Joe Biden Just Can’t Get Enough Angel Hair Pasta

Joltin’ Joe loves to carbo load like it’s 1994. Before officially launching his campaign for president, the former veep and Democratic senator from Delaware embarked on a string of high-paying speaking engagements, where his rider often included a very specific menu: a caprese salad, angel hair pasta pomodoro, raspberry sorbet, and biscotti. That’s a solid prix fixe dinner menu from a mid-90s trattoria, or an excellent vegetarian wedding dinner option in any decade. Uncle Joe previously refused to tell the Times about his favorite comfort foods, but now we know that that Biden is wild for capellini.

The Washington Post uncovered these details of Joe’s favorite Italian feast as part of a deep dive into his speaking engagement finances. Since leaving office and launching his campaign for POTUS, Biden participated in more than 50 private speaking engagements and book events, sometimes earning as much as $200,000 per appearance (though the Post notes that he did not collect any fees for at least 10 of these events). In addition to all that glorious angel hair pasta, Biden was also treated to VIP suites and chartered planes as part of these speaking events.

The fact that Biden loves angel hair pomodoro really isn’t all that surprising considering that the dish, like the man, is pale and a decade or so behind the times. But the raspberry sorbet detail does seem a touch out of place — anyone who’s familiar with Biden’s eating habits knows that he’s an ice cream lover first and foremost.

• Once the poorest senator, ‘Middle Class Joe’ Biden has reaped millions in income since leaving the vice presidency [WP]
• Joe Biden is contractually obligated to receive angel hair pomodoro at every paid speech [The Week]
• Joe Biden Loves Ice Cream More Than You Love Anything [E]