Dan Pelosi Shares a 30-Minute Recipe and Talks Turning Viral Fame Into a Cookbook

The creator behind @grossypelosi shares a chorizo, cannellini bean and kale skillet from his book, 'Let's Eat'

His affability and viral vodka “sawce” recipe gave Dan Pelosi’s followers comfort (and comforting meal ideas!) during the COVID lockdown.

“I found myself sort of uniquely positioned to help people stay at home and cook,” the New Yorker behind @grossypelosi tells PEOPLE of his rise to social media stardom in spring 2020. Over 156,000 Instagram followers later and the fame hasn’t faded.

“I've had people my whole life be like, ‘You should work in a restaurant. You should do food. I love coming to dinner at your house. You're like Ina Garten.’ And I'm like, ‘That's great, but I can't just drop my career and live my life and just be Ina Garten.’ It turns out I can try my best," Pelosi says of transitioning from working as a creative director for 18 years to marketing himself. “I'm sort of my own little company."

Related: Cameron Diaz’s Nachos Are So Good They ‘Disappear in About 2 Minutes’ — Get the Recipe (Exclusive)

Pelosi was a fixture in the kitchen long before he let followers in on his culinary adventures. “I spent my childhood in the kitchen with everyone in my family who was cooking, which was everyone in my family,” he says.

Now his debut cookbook, Let’s Eat, showcases his family’s Italian American and Portuguese dishes, like the 30-minute weeknight dinner below.

“We’re the kind of family that’s talking about dinner at lunch,” he says. “Cooking is in our DNA and this book is a celebration of that.”

For more of PEOPLE's 50 Food Faves, pick up the latest issue, on newsstands now.

Chorizo, Cannellini Bean & Kale Skillet

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. dry-cured Spanish chorizo, cut into 1-in. pieces

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 Tbsp. smoked paprika

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. crushed red pepper

2 (15½-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chicken broth

1 medium (8 oz.) bunch lacinato kale, stems discarded, leaves roughly torn (about 6 cups)

1. Heat oil in a large 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium high until shimmering. Add chorizo; cook, until nicely browned on both sides, about 6 minutes, turning halfway through.

2. Add garlic and shallot; cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to brown and shallot has softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook, stirring often, until it darkens to a deep red, about 2 minutes. Stir in paprika, salt and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add beans and broth. Add kale; use tongs to toss mixture until kale wilts, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, let simmer, stirring constantly, until beans are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

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