ItalianNeapolitan
Spaghetti alla Nerano
by Manu Food · 60K subscribers on YouTube
A traditional Neapolitan pasta dish made with fried zucchini, fresh basil, black pepper, and Provolone del Monaco cheese, resulting in a creamy and flavorful sauce.
- Difficulty
- medium
Ingredients
10 items- ZucchiniSliced into rounds about 2 mm thick
- Olio Di Semi (per Friggere)Abundant, for frying zucchini
- Extra Virgin Olive OilFor sautéing garlic
- 1 pcsGarlic1 clove, crushed
- Spaghettone (o Spaghetti)Quality pasta, preferably bronze-drawn (e.g., De Cecco, Garofalo)
- BasilFresh leaves, torn by hand, in abundance
- Black PepperFreshly ground, to taste (generous)
- Provolone del MonacoAlternatively, use a mix of well-aged cheeses
- ButterA knob (about 1 tbsp)
- SaltFor pasta water and to taste
Method
- Slice the zucchini into rounds about 2 mm thick.
- Fry the zucchini in abundant oil, a few at a time, until golden. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water.
- In a pan, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sauté a crushed garlic clove. Remove the garlic and turn off the heat.
- When the pasta is three-quarters cooked, turn the heat back on, add a ladle of pasta water, drain the pasta, and transfer it to the pan.
- Add half of the fried zucchini and begin to cream the pasta, gradually adding pasta water until fully cooked.
- Add generous amounts of black pepper while creaming.
- Once cooked, add a little more pasta water, the remaining zucchini, torn fresh basil, and a knob of butter. Continue creaming over heat.
- Turn off the heat, remove the pan from the burner, add the Provolone del Monaco cheese, and cream well.
- Plate the spaghetti, finish with pepper and fresh basil.
