Damon’s Go-To 3-Ingredient Dinner: Simple Enough for Hollywood

June 16, 2025

Movie stars often prefer straightforward dishes when cooking at home. Matt Damon enjoys preparing a veggie-packed meal for his children using only three ingredients. His quick recipe includes pasta, butter, and steamed broccoli.

In an interview with
People
Damon — who acknowledges that he’s “a terrible cook” generally — shared that his preferred meal involves ensuring there’s sufficient nutritious food available for his children every three hours, much to their delight. He further explained, “Fortunately, I discovered that all three of my younger daughters adore broccoli. Occasionally, when trying to persuade them to consume proteins like a small portion of fish proves challenging, they become so enamored with eating broccoli instead. At times, these young ladies even end up enticing me to partake in more veggies.”

Considering all of this, this might just be the ideal dish to encourage your children to consume their vegetables—or perhaps even help yourself incorporate more greens into your diet if it’s an ongoing challenge for you. Additionally, preparing this meal could not be easier or quicker. You have the option to simplify things further by prepping it ahead of time.
Microwave the broccoli until steamed.
As the pasta boils, consider substituting another vegetable if your children aren’t fond of broccoli—maybe opt for asparagus, cauliflower, or spinach instead. Regardless of which green you pick, this meal ought to come together in about 30 minutes, ideal for those hectic weekday evenings.

Read more:
The Top Ranked List of Packaged Spaghetti Brands

How To Personalize Damon’s Simple Three-Component Pasta Recipe

Matt Damon’s simple, minimal-component pasta recipe offers numerous customization options beyond merely changing the vegetables. You might even consider tweaking the dish to better suit an adult palate.

Initially, consider replacing the butter with pasta sauce. If you opt for marinara, Rao’s Homemade is recommended; it ranked first in our tests.
hierarchy of 12 traditional marinara sauce brands
Alternatively, consider using pesto for a fresh and nutty flavor, or opt for Alfredo sauce if you prefer a creamier option. If you’re aiming for a vegetable twist similar to cacio e pepe—usually made with only pasta, black pepper, and Pecorino Romano—you can create a creamy sauce by combining these ingredients with some pasta water instead.

Additionally, you might want to include traditional pasta toppings like a dusting of Parmesan cheese or a pinch of red chili flakes for some spice. Alternatively,
elevate your basic pasta recipe by adding a fried egg
This addition makes the pasta heartier and boosts its protein content. Alternatively, consider incorporating leftover bacon or sausage from breakfast to enhance the meal’s richness. Lastly, garnishing with fresh herbs like basil, oregano, or thyme will immediately elevate the dish and infuse it with additional flavor.

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