Pixar’s Luca makes us want to visit the Italian Riviera so badly!
But since we can’t travel there ourselves right now, we’re going to try this recipe from Luca director Enrico Casarosa for Trenette al Pesto!
The recipe for this traditional Ligurian dish, makes enough servings for four people and Enrico even provided step-by-step illustrated instructions!
Since this is a pesto dish, you’ll need the usual pesto ingredients like basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and grated cheeses.
The first step is to work on the sauce by combining the garlic, basil, and olive oil.
Now for the cheeses and a little crunch from the pine nuts!
With the pesto ready to go, we can focus on the pasta, green beans, and potato.
The secret to the perfect pasta sauce is in the water — who knew?
And now we’re ready to mix it all together and enjoy!
Ingredients:
Pasta:
- 500 g Trenette (or pasta of your choice)
- 100 g Green Beans cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow potato cut into 1-inch cubes
Pesto:
- 45 leaves (50 g) of Basil Genovese (round leaves)
- 2 cloves of Garlic
- A pinch of Coarse Salt
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmigiano
- 2 Tbsp grated Pecorino
- A handful (30 g) of Pine Nuts
- 100 mL Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Directions:
- Crush the basil and garlic with a pinch of coarse salt (with a mortar and pestle if you want to be traditional, or a food processor if you don’t have one!) slowing adding oil as you go.
- Add the pine nuts, grated parmigiano, and grated pecorino to the mixture and continue drizzling in the oil until you achieve the consistency of thick cream.
- Boil water for the pasta, adding salt once it reaches a boil.
- Add pasta, green beans, and potato to boiling water.
- Once pasta is al dente — not overly soft and still has some texture — remove from heat and drain (reserve a cup of the pasta water!).
- Place pesto into a large serving bowl and add a few spoonfuls of the reserved pasta water.
- Pour pasta, green beans, and potato into the bowl with the pesto, mix, and enjoy!
This illustrated recipe is equal parts adorable and delicious, and we can’t wait to try it!
You could also add some more fun to your kitchen with items inspired by Luca by grabbing this Serving Paddle for $59.99…
…or one of the Luca mugs that are available (and can be customized) online!
Ready to cook up more Disney-inspired meals? Check out our video below about the 12 easiest Disney recipes to make at home!
For More Fun Recipes, Click Here!
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Have you tried this recipe? Let us know what you think of it in the comments!
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Brilliant!!! The second I saw Luca I wanted to try trenette al pesto!!! And I was so happy to find this , which is the original recipe form the director himself. This recipe is absolutely delicious and easy to follow. Thank you so much!!!! Xoxo
My Nonna used to make this for me when I was a kid and coincidently my name is Luca, so my nonna used to call it “pasta per luca”. When I saw the movie I was absolutely delighted!! I now make this for my kids, and they love ‘Luca pasta’ ( as they now call it).
Luke, this is such a great story. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for this adorable way of posting an easy to follow recipe. We are HUGE Luca fans and pesto fans too. This is an awesome dish!
Here’s a plant-based, whole food alternative (so no oil, or dairy) for pesto:
2 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 avocado
juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic
1 tsp Braggs liquid amino acids
1/2 cup water
Blend to desired consistency. (from The Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show; see YouTube)
I wanted do you try the Luca pasta the first time I saw the film it looked so good and when I saw it on Here I was so happy to try the pasta 🍝
After having trenette al pesto at an Italian bistro in Los Angeles county, I wanted to try it again. This was a fantastic recipe to discover. Since I couldn’t find any trenette pasta in the local grocers, I settled for fettucine as a close enough substitute. My friends and I had some hiccups while following the directions, plus we kept discovering that the stovetop pot could barely accommodate the pasta put in (we doubled everything, since we were serving eight people instead of four). The results were fantastic (although we also doubled the pesto sauce, liking our pasta very thickly covered) and very stomach-filling in a pleasant, satisfying way. I’m very grateful for this official recipe for the pasta seen in Luca, which was quite the cute, funny and endearing story that makes one wish to be a sea monster like Luca, swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Italian Mediterranean, but coming ashore frequently to enjoy trenette al pesto, just like how Giulia and her gentle giant of a father made it for Luca and Alberto. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Five stars!