Spaghetti alla Nerano (pasta with fried zucchini)

Name: Spaghetti alla Nerano (pasta with fried zucchini)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 14 ounces Spaghetti; 1.5 pounds zucchini; ½ cup olive oil; 2 cloves garlic; 4.25 ounces grated provolone cheese; 1 handful fresh basil leaves; salt; pepper

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5.0

228 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings
4
Calories
491 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Mediterranean, Italian

Spaghetti alla Nerano (pasta with fried zucchini)

Daisy Meyer

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Spaghetti alla Nerano made famous by Stanley Tucci in his Searching for Italy series is an excellent and delicious example of a simple but exquisite vegetable pasta recipe from Southern Italy. It includes ingredients typical of Neapolitan cuisine such as zucchini, garlic, basil and provolone cheese and is easy to make.

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Ingredients

Servings

14 ounces Spaghetti or linguine
1.5 pounds zucchini
½ cup olive oil extra virgin
2 cloves garlic peeled
4.25 ounces grated provolone cheese preferably Provolone del Monaco, spicy provolone or caciocavallo (see notes)
1 handful fresh basil leaves. washed and torn into pieces
salt for pasta and to taste
pepper to taste

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Instructions

Wash and cut the zucchini into thin slices, pat them dry with kitchen paper and then fry them in extra virgin olive oil until browned on both sides
Once fried, put the slices on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
Meanwhile boil the pasta in plenty of lightly salted water until al dente and drain, keeping aside a large cup of the cooking water.
Heat some more olive oil in a frying pan with the 2 garlic cloves and cook taking care not to burn the garlic.
Immerse the zucchini slices in boiling water for 4 or 5 seconds, then cream ⅓ of them either by mashing through a sieve or briefly liquidizing in a food blender with some of the pasta cooking water.
Remove the garlic and add the cream of zucchini and the zucchini slices to the pan and then stir in the cooked spaghetti. If the dish appears too dry add some of the saved pasta cooking water. Continue to stir over a low heat for a minute.
Stir in the grated provolone until it starts to melt and become creamy. Add more pasta water if necessary. You want a really creamy and cheesy sauce.
Season with a sprinkling of pepper and salt as required, Serve with the basil leaves torn into pieces and some extra grated provolone to taste.

Notes

Spaghetti is the traditional pasta for this recipe but other long pasta such as linguine work well too.Although the original recipe I followed calls for Provolone del Monaco, this cheese isn’t available everywhere, However there are other spicy provolone cheeses produced in Northern Italy and even in America which can be used instead. You can also use caciocavallo, pecorino or parmigiano.
Vegetarians should use a vegetarian parmesan or provolone.
Like many Italian pasta recipes there are slightly different versions of alla Nerano. Not all include creaming part of the fried zucchini and some add butter to the dish before serving. Instead of creaming some of the zucchini, you can just mash it with a fork.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 491kcal (25%) Carbohydrates 81g (27%) Protein 22g (44%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 17mg (6%) Sodium 202mg (8%) Potassium 722mg (21%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 597IU (12%) Vitamin C 32mg (36%) Calcium 242mg (24%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 491 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	491kcal	25%
Carbohydrates	81g	27%
Protein	22g	44%
Fat	9g	14%
Saturated Fat	5g	25%
Polyunsaturated Fat	1g	6%
Monounsaturated Fat	2g	10%
Cholesterol	17mg	6%
Sodium	202mg	8%
Potassium	722mg	15%
Fiber	5g	20%
Sugar	7g	14%
Vitamin A	597IU	12%
Vitamin C	32mg	36%
Calcium	242mg	24%
Iron	2mg	11%