Caramelized Zucchini Spaghetti
This started with spaghetti alla Nerano, but I ended up taking the zucchini in a different direction. Instead of deep-frying the zucchini and letting it rest, I sauté it aggressively with whole garlic cloves until deeply browned and caramelized. I then emulsify the zucchini with olive oil and pasta water, turning it into a rich, deeply flavored sauce for the spaghetti. It's not traditional spaghetti alla Nerano. It's simply where I ended up while cooking—and I really liked the result.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Servings
2
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Ingredients
- 8 oz (225 g) spaghetti
- 1½ lb (680 g) zucchini, sliced
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
- 1 oz (28 g) extra-sharp provolone, finely grated
- 1 oz (28 g) Pecorino Romano, finely grated
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Reserved pasta water, as needed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1½ cups of pasta water.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the whole garlic cloves and the zucchini.
- Sauté aggressively, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is deeply browned and caramelized and the garlic is soft, 15–20 minutes. Season with salt as it cooks.
- Remove the garlic if it threatens to burn; otherwise mash it into the zucchini.
- Add a splash of pasta water and work the zucchini into a coarse, emulsified sauce.
- Add the pasta and toss, adding more pasta water until the sauce looks rich and glossy.
- Remove from the heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, basil, provolone, and Pecorino. Toss until creamy.
- Taste for salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Chef’s Notes
Lemon juice and zest bring brightness after all that browning. Cook the zucchini darker than you think—that's the sauce. Don't confuse this with the fried Nerano or the blended zucchini pasta; the technique here is a hard sauté.
Equipment Used
- Large pot
- Wide skillet
- Tongs