Spaghetti alla Nerano (Fried zucchini pasta)

Spaghetti alla Nerano is a traditional italian pasta dish made with fried zucchini and cheese. So creamy, savory and easy to make that this recipe will become one of your favorites!

What is Nerano spaghetti?

The dish was served for the first time in the 50’s in the small bay town of Nerano, in the sorrentine peninsula. The ristorante da Maria Grazia invented this amazing pasta recipe using local and seasonal ingredientes such as zucchini and cheese Provolone del Monaco.

These two ingredientes altogether creates a delicious creamy sauce that is beyond deliciousness! But not only, the recipe is also pretty simple and quick to make, becoming one of the favorite Italian recipes.

Ingredients for fried zucchini spaghetti

• ZUCCHINI – try to use a mandoline to slice them. Zucchini need to be as thin as possible so they won’t absorb so much oil. When frying, add them in small batches so they won’t burns easily.
• CHEESE – The traditional recipe calls for Provolone del Monaco, a spicy semi-hard cheese from the Sorrento peninsula. However, this cheese has a DOP status. which means is not so easy (or cheap) to find it outside Italy.  If you can’t find Provolone del Monaco, use another semi-hard provolone or caciocavallo.
• BASIL – Don’t chop it, instead, tear the leaves with your hands, right away when you need it in the recipe.
• PASTA – Spaghetti is the first choice just as the name of this dish indicates. You can add any kind of spaghetti, just make sure don’t over cook them as they need to finish the cooking in the pan with the condiment.
• OIL – The traditional recipe is made with extra virgin olive oil. But of course, is up to you. You can also use a normal olive oil, specially if extra virgin is expensive where you live or not so easy to find.
• GARLIC – Lightly smashed with the skin on. You need only a subtle aroma, so discard it after as the recipe suggest.
• SALT – Remember that cheese adds salt as well, so pay attention to not add so much extra.
• PEPPER – Just a little bit right before serving, freshly grounded.

How to make spaghetti alla Nerano – step by step

Grate the cheeses and set aside. Using a mandoline slicer, slice finely the zucchini.

In a deep frying pan heat a good amount of olive oil over medium heat and fry the zucchini until they’re brown, a few slices at time.

Place zucchini on a paper towel-lined plate to drain oil. Once the zucchini are done sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few hand-torn basil leaves.

Bring to boil a large pot of water. Add salt and cook the spaghetti until very al dente accordingly to the package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Stir the garlic until fragrant, then remove it from the pan.

Add zucchini to the pan, reserving some for garnish. Pour a ladleful or two of the cooking water and stir in the zucchini, mix for two minutes to rehydrate the vegetables.

Add pasta and the cheeses, pour another ladleful of cooking water, more hand-torn basil and turn off the heat.

Mix (mantecate) spaghetti alla Nerano thoroughly for one more minute or until the cheese has melted and turned into a creamy sauce that perfectly coats the pasta.

Place spaghetti on a serving plate. Top with the remaining zucchini, a little bit of pepper and more grated parmigiano reggiano. And there you go, your spaghetti alla Nerano are ready to be enjoyed!

More italian recipes you might like

• Italian rice salad
• La peperonata – roman style
• Zeppole with zucchini
• Mediterranean pasta salad
• Puttanesca chicken

Watch How To Make It

This “spaghetti alla Nerano” recipe was first published in July 13, 2020. It has been updated with more useful information for our visitors.

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