Spaghetti alla Nerano
Spaghetti with fried zucchini and Provolone del Monaco
A pan of fried zucchini is the beginning of spaghetti alla Nerano. The thin rounds turn golden, then soften against hot pasta and starchy water. Basil lifts the sweetness; grated cheese brings the whole thing together without making it feel like a heavy cheese sauce.
The dish belongs to Nerano, on the Sorrentine peninsula, where the family at Trattoria Maria Grazia traces it to their kitchen. Their original three-cheese formula remains private. Modern regional versions use Provolone del Monaco, the aged local cheese whose gentle sharpness balances the zucchini.
Fry the zucchini in batches and stop when the edges are just golden. The final tossing matters as much as the frying: finish the spaghetti with a little cooking water, then work in the cheese off the heat until the sauce clings softly instead of turning stringy.
Ingredients
- 650 gsmall, firm zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced into rounds
- extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus a little for the pan
- 15–20fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
- 320 gthick spaghetti
- 1garlic clove, lightly crushed
- 160 gProvolone del Monaco DOP, finely grated (see note)
- fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kitchen notes
- Provolone del Monaco
- This is a specific aged cow’s-milk cheese from the Sorrentine peninsula and Monti Lattari, with a buttery, gently piquant taste. Seek the DOP cheese at a specialty Italian market; ordinary American deli provolone is a different product and will give a different result. Grate it shortly before tossing the pasta.
- Zucchini
- Choose smaller zucchini with firm flesh and a sweet, mild taste. Large watery specimens soften into a dull, greasy sauce instead of retaining some delicate rounds.
Method
Fry the zucchini
- Heat a generous depth of olive oil in a wide pan to about 330°F (165°C). Fry the zucchini in small batches, turning gently, until the rounds are supple and just golden at the edges, not brown and crisp. Lift them onto paper to drain. While still warm, scatter over most of the torn basil and a little salt. Reserve a small handful of zucchini for serving.
Start the pasta
- Boil the spaghetti in salted water. Meanwhile, warm a little of the zucchini frying oil in a broad skillet with the garlic until fragrant; remove the garlic before it colors. Add the fried zucchini, except the reserved handful, and a splash of pasta cooking water. Gently press a few rounds with a spoon so they begin to dissolve into the liquid.
Finish in the pan
- Transfer the spaghetti to the skillet while it is still distinctly firm, reserving at least 250 ml (1 cup) of its cooking water. Toss over medium heat, adding the water a little at a time, until the pasta is al dente and the zucchini and liquid form a loose coating. Take the pan off the heat and let the hard bubbling subside.
- Add the grated Provolone in several additions, tossing vigorously and loosening with a little more pasta water as needed. The sauce should look glossy and creamy, with no rubbery strings or puddle at the bottom of the pan. Finish with black pepper and the remaining basil. Divide among warm bowls, scatter over the reserved zucchini, and serve immediately.