Spaghetti alla Nerano

Sunday, June 26, 2022
This creamy Italian Spaghetti alla Nerano was a dish first introduced by Maria Grazia and a vintage delicious pasta dish.

The dish pasta alla Nerano was served for the first time in 1952 in the small bay town of Nerano surrounded by one of the most untouched and dramatic areas on the Amalfi Coast in the Sorrento peninsula.

The ristorante da Maria Grazia invented this creamy pasta recipe using local and seasonal ingredients such as zucchini and cheese Provolone del Monaco a staple from the Region in Italy, which was what gave this dish its distinct flavors.

We've adapted the ingredients by using a blend of creamy grated cheeses to give it a robust flavor as this Provolone del Monaco is not easily available (however you can order it online with our affiliate link below).

This pasta recipe is easy, quick to make, and is a family favorite Italian recipe.

Thinly sliced fried zucchini on top of a creamy bed of spaghetti makes this a most memorable dish to whomever you serve this to.

The cheeses Parmesano Reggiano and sharp provolone made this a memorable dish of pasta and with a twirling of spaghetti, the strings of cheese were the perfect substitutions.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite Stanley Tucci's fantastic journey with his series "Searching for Italy" he has said this is the pasta that has changed his life and although not his famous recipe, we have made a delicious version.

Scroll down to the recipe card for our easy directions on how to make Spaghetti Alla Nerano.


this is a zucchini and pasta dish





this is a zucchini and pasta meal


Step By Step Spaghetti alla Nerano

  • fry the zucchini rounds in garlic-infused oil until golden and salt, pepper them  drain on paper towels
  • cook the spaghetti al dente to package instructions saving the pasta water
  • add the zucchini to a deep saucepan with oil add some pasta water then the pasta
  • in a bowl add hot pasta water with cheese and make it creamy add this to the pasta in the pot
  • toss the pasta with cheese and butter to coat evenly with tongs
  • garnish with fresh basil or parsley


spaghetti with butter


Ingredients You Will Need exact measurements are in the recipe card that's printable below


  • spaghetti
  • reserved pasta water
  • grated Provolone Del Monaco is the original recipe and cheese of choice however if you can't get this substitute Parmesano Reggiano, and a blend of  Pecorino Romano cheese, with  grated provolone)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • butter


ingredients for spaghetti alla nerano


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zucchini and pasta


Suggestions and Tips:

  1. use sharp provolone if you can't find Provolone del Monaco(see notes)
  2. the oil needs to be infused with garlic remove it after it's golden, not brown
  3. get all the ingredients prepared before adding and follow the steps
  4. cook the pasta al dente to the package instructions
  5. Grandma always made Homemade Pasta and cut it very thin by hand;
  6. serve with more cheese and freshly cracked black pepper
  7. pasta water needs to be kept hot after the pasta is done cooking
  8. the pasta is gently tossed in with the creamy cheese
  9. cook the pasta al dente do not forget to save some pasta water
  10. zucchini should be sliced 1/8 inch thick and golden brown when fried
  11. toss the pasta with tongs and make sure the cheese isn't lumpy it should be melted and creamy
  12. serve this dish immediately after combining the ingredients
  13. Note: Provolone del Monaco, or “Monk’s Provolone” is one of only two types of provolone, produced in the Po Valley in northern Italy. The milk comes from local Agerolese cows, which is said to give it its unique and robust flavor. It is aged at least 180 days.


this is a collage on how to make zucchini and spaghetti all nerano


Pasta to Use

  • spaghetti
  • tagliatelle
  • linguine
  • vermicelli
  • bucatini
  • tonnarelli

Pasta that has ridges like rigatoni, penne, and fettuccine or fusilli can be another nice addition, however, the traditional pasta to use is tonnarelli, spaghetti.


pasta cooked al denti


cheese to use for the spaghetti


Pin for Later



pin for later nerano spaghetti


Adapted Recipe



If you're looking for a recipe with sauce and lots of ingredients this isn't made with tomato sauce not one drop of it and this is adapted to what we have to work with for ingredients here in America with some substitutions.

Until you can get an authentic dish from Nerano, our version will be a nice addition to your pasta recipe collection.

A dish with simple ingredients and made our way as authentic as possible.


Spaghetti alla Nerano

Spaghetti alla Nerano
Yield: 5
Author: Claudia Lamascolo
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Spaghetti alla Nerano is a dish is made with fresh fried crispy zucchini, spaghetti tossed with blended creamy cheeses

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces of spaghetti cooked al dente saving pasta water
  • 4 or 5 medium-size zucchini sliced 1/8 of an inch thick (around 1 zucchini per person, I use a mandolin to slice mine)
  • 4 cloves of garlic are cleaned and sliced in half
  • olive oil for frying zucchini (around an inch deep in the pan)
  • 2 tablespoons butter cut up into very small pieces
  • 1 cup of a medley of Parmesan Reggiano grated cheese, Pecorino Romano, and Sharp shreds of Provolone (the original recipe only uses  Provolone del Monaco which is in the original recipe)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Garnish with freshly torn basil leaves or flat leaves of Italian parsley
  • Optional: red pepper flakes for heat

Instructions

  1. In a large deep frying pan, saute the garlic in oil for 2 minutes or until fragrant then remove the garlic (for another use) from the oil
  2. Note: garlic should be golden to infuse the oil with garlic flavor not dark or it will be bitter.
  3. Heat the same oil to 400 degrees using an instant thermometer, you want to make sure the oil is hot enough for the zucchini to sizzle and get crispy in the hot infused oil.
  4. Fry the zucchini rounds in the heated oil until golden brown and (look like potato chips) not crowding each other in the same flavored garlic oil and season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Place on a paper towel to absorb the oil and keep it warm.
  6. Boil the spaghetti al dente to the package directions in around 1 tablespoon of salted water (saving the pasta water and keeping it hot after draining the pasta this water will melt the cheese).
  7. Place the pasta in a bowl and set it aside with a ladle of pasta water and 1 tablespoon of butter.
  8. In a large pan or bowl add the cheese with hot pasta water and whisk this until it's smooth and creamy (you may need to reheat this a few minutes the water must be hot)
  9. Once the cheese is smooth add the last of the butter and pour it into the pasta tossing with tongs to coat. add more water if needed until it is melted and combined.
  10. You can now gently toss in the zucchini slices or add them to the top of each plated serving dish.
  11. This needs to be served immediately or the cheese will start to mold in a clump.
  12. Place some of of the pasta in a bowl, and top with more cheese, basil, and parsley.
  13. Garnish freshly cracked black pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.
  14. Note: the cheese should look melted and a bit stringy like you find on a pizza with mozzarella melted taking that first bite is so good.

Notes

Suggestions and Tips:

  1. use sharp provolone if you can't find Provolone del Monaco(see notes)
  2. the oil needs to be infused with garlic remove it after it's golden, not brown
  3. get all the ingredients prepared before adding and follow the steps
  4. cook the pasta al dente to the package instructions
  5. Grandma always made Homemade Pasta and cut it very thin by hand;
  6. serve with more cheese and freshly cracked black pepper
  7. pasta water needs to be kept hot after the pasta is done cooking
  8. the pasta is gently tossed in with the creamy cheese
  9. cook the pasta al dente do not forget to save some pasta water
  10. zucchini should be sliced 1/8 inch thick and golden brown when fried
  11. toss the pasta with tongs and make sure the cheese isn't lumpy it should be melted and creamy
  12. serve this dish immediately after combining the ingredients
  13. Note: Provolone del Monaco, or “Monk’s Provolone” is one of only two types of provolone, produced in the Po Valley in northern Italy. The milk comes from local Agerolese cows, which is said to give it its unique and robust flavor. It is aged at least 180 days


Pasta to Use

  • spaghetti
  • tagliatelle
  • linguine
  • vermicelli
  • bucatini
  • tonnarelli


Pasta that has ridges like rigatoni, penne, and fettuccine or fusilli can be another nice addition, however, the traditional pasta to use is tonnarelli, spaghetti.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

171.82

Fat (grams)

13.21

Sat. Fat (grams)

6.71

Carbs (grams)

5.53

Fiber (grams)

1.58

Net carbs

3.95

Sugar (grams)

4.08

Protein (grams)

9.11

Sodium (milligrams)

411.19

Cholesterol (grams)

25.64
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pasta recipes, spaghetti with zucchini recipes, zucchini recipes, Italian pasta recipes
Italian


Pin for Later



pin for later Spaghetti with zucchini and butter sauce


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how to make zucchini fried with spaghetti

10 comments

  1. Simple ingredients, big flavour! Love those zucchini chips.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love simple ingredients recipes and this looks amazing. A great way to use zuchinni too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Such a treat! Love the flavors here.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Such a delicious summertime dish. Definitely the perfect use for zucchini. I love how you included the history too.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Simplity at its best! I love your recipes as you let the ingredients speak for themselves! Absolutely scrumptious! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love a simple, yet delicious recipe! I never thought of adding zucchini, but I will definitely be trying this now!

    ReplyDelete
  7. We had this spaghetti for dinner last night and it was amazing! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Another great recipe. I love the creamy cheeses with the fried zucchini. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love the addition of zucchini!! Thanks for this delicious meal!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is 100% comfort in a bowl. Love the cheese blend used. Makes this pasta stand out from the rest.

    ReplyDelete

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