Jimmy Kimmel: Home Cook of Your Dreams?

Photo: Randy Holmes/Getty

Jimmy Kimmel isn't merely a casual appreciator of fine cuisine. In the February issue of Glamour, the comedian reveals that he's got some major skills in the kitchen.

"For me, it's not enough to cook up scrambled eggs on a Saturday morning anymore," the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live tells the magazine. "I have a wood-fired pizza oven in my backyard, so I make pizzas. I make the dough and oftentimes make the mozzarella out of curd. I'll make fresh pasta and roll it out and everything." But his real specialty? Whipping up something spectacular from odds and ends in his kitchen. "That's when I really shine," Kimmel said.

Kimmel also broke down his approach to dieting, which struck us as... interesting. On Monday and Thursday, the funny man allows himself a meager 600 calories. But during the rest of the week, he eats "like I've been on an island and then got dropped off in front of an all-you-can-eat buffet in Las Vegas." Guess that's one way to do it!

Kimmel's interview appears in the February issue of Glamour.

Kimmel doesn't seem to be a man of simple tastes. For instance, in early 2014 he broke down a truly epic Super Bowl party menu for Bon Appétit magazine. Then, last fall, he welcomed avant-garde chef Massimo Bottura to his program, who cooked whimsical dishes such as "bologna foam" and a deconstructed lasagna.

But the most revelatory part of Kimmel's Glamour interview? His secret-weapon tomato sauce recipe, which has "taken [him] years to refine." Here it is, in the comedian's own words:

1. Heat a few tablespoons of good-quality extra-virgin olive oil in a pan.
2. Slice some garlic into thin pieces, and fry them until they're golden but not brown. If the garlic turns brown, start over. Remove the garlic from the olive oil.
3. Add a whole can of tomatoes to the olive oil, but remember: Not all canned tomatoes are created equal. I like Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes the best. They're not easy to find, but you can buy them on Amazon. Add a little bit of sea salt and a few leaves of fresh basil.
4. Bring that to a boil for a minute, and then turn down the heat and let it simmer for at least 20 minutes. It can do this for quite a while—up to a few hours will get you an even deeper flavor.
5. Once you're done, take a ladleful of pasta water and add it to the sauce.

Sounds good to us. Be right over, Jimmy!

More stories about your favorite late night talk show hosts:

Jimmy Kimmel parodies the ALS ice bucket challenge... with pasta

Kimmel hosts modernist chef Massimo Bottura

Remembering Jay Leno's late night run (through food)

Do you have a signature recipe? Tell us below!