Spaghetti alla Nerano
Having recently started watching Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, a show where Tucci travels around Italy and tastes the wonders that each of its 20 regions has to offer, I have been really curious to try some of the unique Italian dishes that he has been sampling throughout the show.
One of those dishes was featured on the show’s first episode titled Naples and the Amalfi Coast was a dish that Tucci described as life-changing: Spaghetti alla Nerano, or spaghetti with zucchini.
Like many classic Italian dishes, this dish was incredibly simple in that it only has five main ingredients, but when brought together in harmony, it leads to a slightly creamy sauce seasoned with cheese and highlights the natural flavors of the zucchini.
On the show, the zucchini was first sliced then deep fried until golden brown, then that zucchini was left in the fridge overnight, presumably to allow the residual oil from the frying process to wake up lots of toasty flavors on the zucchini.
The zucchini is then cooked a bit more before being tossed with pasta and served.
I will note that I don’t do much deep frying at home, I find it to be a messy and dangerous process, but I think doing it occasionally is good. Besides, I am going for authenticity here.
Spaghetti alla Nerano (Spaghetti with Zucchini)
Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes plus overnight chilling
Sunflower oil, for frying
4-5 large zucchini
1 pound of spaghetti
Salt
Olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup of grated pecorino romano
1/2 cup of grated parmesan
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Step 1: Fry the Zucchini
Fill a wide, shallow pot with about 3 inches of sunflower oil, then insert a fry/candy thermometer and heat the oil to 350 degrees. Also, have a small sheet tray lined with paper towels standing by.
While the oil is heating, trim the ends off the zucchini and slice into 1/8-inch thick rounds.
When the oil is hot enough, carefully lower enough zucchini slices to create a single layer on top of the oil, you will need to do this in batches, then fry for 4-5 minutes, or until the zucchini is golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Remove the zucchini from the oil, then drain onto the paper towels and let it cool completely. Once all of the zucchini is fried and cooled, transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours, overnight would be best.
Step 2: Cook the Pasta and Make the Sauce.
The next day, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water until al dente, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain, then set aside.
While the pasta cooks, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the zucchini and a pinch of salt, then cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the zucchini breaks down and releases it’s juices.
Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of pasta water, then cook until the zucchini and the liquid starts to cling to the pasta. Swirl in the butter until the sauce becomes creamy and add more pasta water if it’s too thick. I say that the consistency of heavy cream is ideal.
Divide the pasta among 4 bowls, then top with both cheeses and basil leaves.
Would you look at that? An authentic Italian pasta dish that came together in as much time as it took to cook the pasta.
You get a wonderfully light, nutty flavor from frying that zucchini, the cheese provides a nice amount of seasoning, and it’s a really light, summery pasta dish that I think your family will love.
