'Eat Pray Love': Eat Your Heart Out

Julia Roberts is absolutely lovely as Liz Gilbert in Eat Pray Love, which opens Friday, August 13. But the real star of the film is, of course, the food! (After all, I think most fans would agree that the "Eat" portion is the best of the three.)

The movie's being billed as a romantic comedy, but "food porn" might be more accurate. Here's a sneak peek at a few of the mouthwatering dishes about to make their way to the big screen ...

Ultimately, Eat Pray Love is about Gilbert's need for satisfying love; but she spends the first third of the story in Italy searching for a way to satisfy her stomach. As she explains, "This is my no carb left behind experiment." And she's not kidding, especially when she happily tucks into a huge plate of spaghetti at a Roman restaurant.

Director Ryan Murphy (of Glee fame) called the pasta-eating scene the most controversial in the movie. He explains:

"... one of the reasons the book was so successful is it gave young women permission to eat ... in our culture right now there's so much guilt around food and appetite, so having a scene where a woman eats with unabashed joy is amazing and lovely."

Gilbert has a similar attitude toward pizza, specifically Neapolitan-style pizza with thin, crispy crust, oozing with cheese and sauce.

In the trailer for the film, she famously declares: "I'm having a relationship with my pizza" before explaining that while she has no interest in being obese, she's through with the guilt. And if she happens to go up a few jean sizes in the process? Then so be it.

And, of course, it wouldn't be Italy without gelato. Gilbert admits that she indulged in the rich and creamy dessert nearly every day. And with so many flavors, I think it would be a crime not to ...

Gilbert writes about gaining almost 20 pounds whilst in Italy, and Roberts told the press she gained 11 during filming. It's no wonder both women were tempted, especially after seeing the montage of authentic toothsome Italian dishes that made it into the film, including this plate of fresh cantaloupe draped in salty prosciutto.

Hungry for more? Well, you'll just have to wait until Friday.

Are you going to see Eat Pray Love?

Images via Columbia Pictures