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. Before you begin making this recipe, I highly recommend you read through the tips in the "Notes" section below.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1/4cupExtra-virgin olive oilor a little more to cover the base of a pan
2garlic cloves, peeled and gently smashed
4small zucchini (about 1 1/4 pound) sliced into thin rounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1tablespoonbutteroptional
1lb(500g) spaghetti
2cups reserved pasta water(you won't use it all)
2/3cups(80g) grated fine *Caciocavallo(use the smaller holes of a box grater)
1/2cup(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
*If you can't find Caciocavallo cheese, use a mix of 70% Pecorino and 30% Reggiano. Very Useful Tips
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.