Spaghetti alla Nerano
If you love eating spaghetti, try the classic Spaghetti Bolognese, creamy Spaghetti Carbonara, and spicy Spaghetti Allioli for more delicious Italian ideas.
Ingredients · Servings 4
- spaghetti - 400 g
- zucchini - 700 g
- olive oil - 80 ml
- garlic - 2 cloves
- Sirene provolone - 120 g
- Parmesan - 40 g
- fresh basil - 10 leaves
- salt - 1 tsp.
- black pepper - 1/3 tsp.
- pasta cooking water - 200 ml
Method · 40 min
- For spaghetti alla Nerano, choose fresh, firm zucchini, as they are what give this Italian pasta its delicate vegetable flavor. Wash the zucchini well, pat dry, and cut into thin rounds or crescents of approximately the same thickness so they cook evenly.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan, and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, until softened and lightly golden. If you add them all at once, they will cook too much and will not develop their characteristic aroma.
- The finished zucchini are removed on kitchen paper for a short time to drain the excess fat. They are lightly salted, a few torn basil leaves are added and left to rest for 5-10 minutes. This way their taste becomes richer and closer to the classic spaghetti alla Nerano.
- In the same pan, add the slightly crushed garlic cloves and heat for about 1 minute, just long enough to flavor the olive oil. The garlic should not turn brown, as this can give the sauce a bitter taste. Then remove.
- In a large saucepan, bring a large amount of water to a boil and add salt. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, but remove 1-2 minutes before it is fully cooked so that it remains slightly firm. Before draining, reserve about 200 ml of the water in which it was boiled.
- Some of the zucchini is lightly mashed with a fork or mashed very roughly with a little of the pasta water. This helps to create a creamy base without the cream. The remaining zucchini is left whole so that it feels nice in every serving.
- Transfer the spaghetti to the pan with the zucchini. Add a little of the reserved hot water and stir the pasta vigorously over low heat for 1-2 minutes. The starch from the water binds the olive oil, vegetables, and cheese into a smooth sauce.
- Finely grate the provolone and parmesan cheeses. Remove the pan from the high heat and gradually add the cheeses, stirring constantly. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little more hot pasta water until the spaghetti is coated in a silky, creamy sauce.
- The dish is seasoned with black pepper and fresh basil. The salt is checked at the end, because the cheeses are salty enough. The finished spaghetti alla Nerano should be juicy, shiny and well coated in sauce, without swimming in liquid.
- Serve immediately in warmed plates, with a little more grated Parmesan cheese if desired. They are best freshly made, but leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 day and gently reheated in a pan with a few tablespoons of water.
