Lidia Bastianich's Last Meal Would Be A Simple Italian Spread Prepared With Family

Thinking of last meals can be rather morbid. However, it is fascinating to know what people would choose to enjoy for their final meals, as it is not always a choice. Beatles musician John Lennon enjoyed a corned beef sandwich and a cup of hot tea before being tragically assassinated, and Frank Sinatra swapped his usual New York strip for a simple grilled cheese shortly before his death. Chef Lidia Bastianich would return to her roots with her final meal.

In an interview for Melanie Dunea's "My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals," the cooking show host and restaurateur revealed that her ultimate spread would consist of multiple dishes. (Fellow celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's last meal is similarly diverse.)

Dunea's book prompts beloved chefs to devise their ideal final meals before dying — and given that they are people who have dedicated their lives to the craft of food, they often have quite insightful and inventive answers. For instance, the cooking show host and restaurateur envisions enjoying her last meal in her stunning, seaside house. There, she would enjoy a four-course meal of Italian favorites, complete with an appetizer and dessert. "My last meal would consist of a plate of sliced San Daniele prosciutto with some ripe black figs; linguine with white clam sauce; a plate of Grana Padano; and perfectly ripe, juicy peaches," she said.

Lidia Bastianich shared more about her last meal, including the selection of alcoholic beverages she would serve with each menu item. Additionally, she said she would cook the meal with her mother and children as an homage to their tradition at home. Together, they would enjoy the lavish meal, alongside Bastianich's dearest friends. But for the drinks, the chef would turn to her family's line of delicious wines. "I would like to pair Bastianich Rosato with the prosciutto, Bastianich Vespa with the white clam sauce, and Morellino la Mozza with the Grana Padano," the chef and author shared with Dunea.

While the world's oldest winery has been operating since 862 A.D., the Bastianich family has been involved in wine production since the 1970s, often endorsing specific brands in their restaurants. That interest led them to plant their own vineyard in Italy in 1997. Now, the wine brand has two vineyards in Northern Italy's historic region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. One is set in Premariacco, where the grapes for heavier, more robust wines are grown, whereas the other is in Cividale and grows grapes for more aromatic wines.