I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life — Here's The Recipe (2024)

    Pasta, gelato, and espresso...oh my!

    by Crystal RoBuzzFeed Staff

    Hot Topic

    🔥

    People are talking about

    Disney

    In case you missed it, Disney and Pixar's latest original feature film, Luca, has finally dropped, exclusively on Disney+!

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (2)

    Disney / Pixar

    For a refresher, Lucais a coming-of-age story about a young boy — well, really, a sea monster — who becomes best friends with another sea monster boy named Alberto, who shows him the wonders and beauty of life above the water's surface in a gorgeous seaside town on the Italian Riviera.

    The film is beautiful, fun, and, because it's set in Italy, it also features A LOT of amazing-looking food — in particular, a pasta dish called trenette al pesto.

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (3)

    Disney / Pixar

    Trenette al pesto is a unique pasta dish from the Liguriaregion of northwest Italy that features a thin, flat-shaped pasta with potato, green beans, and pesto.

    And, lucky for all of us, Disney actually has an official recipe for the trenette al pesto from Luca, featuring the adorable character Giulia Marcovaldo!

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (4)

    Courtesy of Disney-Pixar

    In the movie, Giulia's dad Massimo makes trenette al pesto for Luca and Alberto, and let's just say they DEVOURED the heck out of it. So, being the food-in-movies-lover that I am, I decided to try out the recipe. Here's how it went:

    Disney / Pixar

    BuzzFeed TrendingHot TopicObsessed with all things Disney? Join our fan community where you'll find hot topic discussions, quizzes, movie news, and more!See our Disney Discussions

    The official ingredient list for trenette al pesto from Disney includes a lot of expected items like the basil and pine nuts for the pesto, but it also has more unique ingredients like green beans and a yellow potato.

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (6)

    Courtesy of Disney-Pixar

    I've never had potato or green beans in pasta before, so I was excited to try it out!

    I was able to find almost everything on the list at my regular grocery store — the exception being the trenette pasta itself (I have literally never seen this type of pasta in a store before!). But the recipe said I could use linguine instead, so I did my best and opted for some linguine that's "made in Italy" at least.

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (7)

    Crystal Ro / BuzzFeed

    Apparently, trenette is very similar to linguine, but "somewhat thinner and narrower."

    Also, for the record, I already had coarse salt and EVOO on hand.

    The first step was making the pesto, starting with the basil, garlic, and salt.

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (8)

    Courtesy of Disney-Pixar

    I don't own a mortar, so I went with the food processor option to blitz up the basil, garlic, and salt.

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (9)

    Darren Leis / BuzzFeed

    Then I added the pine nuts and cheeses.

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (10)

    Courtesy of Disney-Pixar

    The recipe called for 100ml of extra virgin olive oil, but pouring an exact amount into my tiny food processor wasn't very easy, so I just had to eyeball the amount until the ingredients looked like a "very dense cream."

    Darren Leis / BuzzFeed

    And here's how my pesto turned out! The first thing I noticed was that the smell was AMAZING. That fresh basil is no joke.

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (11)

    Darren Leis / BuzzFeed

    Next up? The pasta, green beans, and potato!

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (12)

    Courtesy of Disney-Pixar

    The recipe called for 500g of the pasta, which as it turned out was the ENTIRE bag. This was the moment I realized this recipe could easily feed a family of four (or more!). So...ya know, take note!

    Darren Leis / BuzzFeed

    I honestly was curious if the potato and green beans would be cooked enough (or too much?!) with the pasta since it seems like these three ingredients would all normally have different cooking times.

    The pasta I bought said to cook for 11–13 minutes. I went right in the middle and did 12.

    Then it was time to put it all together.

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (13)

    Courtesy of Disney-Pixar

    I found it interesting that the recipe said to put the pesto in first (with some pasta water), and THEN add the pasta, but it actually worked pretty well! I only wish I'd had a slightly larger mixing bowl, LOL.

    Darren Leis / BuzzFeed

    And here's what my final product looked like:

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (14)

    Darren Leis / BuzzFeed

    A side-by-side with the movie, for fun:

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (15)

    Disney-Pixad, Darren Leis / BuzzFeed

    Finally, it was time to EAT!

    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life —Here's The Recipe (16)

    Courtesy of Disney-Pixar

    And let's just say...IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

    Darren Leis / BuzzFeed

    Honestly, a lot of times when I have a pesto dish, I find it can be too oily or too salty (probably because it's usually store bought). But this homemade, fresh pesto was SO. GOOD. It had the perfect balance of all the ingredients. I've literally never had better pesto in my life. I thought the potato might make the dish feel too "starchy," but it was actually a nice contrast to the pasta and made the dish feel heartier than if it was JUST the pasta. And the green beans added a nice flavor and a pretty pop of color as well. Overall, the trenette al pesto felt very light and summery!

    Verdict: One very bold *Italian Chef's Kiss*.

    Darren Leis / BuzzFeed

    10/10 would recommend making this dish!

    Wanna see this pasta dish and MORE amazing foods in beautiful animated form? Watch Luca NOW on Disney+!

    View this video on YouTube

    Hot Topic

    🔥

    People are talking about

    Disney
    I Made The Pasta From Disney's "Luca" In Real Life — Here's The Recipe (2024)

    FAQs

    What pasta do they eat in Luca? ›

    This creamy Trenette Al Pesto is the traditional Ligurian pasta dish featured in Disney-Pixar's Luca. Trenette pasta is cooked with tender potatoes and sliced green beans, then seasoned simply with Genovese basil pesto. It tastes like summer and is easy enough to make with kids!

    What kind of pasta sauce does Massimo Giulia's father make for Luca and Alberto that they love? ›

    Now it's time to put our whole Trenette al Pesto Recipe from Disney/Pixar's Luca together. Begin by placing the Pesto in a large bowl along with a tablespoon or two of the reserved Pasta Water. Stir lightly to combine. Next, add the cooked and drained Pasta, Green Beans and Potatoes.

    What food is inspired by Luca? ›

    Trenette al Pesto

    This simple and delicious pesto pasta dish is served in the film. It also happens to be one of our family's favorites! Trenette is a long flat pasta similar to linguine. If you can't find it at the store you can substitute any pasta you like because the secret is in the sauce.

    What was Luca made by? ›

    Director Enrico Casarosa stated that the film was inspired by his own childhood. On July 30, 2020, Pixar announced a new film titled Luca as an "Italy-set coming-of-age story", with Enrico Casarosa directing and Andrea Warren producing.

    What is stuffed pasta called in Italy? ›

    Ravioli. Possibly the most recognisable filled pasta type, ravioli are named after the Italian term 'riavvolgere' meaning “to wrap.” Ravioli have been a staple of Italian cuisine since the 14th century.

    Are Giulia's parents divorced in Luca? ›

    While nothing really calls attention to it at any point in the movie, Giulia's parents are (presumably) divorced, especially since they live in separate cities (though her parents must also have joint custody of her). In a Twitter post Enrico Casarosa wrote, it confirms that Giulia is 11 years old.

    Is Massimo from Luca Alberto's dad? ›

    Massimo Marcovaldo is a supporting character in the 2021 Disney•Pixar animated feature film Luca. He is the father of Giulia and a new friend of Luca Paguro and Alberto Scorfano.

    What is the most popular pasta sauce brand in Italy? ›

    If you're Italian, you know Mutti. They are the most popular commercial Italian tomato sauce brand. They're the Barilla of Italian passata – you can find them anywhere.

    Does Luca have autism? ›

    Luca's sister believes that he has super powers. He can hear noises that are very hard to hear and he remembers all the name's of the streets that they pass. Near the end of the film Luca's sister explained that Luca had autism.

    What culture is Luca based on? ›

    The Italian Riviera's towns of Portofino and Cinque Terre inspired Director Enrico Casarosa's creation of the fictional town Portorosso in Luca.

    What animal is Luca supposed to be? ›

    Luca and Alberto appear as human on land, where they explore a quaint Italian seaside village. Normally, though, they're iguana-like sea creatures covered in scales.

    Where is Luca set in real life? ›

    The Pixar movie Luca is set in Portorosso, Italy, which is a fictional location, but it's based on real small towns in Italy. Director Enrico Casarosa's Luca presents a simple coming-of-age tale on the sun-soaked Italian coast.

    Is Luca based in a real story? ›

    Pixar's Luca is set in a fictional town, but it's inspired by director Enrico Casarosa's childhood on Italy's coast, as well as local folklore.

    What kind of pasta does the dad make in Luca? ›

    The sea monsters love the dish trenette al pesto which is what the father makes in the film Luca. While trenette pasta is hard to come by here in America you can always replace it with linguine pasta. This is pasta dish in the movie Luca that we think you would enjoy making at home.

    What pasta is typical of Venice? ›

    The most traditional pasta recipe in Venice, you'll find bigoli in salsa on almost every menu in the city. Bigoli are a thick long pasta reminiscent of Tuscan pici, made from semolina flour and water, and are typically tossed in a salty savoury sauce of anchovies, onions and white wine.

    What is Sicilian pasta made of? ›

    Unlike in the north, where they use soft flour and eggs, in Sicily, pasta is traditionally made using only durum wheat and water. Not only is Sicily the OG pasta maker, but it's also home to various crave-worthy styles.

    What type of pasta is trenette? ›

    Trenette (Italian: [treˈnette]) is a type of narrow, flat, dried pasta from Genoa, Liguria; it is similar to both linguine and fettuccine. Trenette is the plural of trenetta, but is only used in the plural and is probably a diminutive of the Genoese trena, meaning 'string'.

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Article information

    Author: Horacio Brakus JD

    Last Updated:

    Views: 6444

    Rating: 4 / 5 (71 voted)

    Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Horacio Brakus JD

    Birthday: 1999-08-21

    Address: Apt. 524 43384 Minnie Prairie, South Edda, MA 62804

    Phone: +5931039998219

    Job: Sales Strategist

    Hobby: Sculling, Kitesurfing, Orienteering, Painting, Computer programming, Creative writing, Scuba diving

    Introduction: My name is Horacio Brakus JD, I am a lively, splendid, jolly, vivacious, vast, cheerful, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.