Zucchini season is starting soon! And when I think of zucchini, my mind immediately goes to Spaghetti alla Nerano! Delicious and creamy spaghetti with sautéed zucchini and blended with the precious Provolone del Monaco PDO. What is more summer-like?
Spaghetti alla Nerano is a typical dish from a region of the Sorrento Peninsula, specifically, it was born in Massa Lubrense, a city overlooking the sea where there is nothing more magical than enjoying this dish with a glass of wine on one of its beautiful terraces. Try it to believe it.
If, however, at the moment, we can’t teleport to Massa Lubrense, I’ll give you the solution. And if you think it’s complicated, I’ll immediately prove you wrong. It’s really simple to make. I’ll show you my Easy Spaghetti alla Nerano.
Also try:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Campania
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients for Easy Spaghetti alla Nerano
- 11.3 oz spaghetti
- 7 oz zucchini
- 3.5 oz provolone (del Monaco PDO)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- a few mint (leaves)
Procedure for Easy Spaghetti alla Nerano
We start by trimming and thoroughly rinsing the zucchini. We slice them into not too thin rounds. Dry them well.
Now we set the water for the pasta. Bring some water to a boil, and once boiling, salt the water and drop the spaghetti in.
In a large pan, add plenty of olive oil (alternatively, you can use seed oil).
Fry the zucchini well until they are lightly golden. Set them aside after salting them.Alternatively, you can cook the zucchini in an air fryer, spraying them with oil.
Grate the Provolone del Monaco with a large-hole grater and set aside.
In the pan where we fried the zucchini, add a drizzle of olive oil and let the garlic clove brown. Add the zucchini back in and let them flavor with a bit of pasta cooking water. At this point, we will drain the pasta very al dente (keeping the cooking water in a saucepan) and transfer it to the pan.
We will need to “risotto-cook” it, meaning finish cooking it in the zucchini sauce by gradually adding the cooking water to prevent it from drying out too much.
As soon as the pasta with zucchini is cooked, turn off the heat under the pan and blend with the grated Provolone del Monaco, adding it gradually until it melts and turns into a cream along with the pasta.
At this point, we can finish everything with a nice grating of pepper, a sprig of mint, and plate. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prepare it in advance?
This dish is not well-suited to be prepared in advance because its uniqueness lies in the creaminess of the provolone, which could dry out if prepared too far in advance.
Do I need to use Provolone del Monaco specifically?
The traditional recipe calls for this type of cheese because it is sweet and semi-soft. However, nothing prevents you from substituting it with pecorino, a caciotta, or even a vegan or lactose-free alternative.
