Spaghetti alla Nerano is so much more than pasta with fried zucchini. It's made with Provolone del Monaco, a cheese that melts into the pasta to add more flavor to the dish.
A staple of the cuisine of Campania, Spaghetti alla Nerano was invented in 1952 at Ristorante Maria Grazia Nerano. The recipe calls for classic spaghetti as the sauce wraps around it to perfection, but it's also nice with short pasta.
The original Spaghetti alla Nerano at Ristorante Maria Grazia (via fb)
Provolone del Monaco has nothing to do with the principality on the French Riveria that's less than a half-hour from the Italian border. It's so-called because centuries ago, cheesemakers would sell their product in Naples. They'd arrive from the countryside at dawn draped in sackcloth cloaks that resembled the attire of monks – hence the name “del monaco.”
This semi-hard provolone is a pasta filata (stretched curd) cheese that's aged and produced in the Sorrento Peninsula with raw milk.
Spaghetti alla Nerano recipe
The recipe for spaghetti alla Nerano is straightforward and also quick to make. Instead of quantities, you can just use your judgment and measure by eye.
First, thinly slice the zucchini. Taste a raw piece before frying – only use the zucchini if it's sweet. If it has a bitter aftertaste, don't use as it will ruin the dish.
Once fried, drain and dry them with paper towels.
In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add salt. Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drizzle a saute pan with olive oil and cook two cloves of garlic in the pan.
Drain the al dente pasta and set aside some of the cooking water.
Remove the garlic from the pan and finish cooking the spaghetti in the saute pan with the oil.
Add a few knobs of butter and then the zucchini.
Finish with grated provolone cheese. (If you can't find Provolone del Monaco, just use regular provolone).
Top with fresh basil and serve.
Spaghetti alla Nerano: Mistakes to avoid
Choose small and sweet zucchini and be careful not to burn them.
Fry them in hot extra virgin olive oil (never seed oil!), and don't let them darken too much.
If you need to replace the provolone with another cheese, we suggest caciocavallo, otherwise, the result won't be the same.
This spaghetti should be served hot otherwise it will lose its creaminess.
Please pay attention to the cooking water, it is essential to keep it aside for the risottare of the pasta.
Don't skip the fresh basil garnish. It adds fragrance and color.