Spaghetti alla Nerano

Several weeks ago, I read “Taste: My Life Through Food” by Stanley Tucci. Not only were the stories fun and heart-warming, he shares SO MANY beloved recipes. One recipe in particular stuck out to me; I’ve made it several times since finishing the book and it’s quickly become a house favorite. Spaghetti alla Nerano comes from Campania and includes ingredients typical of Neapolitan cuisine. This recipe uses up abundant summer zucchini PLUS it’s easy to make and it’s the perfect refreshing summer dinner.

I’ve made some modifications from the original recipe; mainly swapping fried zucchini for baked zucchini. Not only is the baking healthier than frying, nobody wants to stand over a boiling pot of hot oil in the middle of summer am I right??

NOTE: Do yourself a favor and order the Cav. Giuseppe Cocco spaghetti I list in the ingredients; this AMAZING pasta is hand-made and slow-dried in Italy and imparts the most beautiful texture and flavor to this dish.

Pasta alla Nerano

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 14oz (400g) spaghetti (I HIGHLY recommend Cav. Giuseppe Cocco spaghetti for this recipe)

• 24oz (700g) zucchini (tip: smaller, younger zucchini will be less watery and seedy and overall easier to work with)

• Organic extra virgin olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

• 3.5oz aged Provolone cheese, grated

• 1 handful fresh basil leaves

• Juice from 1 medium lemon, preferably freshly-squeezed

• Zest from 1 medium lemon

• ancient fine sea salt and pepper to taste

Kitchen Equipment:

• Stainless steel baking sheet

• 9 Cup food processor

• Kitchen scale

• 12 Qt sauce pan with lid

• Large stainless steel mixing bowl

• 15” Cast Iron Skillet

• Chef’s knife and cutting board

• Wooden spoon and Stainless steel spatula

• Parchment paper

Do yourself a favor and order THIS PASTA

This recipe is the perfect use for abundant summer zucchini

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450; slice zucchini into 1/4” thin discs and place in large bowl. Toss zucchini slices with enough olive oil to coat and spread in thin layer on parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20+ minutes until fork-tender and slightly browned (watch so they don’t burn!)

2. In the meantime, prepare pasta. Boil the pasta in plenty of lightly salted water until al dente and drain, keeping aside 2 cups of the cooking water.

3. Remove cooked zucchini from oven. Add 1/2 of baked zucchini to food processor with lemon juice. Pulse until evenly mashed (should be a “smoothie” consistency); add pasta cooking water as needed in the food processor to achieve desired consistency.

4. Heat 1-2 TBS olive oil on med in a large cast iron skillet until oil shimmers; add minced garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant (do not burn)

5. Reduce skillet temp to med-low and add creamed zucchini from food processor, remaining zucchini slices, and cooked spaghetti. Cook for 3-5 mins until evenly hot, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. If the mixture appears to dry, add some of the saved pasta cooking water.

6. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the grated provolone until it starts to melt and become creamy.

7. Plate the pasta garnishing with lemon zest, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Excellent served with a crisp white Italian wine, such as my favorite Toscana Vermentino.

I hope you enjoyed this article, and enjoy your beautiful spaghetti even more! Please feel free to ask any questions, and spread the love by sharing or pinning this post.

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