Gianluca Conte is stepping out of the kitchen and straight onto the cover of Playgirl, and he looks absolutely unreal doing it.

Known online as @itsqcp, the 26-year-old has built an empire on being the chaotic king of Italian food, but this shoot proves he’s just as comfortable serving looks as he is serving dinner.

Shirtless, confident, and completely in his element, Gianluca’s cover moment feels like the natural next step for someone who’s turned cooking into a full-blown performance art.

On social media, Gianluca has mastered a lane that’s totally his own. He doesn’t just post recipes: he turns them into skits, bits, and full-on mini-comedies.

One minute he’s walking you through a pasta dish, the next he’s sending it into absurd territory with unhinged gags, physical comedy, and timing that keeps you guessing what he’ll do next.

His whole thing is pushing the joke just far enough that you’re laughing and low-key hungry, and that mix of charm, chaos, and food obsession has turned him into one of the internet’s most recognizable cooking personalities.

At the heart of it all, though, is something really sincere: his love for the kitchen. “There’s just an unconditional amount of love that comes from the kitchen, from how much food will be made,” he shared in the interview. “It’s just a given, no matter what household you’re in or where you are, and it’s really a beautiful thing.”

That warmth is exactly what comes through in his content: beneath the jokes and stunts, there’s this genuine belief that food is about care, connection, and showing up for people.

Gianluca also opened up about how much his content has evolved. When asked how things have changed over the years, he explained, “My first 50 cooking videos were really character-focused. People loved them, but it was hard for me to feel comfortable with this character being so distant from who I am.

“Over the years, I’ve become more comfortable and confident with becoming a character. I learned that anytime you’re on camera, you need to be more entertaining than regular, but not too crazy.”

It’s such a smart, grounded take on internet fame, finding that balance between performance and authenticity without losing himself in the process. Seeing him on the cover of Playgirl feels like the perfect collision of everything he’s built: the confidence, the humor, the sex appeal, and the total lack of fear when it comes to going all-in.

He looks incredible, the energy is fun and flirty, and it cements Gianluca Conte as more than just “the pasta guy,” he’s a full-on personality, and he’s only getting started. Read the full interview here!