Tomato Tomatoe

spaghetti alla nerano

This humble pasta dish was created in Nerano, Italy and highlights summer fresh zucchini, olive oil, fresh basil and cheese. The pasta is traditionally made using Provolone del Monaco. This particular cheese was difficult to find in Niagara, but using parmesan was an excellent substitute. The sauce is creamy and buttery and clings to each strand of pasta. The fried zucchini adds a fresh sweetness which makes this pasta unforgettable. I tired this pasta when I was in the Amalfi coast and fell in love.

Spaghetti alla Nerano pairs exceptionally well with Domaine Queylus 2019 Chardonnay Tradition. This wine is barrel fermented and aged in French oak which attributes to its buttery characteristics and notes of caramelized fruit. This wine is approachable for the everyday drinker but if you’re a serious wine lover this will check all the boxes.

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spaghetti alla nerano

Ingredients

• 1 box of spaghetti
• 4 cloves garlic (lightly crushed with the back of a chefs knife)
• 6 small zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
• 2 handful fresh basil leaves
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 cup olive oil for frying
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 1 ½ cups pasta water
  

Directions

1. Slice zucchini into thin rounds. Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat with 1/2 cup olive oil. Once the oil is hot add in the zucchini. Don’t overcrowd the pan, you want to make sure that the zucchini are not overlapping and have enough room to fry. You will need to fry them in batches. Once the zucchini is golden on one side, flip to the other side and cook until golden. This should take 5-6 minutes. Repeat this process until all of the zucchini are cooked.
2. Remove zucchini and place on a tray lined with paper towel. Tear the basil and sprinkle on. Season with salt and toss together. Pour the hot oil from the pot into a bowl and set aside.3
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (your water should taste salty like the sea). Add pasta and cook for 2min less than what the package says.
4. Add 4 tbsp of the oil that the zucchini was frying in to you’re the Dutch oven that was used to fry the zucchini in. Heat the pot to med and add the garlic. Add the zucchini and remaining basil. Stir this as the pasta cooks. Remove 1 ½ cups of pasta water and set aside.
5. Once the pasta is ready, add directly to the sauce along with butter and ½ cup – 1 cup of pasta water. Add in freshly cracked pepper and stir until the sauce becomes creamy. You may need to add more pasta water at this point if the sauce needs to be creamier.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.