President Obama Jokingly Owes His 2012 Election Win To This 'Lucky' Pasta Dish

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Few people are as famous or well-known as the president of the United States. As such, the habits of our presidents have been very well documented, down to the desserts that presidents loved most. Like us, presidents have their favorite restaurants and their own preferences when it comes to food. Their eating habits have only become better tracked over time, with former president Barack Obama's foodie habits being amongst the most well-documented. Obama hasn't been shy about his food preferences, going on record to discuss his favorite pizza spot and the best restaurants he visited on the campaign trail. One his personal favorite dishes from the campaign trail and his days in office was the "lucky" pasta.

Obama's so-called lucky pasta dish is straightforward and simple: chicken, spinach, pesto sauce, and penne. It might not sound like a presidential banquet, but Obama enjoyed it so much that he called it perfect the first time he tried it and later went on to joke that the pasta is what gave him the lucky push he needed to triumph on the campaign trail, during presidential debates, and eventually in the election itself, hence its name.

The dish proved to be not only impactful for the former president but also for the chef who made it, Sam Kass. The former White House chef went on to include the recipe in his cookbook "Eat a Little Better," along with the story about how the pasta came into being. Since the recipe's publication, others have gone on to try the lucky dish for themselves, and they agree with the former president: Not only is this pasta dish delicious, but it's easy to whip up in just a few minutes. It's easy to see why it became a favorite for Obama.

The only thing more interesting than the dish itself is the story of its inception, which was frankly kind of an accident. According to White House chef Sam Kass, the pasta was a recipe he pulled out of thin air while accompanying President Barack Obama onboard Air Force One to the second debate of his re-election campaign. Obama had requested a meal but expressed that he wanted something that wasn't "too heavy." As if cooking for a president right before an important debate wasn't pressure enough, Kass would also be cooking for the first time on Air Force One.

Crammed into the tiny kitchen of Air Force One, Kass got to work whipping up something simple and filling that wouldn't be too heavy. The recipe was far from planned, according to Kass, yet the response he got was overwhelmingly positive; Obama said it was exactly what he wanted. Apparently he raved about it to other staff as well, with the president's photographer, Pete Souza, telling Kass, "I don't know what you put in the pasta but the president has been talking about it all afternoon."

That day, Obama really turned things around during the second debate, earning his re-election campaign a much-needed win. He credited Kass and the pasta for making his debate performance as good as it was. The dish was quickly dubbed the "lucky pasta" and was made again for the final debate and on Election Day as something of a good luck charm. It just goes to show that a good meal, no matter how simple, can really go a long way.