Spaghetti alla nerano (Spaghetti with Zucchini)

What is spaghetti alla nerano

Spaghetti Alla Nerano is a traditional Italian pasta dish made with fried zucchini and cheese. So creamy, savory, and easy to make that this recipe will become one of your favorites!

The dish pasta Alla Nerano was served for the first time in the 50s in the small bay town of Nerano, in the Sorrentino peninsula.

Ingredients For Pasta Alla Nerano

• ZUCCHINI – If you can, use zucchine romanesche. Otherwise, use regular Italian zucchini and preferably a mandoline to slice them. They need to be as thin as possible so they won’t absorb so much oil.
• CHEESE – The traditional recipe calls for Provolone del Monaco, a spicy semi-hard cheese from the Sorrento peninsula. However, this cheese has a DOP status. which means is not so easy (or cheap) to find it outside Italy.  If you can’t find Provolone del Monaco, use another semi-hard provolone or caciocavallo.
• BASIL – Don’t chop it, instead, tear the leaves with your hands, right into the pan with the pasta.
• PASTA – Spaghetti is the first choice just as the name of this dish indicates. You can add any kind of spaghetti, just make sure don’t overcook it as it needs to finish the cooking in the pan with the condiment.
• OIL – The traditional recipe is made with extra virgin olive oil. But of course, is up to you. You can also use normal olive oil, especially if the extra virgin is expensive where you live or not so easy to find.
• GARLIC – Lightly smashed with the skin on. You need only a subtle aroma, so discard it after, as the recipe suggests.
• SALT – Remember that cheese adds salt as well, so pay attention to not add so much extra.
• PEPPER – Just a little bit right before serving, freshly cracked.

How To Make Nerano Spaghetti

Start by placing a large pot with water over high heat. While waiting for the water to boil, start with the recipe…

Using a mandoline slicer, slice finely the zucchini and place on a plate. You can also slice them by hand, just make sure they are as thin as possible.

In a frying pan heat a good amount of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and fry zucchini until slightly browned

Make sure you work in small batches, as they can burn easily.

Place fried zucchini on a paper towel-lined plate to drain oil. Once all zucchini are done, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few hand-torn basil leaves

Add salt to the pot with boiling water and cook the spaghetti until very al dente according to the package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Stir the garlic until fragrant, then remove it from the pan.

Add zucchini to the pan, reserving some for garnish. Pour a ladleful of the pasta cooking water and stir in the zucchini, mix for two minutes to rehydrate the vegetables.

Add pasta, provolone and parmigiano reggiano cheese. Pour another ladleful of the cooking water, and more hand-torn basil and then turn off the heat

Stir (mantecate) spaghetti thoroughly for one minute or until the cheese has melted and turned into a creamy sauce that perfectly coats the pasta

Place spaghetti on a serving plate. Top with the remaining zucchini, a little bit of pepper, and more grated parmigiano. And there you go, your spaghetti alla Nerano is ready to be enjoyed