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

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In case you missed it, Disney and Pixar's latest original feature film, Luca, has finally dropped, exclusively on Disney+! 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. 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! 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: 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 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. The first step was making the pesto, starting with the basil, garlic, and salt. I don't own a mortar, so I went with the food processor option to blitz up the basil, garlic, and salt. Then I added the pine nuts and cheeses. 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." 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. Next up? The pasta, green beans, and potato! 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! Then it was time to put it all together. 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. And here's what my final product looked like: A side-by-side with the movie, for fun: Finally, it was time to EAT! And let's just say...IT WAS DELICIOUS!! Verdict: One very bold *Italian Chef's Kiss*. Wanna see this pasta dish and MORE amazing foods in beautiful animated form? Watch Luca NOW on Disney+! FAQs References

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

    by Crystal RoBuzzFeed Staff

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    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

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    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+!

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

    FAQs

    What pasta did 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? ›

    The father of the young girl makes a dinner dish for all of them. 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.

    What do they eat in Disney Luca? ›

    Trenette al Pesto Recipe from Luca, the Disney-Pixar Movie - La Cucina Italiana.

    What are Luca and Alberto eating? ›

    This legendary Ligurian dish (trenette al pesto con fa*giolini e patate) makes no fewer than four guest appearances in this sweet, coming-of-age animation, most famously when Luca and his pal Alberto are introduced to it for the very first time.

    What is the typical pasta of Lucca? ›

    Tordelli Lucchese is a stuffed pasta from the city of Lucca, typically in the shape of a half-circle, and usually filled with a mix of ground meat, greens, pine nuts, and raisins.

    Are Giulia's parents divorced in Luca? ›

    It is possible that Giulia's mother, who lives in Genova, is separate from Massimo, Giulia's father, because of a divorce.

    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.

    How did Massimo lose his arm? ›

    Massimo also is shown to have a sense of humor where he once told Alberto that a sea monster ate his arm before he revealed he was joking and that he was actually born with one arm.

    What is the uncle fish in Luca? ›

    Uncle Ugo is a supporting character in the 2021 Disney•Pixar animated feature film, Luca. He is a sea monster, Luca's uncle and Lorenzo's brother.

    What kind of fish is Luca? ›

    In the summer circa 1959, timid sea monster child Luca Paguro herds goatfish off the coast of the Italian town of Portorosso. His parents forbid him to approach the surface, fearing that he might be hunted by humans.

    What creature is Luca? ›

    The titular character, Luca Paguro, is a sea monster with the ability to shape-shift into human form when on dry land.

    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.

    Are Luca and Alberto in love? ›

    Unfortunately, none of the tangible romantic chemistry between Luca and Alberto was ever made official in the film, and Casarosa is now talking about why that was, even though making the characters gay was reportedly a possibility.

    What type of pasta did Marco Polo bring from China? ›

    Legend has it that spaghetti is descended from noodles, based on the premise that Venetian nobleman and merchant Marco Polo imported long, worm-like strands of the latter to Italy from China in the late 13th century. To many, though, the Chinese origins of Italian pasta are a myth.

    What kind of pasta is Rotelle? ›

    Rotelle is a type of pasta resembling wheels with spokes. They are similar to fiori. The name derives from the Italian word for a small wheel. In Italy they are also called ruote, and in the US they are usually called "wagon wheels".

    What did Luca feed on? ›

    The results suggest that LUCA was a heat-loving microbe that fed on hydrogen gas and lived in a world devoid of oxygen, bolstering strong suspicions that life on Earth formed in and around hydrothermal vents such as those found near undersea volcanoes.

    What is the specialty of pasta in Venice Italy? ›

    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.

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