Spaghetti alla Nerano is a classic Italian pasta dish originating from the Campania region. It's a creamy and comforting dish made with sautéed zucchini, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and spaghetti, perfect for a cozy dinner at home.
½cup(115 mls) olive oil((115 mls) more as necessary)
1teaspoonsalt(plus extra for pasta water)
fresh basil leaves(as desired)
black pepper
Instructions
Wash, dry and slice the zucchini into thin rounds a little over 1/16 inch (2mm).
Pour olive oil into a large skillet or frying pan. It should be a depth of about ¼ inch (a little over ½ cm). Add more oil if necessary.
Fry thinly sliced zucchini in hot olive oil until lightly browned. It’s best to fry in batches, making one layer of zucchini slices. It will take about 5-7 minutes, turning each slice over halfway through the cooking. Remove and drain. Then place on a plate and salt lightly. Continue with the remaining zucchini slices. Set aside until needed. Drain the oil and reserve for later.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
Add spaghetti and cook until 2 minutes before being completely done.
In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved olive oil. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Then add reserved fried zucchini and a handful of torn basil leaves. Add a little of the pasta cooking water.
Cook, stirring to combine until the pasta is ready.
When the pasta is ready, remove the pasta using tongs or a spaghetti scoop and add it straight to the skillet of zucchini.
Stir well to combine, adding more pasta cooking water if necessary. Stirring will make it creamy. In Italian this is know as “mantecare” which means “to cream” and it’s just the action of stirring.
Take the skillet off the heat and add in the cheeses. Stir to melt the cheeses, adding more pasta cooking water to assist.
Stir in lots of torn basil leaves.
Serve with a grind of black pepper and extra cheese
Notes
Tips for Success
Choosing young, medium sized zucchini
Slice the zucchini thinly.
Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying the zucchini.
Use two cheeses for the best flavor - aged provolone and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. If the provolone is sweet and mild include Pecorino Romano. Otherwise you could also use Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheese.
When stirring the pasta with the cheese add enough pasta cooking water to make a smooth sauce.
For more tips and information be sure to read the full post above.