Delectable Italian food, passed down through the generations, is at the heart of Nonnas: Zeppole, capuzzelle, generations-old red sauce, the list goes on. So it makes sense that the actors and creatives behind the new comedy film have strong opinions about how these ancestral dishes should be prepared.

Nonnas, directed by Stephen Chbosky, centers on Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn), a born-and-bred Brooklynite who, after the loss of both his mother and his grandmother, turns to what has brought him comfort his entire life: Italian dishes home-cooked by family, shared by many. With his mom’s insurance money and some help from his best friend Bruno (Joe Manganiello), he opens Enoteca Maria — a restaurant in Staten Island serving food cooked by four nonnas, or grandmothers: Antonella (Brenda Vaccaro), Teresa (Talia Shire), Gia (Susan Sarandon), and Roberta (Lorraine Bracco). “I enjoy food and spending time with friends and family — that connection,...