Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with delicate zucchini slices, this Spaghetti alla Nerano dish is a meal in itself — no side dish required — and it tastes heavenly.
This Spaghetti alla Nerano dish is incredibly simple to make yet not so simple to get right. At its best, it is the loveliest pasta made wonderfully creamy with just a little butter, cheese, pasta water, and delicate fried coins of zucchini that are subtly perfumed with basil and garlic. At its worst, it is mushy, dry pasta with a sauce that has little flavour and clumpy cheese throughout.
Luckily, the technique used in this recipe is incredibly easy and foolproof avoiding all the latter pitfalls. Though this pasta dish feels more fitting for a summer evening meal, its quick preparation, and deliciousness, makes it a winner all year round. You’re going to absolutely love it.
About Spaghetti Alla Nerano
If you have watched Stanley Tucci; Searching For Italy, you will be very familiar with the origin and story of this dish. The episode of Stanley Tucci enjoying Spaghetti alla Nerano is one of the most popular of the show and had us all wildly searching the internet for ways to recreate it.
Turns out, chef Maria Grazia who created the pasta dish for her restaurant back in the 1950’s kept the recipe very secret and it remains secret to this day. Her restaurant still exists in Nerano, Italy – a village in the region of Sorrento – where the pasta is still served and loved by everyone that orders it.
Though the origin of Pasta alla Nerano has never been disputed, the exact ingredients used, and the method of making it, certainly have. This is not surprising given the original recipe is still a secret. Most recipes follow the common thread of frying thinly sliced zucchini in garlicky oil, then adding it to spaghetti along with grated cheese, basil, a little butter, salt and pepper. The differences lie on whether some of the zucchini is blended before adding it to the spaghetti, and which cheese, or cheeses, are used.
I will get more into the cheese choices down below, but after trying several different methods, for taste, as well as for ease of preparation, I prefer leaving the zucchini unblended. I feel that between the frying, and the addition of pasta water, the zucchini softens enough to “melt” into the sauce without the need for blending.
Due to the fact that the original spaghetti alla Nerano recipe is still a secret, the recipe you find here is of course not an exact replica. In fact, the spaghetti alla Nerano Stanley Tucci is seen enjoying in the show, is not from the Maria Grazia restaurant. Nevertheless, this recipe uses a combination of ingredients and techniques that result in a truly delightful pasta dish you will making at home again and again. I’m sure of it.
Notes on Ingredients
Spaghetti alla Nerano requires only a handful of ingredients but for best results, you really must choose them wisely.
The zucchini:
If you live somewhere in the world (hello Italian readers!) where you can find the lightly coloured, striated variety known as zucchine romanesche, grab those! For the rest of us, choose the smallest zucchini you can find that are lighter in colour, if possible. When you taste a piece, the zucchini should be sweet. If it tastes bitter, your pasta alla Nerano will not be as good as it relies on this sweetness for its success.
The zucchini is sliced into thin rounds to ensure it cooks quickly. Thin zucchini will also absorb less oil. A mandolin makes this job very easy but a sharp knife will also work. Many recipes deep-fry the zucchini but I find a very shallow fry to be just as good, and less messy.
The cheese:
The hunt for the perfect cheese nearly made me give up on this recipe. The classic cheese used in most Italian versions of this dish is Provolone del Monaco, a semi-hard cheese with a DOP certification from the Sorrento Peninsula. However, it is not easy to find in North America so an aged provolone cheese can be used instead. This too, however, is also hard to find.
Caciocavallo, another type of stretched cheese made out of sheep’s or cow’s milk is recommended as a good alternative when mixed with Pecorino Romano or Reggiano and that is what we use here. This combination gives the pasta the creamiest texture and a fabulous flavour that doesn’t overwhelm.
The only downside is that depending on where you live, caciocavallo can also be a little hard to find. If you can’t find it, use a combination of mostly pecorino with some Reggiano. Note that I do not recommend using solely caciocavallo to make this spaghetti alla Nerano. The mild flavour of the cheese will in turn make the dish lack enough flavour.
*For my readers that live in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, you can find caciocavallo here and here.
The pasta:
I have only ever seen this dish made with spaghetti. I don’t recommend using any fresh pasta because it would likely fall apart when vigorously tossed with the sauce. In addition, the spaghetti needs to be cooked al dente. As in cooked almost half of the recommended time on the package. This is because to achieve a smooth, creamy sauce, you must toss the pasta for at least 3-4 minutes over gentle heat with the rest of the ingredients. During this time, the pasta will finish cooking perfectly.
Note: If you do use a thicker pasta like penne, you will have to boil it longer because it will likely not finish cooking in the pan.
Remaining ingredients:
- Fresh basil leaves – A handful of torn basil leaves are essential to flavour this dish.
- Extra Virgin Olive oil – For shallow frying the zucchini and adding flavour to the pasta dish.
- Garlic – To flavour the cooking oil.
- Butter – Adding a tablespoon of butter is optional but it does lend a little more creaminess to the dish.
- Seasoning – Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper is all you need for seasoning the spaghetti alla Nerano.
How to make spaghetti alla Nerano – Step by Step
The beauty of this dish lies in the delicateness of the fried zucchini that is tossed with the just-boiled spaghetti. Here is the method with step by step photos:
Using a mandolin, or sharp knife, finely slice the zucchini. Place a large pot of water over medium heat and maintain it at a gentle simmer.
In a large, high-sided frying pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and sauté until garlic releases its flavour and starts to turn a light golden colour, about 1 minute. Remove and discard the garlic cloves. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the zucchini slices in batches (if necessary). Cook until the zucchini slices have softened and most have turned lightly brown.
Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. If you’d like, set aside a few of the prettiest slices for garnish. Do not clean out any remaining oil in the pan.
Bring the pot of water to a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt and throw in the spaghetti. Cook until very al dente (about 4 minutes less than the package instructions). Just before the pasta is ready add 2 ladlefuls of pasta water to the frying pan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Reserve 2 more cups of pasta water.
Add all the spaghetti to the pan (pull it right out of the pot with tongs and transfer to the pan wet) along with the cooked zucchini slices. Using tongs, mix the pasta and zucchini vigorously for about 1 minute.
Over the lowest heat, stir in the cheese(s), basil leaves, and butter (if using) and continue tossing and mixing until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is creamy.
At any point if the pasta seems dry, or if the cheese is clumping, add a few more splashes of reserved pasta water and keep mixing.
Serve the spaghetti alla Nerano immediately in individual bowls or plates, topped with the zucchini slices for garnish and a few more torn basil leaves, if desired.
Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the zucchini. The zucchini will brown and soften quicker if cooked in batches. That said, I don’t always heed this advice. If I’m pressed for time I fry them all together and somehow it still works out.
- Use two different cheeses. Using a combination of two cheeses will give this pasta dish the best flavour. Pecorino and caciocavallo are my first choices but failing that, Reggiano and pecorino, or Reggiano and a hard provolone will also be great.
- Keep mixing the pasta until the cheese melts. Caciocavallo has a tendency to clump up a bit. Start tossing vigorously the second it hits the pan. Don’t give up, if it clumps add a little more pasta water and just keep tossing.
- Use a large skillet. Your skillet should be at lest 12 inches wide so you have enough room to do the tossing. If you don’t have one large enough, you can toss everything in a bowl. Just make sure your pasta water is really hot when you add it so it melts the cheese.
- Don’t toss the pasta and cheese over high heat. When you are tossing the spaghetti in the pan, make sure the heat is very low. Otherwise, the cheese will clump up too quickly and the pasta will get mushy.
To Store Leftovers
Spaghetti alla Nerano is best served immediately while it is still warm and creamy. Leftovers can be stored up to 3 days in the refrigerator and reheated gently on the stovetop.
But if you want to know the best use for the leftovers, it’s to make a spaghetti frittata such as this one. Yum!
Other Zucchini Recipes To Try
Spaghetti Alla Nerano
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Extra-virgin olive oil or a little more to cover the base of a pan
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and gently smashed
- 4 small zucchini (about 1 1/4 pound) sliced into thin rounds
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter optional
- 1 lb (500g) spaghetti
- 2 cups reserved pasta water (you won't use it all)
- 2/3 cups (80g) grated fine *Caciocavallo (use the smaller holes of a box grater)
- 1/2 cup (50g) grated fine Pecorino (use the smaller holes of a box grater)
- A handful basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Place a large pot of water over medium heat and maintain it at a gentle simmer.
- Heat the oil in a large, high-sided frying pan, over medium heat. The oil should cover the base of the pan. Add the crushed garlic and sauté until garlic releases its flavour and starts to turn a light golden colour, about 1 minute. Remove and discard the garlic cloves.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the zucchini slices in batches (if necessary). Cook until the zucchini slices have softened and most have turned lightly brown. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. If you'd like, set aside a few of the prettiest slices for garnish. Do not clean out any remaining oil in the pan.
- Bring the pot of water to a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt and throw in the spaghetti. Cook until very al dente (about 4 minutes less than the package instructions). Just before the pasta is ready add 2 ladlefuls of pasta water to the frying pan along with the tablespoon of butter (if using) and bring it to a gentle simmer. Reserve 2 more cups of pasta water and set aside.
- Add all the spaghetti to the pan (pull it right out of the pot with tongs and transfer to the pan wet) along with the cooked zucchini slices, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Using tongs, or a large spatula, mix the pasta and zucchini vigorously for about 1 minute.
- Over the lowest heat, stir in the caciocavallo cheese, pecorino cheese, and basil leaves. Toss until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is emulsified and creamy. At any point if the pasta seems dry, or if the cheese is clumping, add a few more splashes of reserved pasta water and keep mixing.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with a few more pinches of salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve the spaghetti alla Nerano immediately in individual bowls or plates, topped with the zucchini slices for garnish and a little more basil, if desired.
Notes
- Don't overcrowd the zucchini. The zucchini will brown and soften better if cooked in batches. That said, I don't always heed this advice. If I'm pressed for time I fry them all together and somehow it still works out.
- Use two different cheeses. Using a combination of two cheeses will give this pasta dish the best flavour. Pecorino and caciocavallo are my first choices but failing that, Reggiano and pecorino, or Reggiano and a hard provolone will also be great.
- Keep mixing the pasta until the cheese melts. Caciocavallo has a tendency to clump up a bit. Start tossing vigorously the second it hits the pan. Don't give up, if it clumps add a little more pasta water and just keep tossing.
- Use a large skillet. Your skillet should be at lest 12 inches wide so you have enough room to do the tossing. If you don't have one large enough, you can toss everything in a bowl. Just make sure your pasta water is really hot when you add it so it melts the cheese.
- Don't toss the pasta and cheese over high heat. When you are tossing the spaghetti in the pan, make sure the heat is very low. Otherwise, the cheese will clump up too quickly and the pasta will get mushy.
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