Martha Stewart Fires Back After Meghan Markle Serves Up Her Signature One-Pan Pasta
Meghan Markle’s With Love, Meghan is once again facing backlash over the series’ originality. The latest controversy? A culinary clash with Martha Stewart. The lifestyle icon reportedly hit back after Meghan prepared Stewart’s signature one-pan pasta on the debut episode of her Netflix series — without giving credit.
Meghan Markle vs. Martha Stewart: All the details
In the premiere episode of With Love, Meghan titled “Hello Honey,” the Duchess of Sussex welcomed longtime friend and celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin. The pair spent the day crafting a cozy visit: assembling a welcome basket, plating a picture-perfect crudité board, baking a honey lemon layer cake with raspberries, making beeswax candles, and whipping up a one-pan pasta dish Meghan called a “family favorite.”
But it’s that final dish that’s causing a bit of culinary controversy. And here’s where Martha Stewart comes into play.
Meghan’s Single Skillet Spaghetti drew attention not for its flavor, but for its striking resemblance to Stewart’s viral One Pan Pasta recipe, a dish that first took the internet by storm years ago. Meghan’s version follows the same preparation method: boiling raw spaghetti and ingredients in a single skillet with just a few cups of water, then covering it to cook.
However, while Meghan didn’t acknowledge the source, Stewart’s team took notice. Shortly before Meghan’s episode aired on March 4, Stewart’s team quietly updated the original recipe on her website on Feb. 5, nearly a month ahead, retitling it “the original and the best.”
The recipes share the same technique, but Meghan’s version puts a twist on the classic. Stewart’s original keeps it simple with spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, olive oil, salt, water, and Parmesan cheese. Meghan’s take doubles the tomatoes and adds lemon zest, Swiss chard, Lacinato kale, and arugula, giving it a more health-forward, elevated spin.
Still, fans and foodies are divided. Was Meghan’s version of the Stewart classic a royal remix or a recipe ripoff?
Originality issues have plagued ‘With Love, Meghan’ since day one
Originality issues have plagued With Love, Meghan since its debut. The series has drawn comparisons to existing celebrity lifestyle brands, and Meghan Markle has been accused of borrowing heavily from Gwyneth Paltrow’s company Goop, Pamela Anderson’s lifestyle series Pamela, Cooking With Love, and Joanna Gaines’ cooking show Magnolia Table.
Also, the theme, look, and concept appear to piggyback heavily on Magnolia Network’s Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines. Markle says in the trailer, “Surprising people with moments that let them know I was really thinking of them.” Gaines wrote on Instagram to promote her cookbook Magnolia Table Vol. 3, “Even more than the meal, it’s the moments they shape that are worth holding onto.”
From the branding aesthetic to the curated mix of wellness tips, recipes, and product spotlights, online commentators have pointed out that much of what’s presented feels familiar, if not recycled.
There is hope that season 2 (which was announced the day after the first season’s Netflix release) will delve deeper into Meghan’s unique experiences rather than reiterating trends. Despite the buzz, the show has ignited conversations about authenticity in celebrity branding, and whether audiences are starting to expect more than just a pretty aesthetic and a familiar formula.
Meghan Markle’s Netflix series appears out of touch
Some viewers have criticized With Love, Meghan for not fully aligning with the expectations of a lifestyle series. While the premise promised a behind-the-scenes look at Meghan Markle’s life, some felt the series lacked depth and authenticity.
Instead, the episodes come across as overly polished and self-promotional. The series feels like a highly curated glimpse into her post-royal life with Prince Harry rather than an honest, intimate look.
Subsequently, With Love, Meghan appears disconnected from its audience of everyday people. While Meghan’s status undeniably affords her a lavish lifestyle, some viewers have expressed disappointment that the series doesn’t explore more grounded, relatable topics, ingredients, and recipes.
What will season 2 bring? Viewers will find out when it debuts this fall.
With Love, Meghan currently streams on Netflix. Season 1 has eight episodes in total.
