Welcome to the Italian seaside! We’re heading to Portorosso, a charming fishing village on the Mediterranean Sea. This Luca dinner is perfect for a family movie night or dinner with friends. Get all our Luca party plans, free resources, and recipes.
About luca
Luca is a charming film about two teenage sea monsters – Luca and Alberto – who venture out of the Mediterranean sea into a village where they take human form. The idea behind the film was inspired by local folklore and legend. Through their adventures, they learn important lessons about self-confidence and friendship.
Luca is set in the Italian Riviera in a fictional town called Portorosso during the late 1950’s. The setting was inspired by director Enrico Casarosa’s childhood on Italy’s coast. The seaside fishing village of Portorosso is quaint and is surrounded by the natural beauty of the Italian Riviera.
the Tablescape & Decor
We were inspired by the beautiful deep blues, emerald greens, and and warm neutrals from the film. Our table was dressed in a simple linen tablecloth and a fishing net.
We used deep turquoise dinnerware to reflect the ocean and sat our place settings atop jute chargers. We paired the dinnerware with simple goblets and linen napkins topped with a star fish. Our favorite element of the place settings was the Oceanic Coral cutlery. It adds a lot of character and is so much fun to use!
Our centerpiece was a simple round basket that housed a hurricane and candle. We added beachy details such as sand, driftwood, sea grasses, and an assortment of shells.
The Menu
The menu was simple, delicious, and fun. We combined signature dishes from the film with treats inspired by the sea. Get all the details and recipes below.
Layered Lemonade
This blended lemonade is a treat for both the palate and the eyes. The drink reflects the beautiful colors of the sea monsters and the color palette of the film. It’s simple to prepare and will be the star of the show! Get our recipe here.
Coral Crudites
Crudites are so simple and versatile. They also appeal to a wide variety of ages and tastes. We gave our crudite platter a twist by arranging it to look like a coral reef. Leaf lettuce and veggies were arranged in a low bowl with a shell-like finish. Green goddess dressing served in a sea shell was the perfect accompaniment. Get our recipe here.
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. We’ve included our favorite recipe below with our homemade pesto but if you need to save time, purchase a bottle of pesto at the store. This dish is a treat! Get our recipe here.
Caprese Salad
There is nothing like a fresh garden tomato! The caprese salad is an Italian tradition. It was created during the 1920s by a chef at Hotel Quisisana who wanted to pay tribute to everything that was Italy, including its country’s colors. Thus, the caprese salad featuring red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil was born. Our version also uses juicy yellow tomatoes from the garden. Deliziosa! Get the recipe here.
Luca Cupcakes
These vanilla cupcakes created by Anna are filled with mint cream and are so light and sweet! They’re topped with tri-color buttercream in blue, mint, and aqua and embellished with white chocolate star fish and shells, “seaweed,” and candy pearls. We created cupcake wrappers for them using watercolor paper in Luca’s color scheme of blue, green, and purple. Get our recipe here.
Mint chocolate gelato
served with white chocolate sea creatures
Gelato is such a treat! In the film, Luca and Alberto explore the sights, sounds, and flavors of Portorosso. Gelato is one of their favorites so we just had to include it! We purchased mint chocolate gelato at our favorite supermarket and served it in a sea shell with white chocolate sea creatures. It paired perfectly with the vanilla mint cupcakes!
Sand Dollar Cookies
These almond sand dollar cookies are so light, crisp, and delicious! They make a perfect after dinner treat. The almond cookies are embellished with slivered almonds and they really look like sand dollars. Get our recipe here.
For more inspiration check out our
Pinterest boards.
Please be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
pin for later
related posts
