiss chard or lacinato kale and add them to the skillet."

Next: "Add the boiling water to the skillet, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes. Remove the cover, then loosely chop the leaves of your chard or kale. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the pasta is al dente."

Finally, "remove from the heat and add a pinch of red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup arugula, and 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan. Toss together and serve."

Danny’s recreation of the recipe struck a chord, racking up over 10 million views on Instagram and TikTok. In the comments, fans rushed to defend Meghan’s dish, arguing that the criticism lacked substance — especially since celebrity chefs like Martha Stewart have used similar techniques without backlash.

More than just curiosity, Danny tried Meghan’s low-maintenance one-pan pasta approach because, like her, he has two young kids at home. "My kids are one and four years old, so I'm always looking for quick cooking hacks," he told Tasty. That same mindset also inspired his newest cookbook, Italianish, which is now available for pre-order and packs in plenty of Italian American dishes made with weeknight-friendly, approachable techniques.

When asked about whether or not he would've changed anything about Meghan's recipe, he told Tasty, “I really like to make a quick cherry tomato sauce, especially in the summer, just on the stovetop, or sometimes I bake it, but just cherry tomatoes, garlic, I always put in thyme, salt, pepper, a lot of olive oil, and really sauté the garlic and the tomatoes until they burst. So if I were to do [Meghan's recipe] again, I would do that first with the tomatoes and then add the pasta and go from there."

Besides sautéing the garlic and tomatoes before adding the spaghetti, Danny had only a few tweaks in mind. In his video, he suggested swapping the water for chicken broth to add extra flavor. But ultimately, he told us, "Meg is obviously doing amazing. She doesn’t need any advice from me." His kids may have "picked around" the greens in Meghan’s one-pan pasta, but overall, this pasta expert gives it his stamp of approval.

For a future pasta night, Danny suggests going even greener: "Meg likes things that are quick for her family. And she clearly likes greens," he noted. Her approach to pasta even sparked an idea: "Maybe she’s already doing this, but her next pasta dish could be a pesto. Everyone thinks pesto is just basil, but you could blend those greens, kale, arugula, chard, with almonds, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. No cooking needed — just mix it with pasta and a little pasta water, and it all comes together. Healthy, delicious, and done in 10 minutes."

Danny's expertise truly shined as he suggested the perfect pasta dish for spring. It's vibrant, fresh, and full of greens. And who knows? Maybe we’ll even see a pesto recipe in With Love, Meghan’s newly confirmed second season.

While pasta purists may have balked at Meghan’s unconventional cooking method, the conversation around her dish has sparked more curiosity than criticism. At the end of the day, it seems that most people — like Danny — are more than happy to see what Meghan is serving up next.

Craving more easy, one-pot pasta recipes? Check out the One-Pot or Pan section on the free Tasty app for hundreds of quick and delicious pasta ideas — no subscription required!