"That’s really what makes life worth living"— Nonnas' actors share some of the cherished family recipes that are worth trying

Nonnas is the heartwarming true story of how Joe Scaravella, a Brooklyn native, started the restaurant Enoteca Maria to honor his deceased mother and grandmother, and hired actual grandmothers as the chefs. Despite the ups and downs that came with such an idea, Joe, his friends, and the grandmothers did not give up.

The movie involves a lot of cooking and food— specifically, Italian food. To that end, in a Tudum by Netflix article published on May 9, 2025, the actors in Nonnas shared some of their own family recipes. Director Stephen Chbosky expressed his thoughts about life, family, and food.

"Life, for all of its complications, is about the love of family, traditions, food, and the wonderful eccentric characters that come with it. That’s really what makes life worth living," Chbosky said.

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Nonnas' actors have some recipes for fans to try

In the Netflix article, veteran actresses Susan Sarandon, Brenda Vaccaro, actor Joe Manganiello, and scriptwriter Liz Maccie shared their cherished family recipes. Here's how some of them are to be prepared:

1) Susan Sarandon - Susan’s Sun-Dried Sauce

Susan Sarandon at Netflix's Nonnas World Premiere (Image via Getty)

Sarandon revealed that she came up with this way of cooking pasta while she was living in Rome. She stated that since she was the one who came up with this recipe, no one could tell her how to do it perfectly.

"And now my daughter Eva has perfected it, and she tells me how to do it," she further said.

The ingredients of Susan's Sun-Dried Sauce are:

• Two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• Two cloves of diced garlic
• Half a large diced onion
• One small log of goat cheese
• Eight ounces of penne or farfalle pasta
• Eight ounces of drained and diced sun-dried tomatoes
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Sarandon suggested starting by boiling the pasta water and shared that she always added four tablespoons of sea salt to the water, but it was optional.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent, and then add the tomatoes. Stir occasionally for about three minutes. Add the cheese and break it up to get a creamy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir, and turn off the heat.

When the water in the pot comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the packaging instructions so that the pasta is soft, but has a bite to it. Use a cup of the cooking liquid to loosen the sauce.

Add the liquid to make the sauce to the consistency of your liking, and then add the pasta to it. Toss the pasta in the pan with the sauce to coat. It is now ready to serve.

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2) Brenda Vaccaro - Christina Maria Pavia’s Simple Insalata Ricotta

Nonna Maria and Brenda Vaccaro at Nonnas World Premiere (Image via Getty)

While sharing the recipe of this dish, Vaccaro said:

"My mother always used white vinegar instead of lemon juice because lemon makes the ricotta tart."

The ingredients of Christina Maria Pavia’s Simple Insalata Ricotta are:

• One-third cup of vinegar
• One teaspoon of salt
• Eight and a half cups of milk

Set a saucepan on medium heat and pour milk into it. Heat the milk for about five minutes before removing it from the heat. Slowly stir in the vinegar and the salt into the warm milk. Let the milk stand until it curdles.

Take a large bowl and place a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth over it. Pour the milk mixture into the strainer. Wait until most of the liquid is strained from the ricotta; it should take about ten to fifteen minutes. Discard the liquid.

While Joe Manganiello shared his recipe for Manganiello’s Sauce and Meatballs, Liz Maccie offered up the Maccie Family’s Tomato Sauce, both of which sounded delicious.

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Nonnas is available to stream on Netflix.