If you’ve seen Pixar’s Luca, chances are good that you’re already familiar with Trenette al Pesto! Simple in nature, this traditional Ligurian pasta dish consists of trenette pasta (though spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini work just fine) tossed with a homemade basil Genovese sauce, green beans, and tender cooked potatoes. Sounds dreamy, right?
The best part? The pasta, potatoes, and green beans cook in one pot at the same time! 🎉 It’s hearty and delicious!
In the movie Luca, the recipe hails from Disney-Pixar Director Enrico Casarosa who spent his summers on the Italian Riviera. In the cutest scene imaginable, sea monster kids are treated to a big bowl of trenette al pesto which they devour with their hands. 😂 It’s all kinds of adorable!
As an added bonus, you can watch this adorable video released from Pixar on how to make trenette al pesto!
Homemade Pesto > Store-Bought
You can use any type of pesto you like, though homemade basil pesto is traditional. I’ve got dozens of recipes featuring pesto if you’re looking for inspiration on a new homemade pesto recipe or ideas for how to use up leftovers. Spoiler: this toasted walnut pesto is my personal favorite!
Make-Ahead Friendly
While the beauty of this dish is that it can be cooked in one pot, you can certainly break up the steps to cook things in advance, then warm together before serving.
To make in advance: prepare the basil pesto sauce, boil the potatoes, and blanch the green beans. Store separately. When you’re ready to eat, boil pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, then combine everything together in a large pan.
Alternatives To Trenette
Trenette is a shape of pasta that is long and thin (similar to spaghetti or linguine).
While this particular shape is not commonly found in American markets (I searched everywhere, and I have amazing specialty Italian shops in my town!), you can easily use other long thin pastas, like linguine, spaghetti, fettuccine, or bucatini.
To Make The Pasta Restaurant-Worthy
- Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water. Be aggressive; at least 1-2 tablespoons of kosher salt.
- Timing matters. Cook the potatoes first, then add the pasta. Add the string beans when there are only a few minutes left.
- Finish in a pan. Heating the pasta and pesto together in a pan helps the sauce stick to the pasta much better than if they were simply tossed together off the heat.
- Use reserved pasta water. Stir in a bit of reserved pasta cooking water to thicken the sauce and give it a creamy texture.
From personal experience, I can tell you that this pasta recipe is in fact loved and adored by children. It’s got a fresh, summery taste (basil is the absolute best!) and just puts a smile on your face. If you give this pesto pasta recipe, please let us know by leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and rating below!
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Trenette al Pesto (From Disney-Pixar’s Luca!)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the basil pesto
- 2 ½ cups fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest, plus half a lemon juiced
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the pasta
- 1 lb trenette pasta, can use spaghetti or linguine
- ½ lb green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1½-2 inch pieces
- 1 large Russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Make the pesto sauce. Place all ingredients except for olive oil in the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment: 2½ cups basil leaves, ½ cup grated Parmesan, ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1 tsp lemon zest, ½ lemon juiced, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and ⅛ tsp black pepper. Pulse until very finely chopped.
- Finish with olive oil. With the machine on, slowly drizzle in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil until smooth and emulsified. Set aside or store in a fridge until needed.
- Boil the water. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, then season generously with 1-2 Tbsp Kosher salt.
- Cook the potatoes. Carefully place the peeled cubed potato into the boiling water. Cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the pasta and string beans. Add pasta to the same large pot, then give it a good stir. Cook until al dente according to package instructions (usually 9-13 minutes, depending on the pasta). After 5 minutes, add the cut string beans. Check to make sure each ingredient is fully cooked, then reserve ½ cup of cooking water. Drain everything.
- Toss with pesto sauce. To the same large pot, pour in the prepared pesto sauce. Place over medium heat, then add the drained pasta and veggies along with ½ cup of reserved pasta cooking water. Toss until heated through and the pasta is well coated, about 2 minutes.
- Finish, then serve. Plate the pasta, sprinkle with additional Parmesan, then drizzle each portion with a little extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and extra black pepper, if wanted. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Basil pesto will keep for up to 5 days in a fridge.
Made this last night and it was delicious. Leftovers heated up nicely too! Served a green salad along side. Thank you!
It’s a fun one! My kiddos love this (which actually surprised me lol). Glad you enjoyed! xo, Ari
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