Spaghetti alla Nerano
I do not have zucchini in my urban garden, but I do have fresh basil! Once again, a great summer recipe.
FYI, keep mixing the pasta until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce. Even if it seems to clump up at first, don’t be discouraged; keep at it. Add pasta water as needed. Spaghetti alla Nerano is less tricky to get right than the Roman classic because you’re mixing the pasta and cheese over heat. And any excess water will evaporate. The heat should be gentle, however, to avoid scorching the cheese.
When frying the zucchini, you need to keep the heat fairly high and space the zucchini rounds to avoid greasiness. This is why I fry it in batches so as not to crowd the pan. On the other hand, avoid browning the zucchini too much, or the zucchini can turn bitter.
Ingredients
Serves 4
14 oz spaghetti pasta
1-1/2 lbs zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
7 oz provolone cheese, grated
2 or 3 garlic cloves
A few basil leaves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Fry the zucchini slices in olive oil until lightly browned. Fry in batches if your skillet isn’t large enough to hold all the slices in a single layer. As they are done, lay the fried zucchini slices on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt well, and throw in the spaghetti. Cook until very al dente.
While the spaghetti is cooking, in a large skillet or sauté pan, sauté the garlic lightly in olive oil. Remove the garlic.
When the pasta is done, drain it. Reserve a few pieces of the zucchini for garnish and add the rest of the zucchini rounds and then the pasta to the skillet, and a ladleful of pasta water. Mix everything for a minute or two. If the zucchini rounds break up, it’s ok, that’s normal. Then add the grated cheese and some more basil leaves, and continue mixing until the cheese has completely melted into a creamy sauce, adding more pasta water if needed to keep things flowing smoothly.
Serve your spaghetti right away, topped with the remaining zucchini slices for garnish, along with perhaps a basil leaf or two.
Keywords: Pasta Italian Main
