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Rosa Graziano

What was the first dish you perfected?

A pasta puttanesca — it was one of my favorites.

All About Rosa

Rosa Graziano's Photos

Rosa's Farewell

There's no denying that Rosa entertained the Committee with her spirited performances, but when it came to her dishes, the mentors were looking for more on the plate, and ultimately her culinary struggles were enough to send her home after four weeks in the competition.

Focus On: Italian

Day One of the contest found Rosa in the spotlight — she was the first competitor to be introduced to the mentors and at-home audiences alike when she gave her quick pitch in the center of Food Star Kitchen. For her, a culinary POV came down to what she knew from growing up in an Italian kitchen: "All of my food is everything that was handed down through my mother," she explained.

Food vs. Camera

"It's Rosa Graziano on a plate," she simply said of the arancini she made for the premiere episode's food festival. This was the first plate she prepared for the judges, and while the Committee wasn't wowed by it, Bob Tuschman admitted to seeing "big potential" in her through her video.

A Welcome Break

A brief break in filming made for an especially excited Rosa.

Reining in the Humor

Come Episode 2's Mentor Challenge, Rosa couldn't help but get the Committee laughing with her light-handed approach to making steak crostini, but guest judge Melissa d'Arabian warned her, "It you're too casual, you're seeming almost dismissive."

Thinking Classically

The sweets-turned-savory baking challenge was a cause for concern for nearly all of the finalists; Rosa handled it in stride, combining both American and Italian ingredients to represent her Italian-American upbringing. "An apple is all-American and the figs are as Italian as it gets," she explains.

Baking Success

"She seemed like a regular old gal in a way that might capture my attention," guest judge Alex Guarnaschelli said of Rosa after she presented to the Committee and pastry chefs. They were not only impressed by her performance, but the tart, too, was a success. "I like the apple pie spices with the dried figs," Alex said.

Photo Ready

The mentors were to select only eight of the 10 finalists' dishes to sample based solely on their photos, and lucky for Rosa, her meatball offering was selected. Unfortunately, however, the situation changed for Rosa when she presented her dish, as she called it "basic," which should never be said, according to Bobby. "I want it to be your meatballs that are spectacular," he told her.

Team Unity

The second half of Episode 3 brought the ladies of the competition together, working on a team to serve the Committee at a dinner party. "The girls rocked it today. I sure hope we nail this one," Rosa penned afterward.

Needing More

Tasked with making a burnt salad, Rosa prepared a fennel salad, but while the Committee appreciated her idea of using fennel, the judges found errors in its preparation. "There's too much of, like, a crunch," Giada said.

How to Use Mushrooms

After struggling to decide what to prepare at the Fourth of July picnic, Rosa finally chose chicken Parmesan — only to have her ingredients later swapped during an unforeseen challenge from the mentors. Forced to work with portobello mushrooms, she prepared a sandwich, but that also left her with questions. "Is a grilled portobello mushroom on a sandwich enough to win the judges over?" she wondered.

A Culinary Conundrum

In true Rosa fashion, her presentation received rave reviews, with the guests giving her a high rating on what Bobby called "The Dials of Doom." But once again, it was her food that was the problem. "The only thing I want to eat here is the mushroom," Bobby explained, noting that the portobello got lost in the excess of bread. "When you make a sandwich, the ratio of bread to whatever the protein is is incredibly important."

Rosa's Goodbye

Rosa said goodbye to the competition after a four-week journey, explaining through tears the importance of her family to her in this experience. "You always want to make your parents proud. They're the reason why I'm here," she said, "'cause they believed that much in me. My family will always be proud of me."

One-on-One with Rosa

Hear from Rosa in her first exclusive exit interview to learn her thoughts on the contest and what's next.

Go Behind the Scenes

Get an insider's look at the making of the show, and see how the cast spends its time between takes.

Want More Food Network Star?

Check out Food Network Star headquarters for more photos, plus exclusive interviews, top video clips and insider coverage of the competition.