Pasta queen Laura Sharrad breaks down in tears after fan backlash gets to her on MasterChef
Laura Sharrad broke down in tears after wowing the judges with her stunning tortellini dish on MasterChef.
Over the weeks, the 24-year-old – who owns a pasta restaurant in Adelaide – steered clear of serving up pasta dishes after copping intense criticism from viewers for being a ‘one-trick pony.’
But after returning to what she knew best on Monday night’s episode, Laura welled up with emotion as she revealed the pasta dish took her back to her childhood, as it was what her ‘Nonna used to make for her.’
Laura Sharrad was left on the brink of tears after wowing the judges with her stunning tortellini dish on MasterChef
Laura revealed: ‘I haven’t put up a pasta dish in a long time in this competition. I made lots of pasta at the beginning of the competition and then I decided to push myself using different techniques and skills.
‘But I felt like today was the day. This dish is a childhood memory for me. It was the perfect time to pull it out. So, when my Nonna used to make this dish for us, I think it was my favourite thing.
Detailing the importance of the dish further, Laura ‘It was just like the best hug you could ever get. That’s what I want to do today.
Over the weeks, the 24-year-old – who owns a pasta restaurant in Adelaide – steered clear of serving up pasta dishes after copping intense criticism from viewers for being a ‘one-trick pony’
‘This is my childhood, and it’s getting me all emotional … Happy emotions, you know? Brings back nice memories.’
Judge Andy Allen asked Laura why they hadn’t seen a pasta dish from her in a ‘long, long time’
Laura responded: ‘I spent two years as a kid living in Tuscany… I’m gonna [sic] get all emotional.’
This comes after Chris Badenoch told News.com.au on Monday that the criticism levelled against Laura Sharrad this season for focusing on pasta was unfair because several other cooks were also making the same types of dishes over and over again.
‘Poor Laura’s copping it and I don’t understand it. I don’t understand why people decide to pick on certain individuals on a certain topic when others are guilty of the same thing,’ he said.
Chris argued that the backlash against Laura was ridiculous, saying: ‘She owns a f**king pasta restaurant, of course she’s going to do pasta! It’s what she’s best at and if she can do it, she will.’
He then singled out two of his former rivals: Reynold Poernomo and Reece Hignell.
‘Reece has made a thousand f**king tarts but he doesn’t get hit up for it. Reynold literally does the same dish every time, just a variation on a theme, and he doesn’t get plugged for it,’ Chris said.
‘I don’t know why people are giving [Laura] a hard time.’
Laura and her husband, fellow chef Max Sharrad, opened their own Italian restaurant, Nido, in Adelaide’s Hyde Park last year.
The couple had met in 2015 while working in the kitchen at Jock Zonfrillo’s Orana restaurant. They got engaged in 2017 and tied the knot in the Barossa Valley the following year.