For those who don’t know them, Spaghetti alla Nerano is a Neapolitan recipe born in the 1950s by the owner of a restaurant in the homonymous Sorrento town – Mrs. Maria Grazia – who decided to serve her guests a main dish based on fried zucchini, a mix of cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano and Provolone del Monaco.
Since then, this dish has become a classic of Campanian cuisine, simple and tasty, made with local excellences: Nerano zucchini and Provolone del Monaco, a caciocavallo with a slightly spicy intense flavor.
Spaghetti alla Nerano (or pasta alla Nerano) are spaghetti seasoned with fried zucchini, fresh basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, a small part of pecorino, and especially Provolone del Monaco, which together with the fried zucchini and the pasta starch creates its famous and proverbial creamy sauce that made this dish so famous.
But now let’s see how to prepare Pasta alla Nerano, easy and quick as long as you pay attention to some simple rules to get a dish as faithful as possible to the original Neapolitan recipe.
The secrets to having perfect Spaghetti alla Nerano Neapolitan recipe are:
1) The cooking of the zucchini: they must be fried in plenty of extra virgin olive oil and become golden on the outside but soft on the inside. Also, after frying, and this is the real secret, once the zucchini have been dried of oil, you have to dip them in boiling water for a few seconds before the creaming so that, reabsorbing the water they lost, they regenerate and better bind with the pasta, otherwise they would remain unbound.
2) The creaming of the pasta, drained very al dente, with the cheese mix including the inevitable Provolone del Monaco, to which Parmigiano Reggiano and pecorino are added. A mix that allows, together with the starch contained in the pasta water, to create a unique and enveloping creaminess.
There are several versions of the recipe; the one I propose today is that of Tonino Melillo, a well-known restaurateur from Nerano.
Preparing Spaghetti alla Nerano is very easy; the only difficulty you might have if you’re not from Campania is finding Provolone del Monaco. I suggest looking in stores specializing in cheese sales or on Amazon at the following link, with the advantage that it delivers to your home.
I’m honest, I tried to prepare this recipe using other cheeses, by all means, it’s good but it’s not the same, so make a small effort and buy this wonderful cheese, you’ll also help a renowned and fantastic Italian excellence.
You won’t regret it because it’s precisely its presence that transforms a simple dish of spaghetti with zucchini into a real delicacy.
Spaghetti alla Nerano, easy and quick to prepare, are perfect for a family meal or a dinner with friends, try them and you’ll understand why they have become so famous.
If you love zucchini, you can’t miss these recipes
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 11.3 oz spaghetti
- 5.3 oz provolone (del Monaco)
- 24.7 oz zucchini
- 1.8 oz grated Parmigiano
- A few leaves basil
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste salt
- 0.04 oz ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more for frying)
Tools
- Mandoline
- Pan
- Pot
Steps
Wash the zucchini and trim them, then cut them into thin slices using a mandoline.
Put plenty of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan, and when it reaches temperature (ideally around 302°F) start frying the zucchini a few at a time. They should become golden, which will take about 5 minutes. As they are ready, put them to drain on a plate covered with absorbent paper and season them with some torn basil leaves and a pinch of salt.
Meanwhile, heat plenty of salted water in a pot, which you will need for the pasta.
Prepare the grated Parmigiano and Provolone. As soon as the water boils, cook the Spaghetti and drain them very al dente (about 4 minutes before the end of cooking).
Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add the clove of garlic in its skin, which you will remove as soon as it has flavored the base. Add the previously fried zucchini, keeping about 1/3 aside.
At this point, pour a ladle of pasta cooking water into the pan and sauté the zucchini briefly to slightly revive them; otherwise, they would be dry and arid.
Drain the pasta al dente directly into the pan with the seasoning, add a ladle of pasta cooking water, and start creaming as if it were a risotto. To continue cooking the spaghetti, you will need to add more pasta cooking water from time to time. It will take about 3 minutes.
After the time has passed, turn off the heat, add the remaining zucchini, a portion of the Provolone del Monaco, and start stirring to allow it to melt and create a cream. Once absorbed, pour in the remaining Provolone and the Parmigiano and pecorino mix.
Flavor the dish with torn basil leaves, add a final ½ ladle of pasta cooking water, mix, and once ready, sprinkle with a pinch of ground black pepper. Here is your pasta alla Nerano Neapolitan recipe ready to be served immediately!
FOLLOW MY PROFILE INSTAGRAM
NOTES
ZUCCHINI It is important to choose extremely fresh zucchini, which is why I recommend preparing this recipe especially in the summer when these vegetables are at their peak. Another critical point is the slicing of zucchini: it should be thinly and roundly cut using a mandoline for quick and even frying.
Finally, after frying, which should be done strictly with extra virgin olive oil, the zucchini should be dried, and once placed in the pan, they should be revived with a little pasta cooking water.
PROVOLONE DEL MONACO, as I mentioned, is an irreplaceable ingredient, a semi-aged cheese with a slightly spicy note.
TRICK The secret to getting perfect and creamy Spaghetti alla Nerano is not to let the preparation dry out too much during creaming by adding the pasta cooking water little by little and only when needed to get a perfect cream.
STORAGE
STORAGE
Spaghetti alla Nerano is excellent when freshly made, but if you have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to a day in the fridge. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
