Hold Up with Dulcé Sloan & Josh Johnson from The Daily Show · Comedy Central

Revisiting Lasagna vs. Spaghetti

December 29, 2022·56 min·5 clips

Dulcé declares lasagna is a 'harlot' she's tempted by, but Josh insists spaghetti's diversity makes it the clear winner.

This episode features Daily Show correspondents Dulcé Sloan and Josh Johnson debating the merits of lasagna versus spaghetti. Sloan and Johnson bring their comedic perspectives to a lighthearted culinary showdown. The hosts frame the debate as a definitive choice between two iconic pasta forms. Josh Johnson champions spaghetti for its versatility, citing dishes like pasta limone and the ability to customize noodle firmness. Dulcé Sloan admits she is not generally a pasta person but chooses lasagna, referencing Garfield and the dish's perceived complexity. Sloan details a failed attempt to make vegan lasagna with non-boil noodles, which absorbed too much sauce. She recalls her mother doctoring up frozen Stouffer's lasagna with extra meat and cheese. Johnson argues that lasagna noodles are essentially sheets of spaghetti, while Sloan counters that lasagna's layered construction makes it distinct and riskier to prepare. A surprising claim is Johnson's assertion that someone's grandfather declared spaghetti to be "kid food," similar to cheese pizza. Sloan reveals a childhood favorite of spaghetti mixed with ground beef, butter, and pepper, which her mother made when out of sauce. Johnson mentions a TikTok revelation that spaghetti noodles should not be broken in half before boiling. Sloan humorously questions the entire foundation of Italian cuisine by noting Marco Polo brought noodles from China and tomatoes came from the Americas. The conversation digresses to stories about mispronounced brand names, the novelty of smoothies to older generations, and the strangeness of baked spaghetti. The tone is conversational, improvisational, and filled with friendly banter and personal anecdotes. The style is comedic, with hosts frequently interrupting and teasing each other while sharing childhood food memories. Fans of lighthearted, digressive comedy and food-themed debates would enjoy this episode. Listeners seeking a structured, informational podcast about cooking techniques might find it too unserious.

As heard by us

A pasta debate that keeps escalating until dinner feels like doctrine.

Lasagna vs. Spaghetti turns a simple pasta preference into a comic argument about taste, memory, and the weight people put on Italian cooking.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a food fight with zero stakes and full commitment, start here.

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