This authentic Spaghetti alla Nerano recipe is from Nerano near Naples! This famous Italian pasta recipe features provolone cheese and a secret ingredient: fried zucchini! It's a cheesy pasta with an unforgettable umami flavor.
5ozprovolone cheesetraditionally, 'provolone del Monaco';shredded
1ozParmigiano Reggiano cheesefinely grated
1clovefresh garlic
4tbspolive oilextra virgin
11ozspaghetti
1pinchfine saltor to taste
frying oilan oil with a high smoke point like safflower or sunflower
Instructions
Fry the Zucchini
Slice the zucchini very thin, like potato chips.
1 ½ lb zucchini, 1 pinch fine salt
Fry the zucchini in batches at 350°F / 180°C until golden. Transfer the fried zucchini to absorbent towels and lightly salt. Don’t rest them on top of each other. Set aside.
frying oil
Grate the Cheeses
Shred the provolone and finely grate the Parmigiano cheese. Set the cheeses aside.
5 oz provolone cheese, 1 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Partially Cook the Pasta
Cook the pasta ¾ of the time recommended for ‘al dente’ on the package instructions. In the meantime…
11 oz spaghetti
Sauté the Garlic and Zucchini
Cover the bottom of a large pan with olive oil. Over low heat, sauté a clove of garlic ‘sweater on’ as they they in Italian! This just means leaving the skin on the garlic clove.
1 clove fresh garlic, 4 tbsp olive oil
After the garlic has infused the oil with flavor (a couple of minutes), add all but a handful of the fried zucchini to the pan. Keep the heat low to avoid burning the zucchini. Immediately add 2 ladles of the hot pasta water to the zucchini and oil. Cook for a couple of minutes to infuse the water with the zucchini flavor.
Finish Cooking the Pasta in the Pan
Transfer the spaghetti (cooked ¾ of the way) to the pan with the zucchini.
Add 2 more ladles of hot pasta water to the pan. Finish cooking the pasta until the spaghetti is cooked to ‘al dente.’
Finish the Pasta with Cheese
Remove the spaghetti from the heat. Add the provolone and Parmigiano cheeses along with another ladle or two of hot pasta water.
Mix the cheese with the pasta until it has melted and you’ve got a creamy pasta sauce!
Top with the fried zucchini that you previously set aside and some leaves of fresh basil (optional). Buon appetito!
Video
Notes
Selecting the Right ProvoloneMonaco provolone is a Naples cheese, similar to caciocavallo. It has a slight peppery flavor and melts wonderfully! Substitute a smoked provolone if you can’t find this at a specialty cheese shop.Deep Fryers Work Great!Deep fryers are cheap. They really do the job for tasks like frying zucchini because the unit will maintain a steady temperature.Deep frying in a pan? Zucchini is watery and will quickly drop the oil temperature when they are added. You’ll need to monitor the temperature to raise the heat before each batch is added.