Spaghetti alla Nerano

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Ingredients

• 8 oz (225 g) spaghetti
• 1½ lb (680 g) zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
• Olive oil or peanut oil, for frying
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 oz (55 g) aged provolone, finely grated
• 1 oz (28 g) Pecorino Romano, finely grated
• A handful of fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Reserved pasta water, as needed

Instructions

1. Salt the zucchini lightly and let it sit while you heat the oil.
2. Fry the zucchini in batches until deeply golden and collapsed. Drain on a rack or paper towels. Season lightly with salt.
3. 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.
4. In a large skillet, warm a little olive oil with the garlic until fragrant, then discard the garlic.
5. Add most of the fried zucchini and a splash of pasta water. Mash some of the zucchini into a coarse sauce, leaving some pieces intact.
6. Add the pasta and toss over low heat, adding pasta water until everything looks creamy.
7. Remove from the heat. Add the provolone, Pecorino, and basil, tossing continuously so the cheese melts into a smooth sauce.
8. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve with a few reserved zucchini coins on top.

Chef’s Notes

Aside from frying the zucchini, it's a surprisingly simple dish. The cheese has to go on off the heat or it will clump. Even with the provolone substitution, you can really appreciate how much flavor the cheese brings to the finished pasta. This is not the blended zucchini spaghetti and not the later caramelized-sauté version—the frying step is the point.

Equipment Used

• Large pot
• Frying pan
• Large skillet
• Tongs

Related Recipes

• Blended Zucchini Spaghetti
• Caramelized Zucchini Spaghetti