Pasta con Zucchine (Italian pasta with zucchini)

Neapolitan pasta with slow-fried zucchini, basil and Parmesan

Origin: Naples & Southern Italy

From the journey of Zucchini.

Of all the pasta con zucchine preparations in Italy, the Neapolitan version (pasta alla Nerano) is the most celebrated. Its invention is attributed to Maria Grazia, who ran a restaurant in the small village of Nerano on the Amalfi Coast, and who in the 1950s began slow-frying sliced zucchini in olive oil until they were golden and sweet, then tossing them with spaghetti, local provolone del Monaco cheese, and basil. The dish was made famous beyond Naples when actor Eduardo De Filippo declared it his favourite and spread its reputation throughout Italy. The technique is everything: the zucchini must be fried slowly in abundant olive oil, not rushed at high heat, and the resulting golden slices (soft inside, caramelised at the edges) are then tossed with the pasta water and cheese into a loose, creamy, cling-everything sauce that has no cream in it at all. This is the Italian genius at its most economical: a handful of ingredients, a single technique, a perfect result.

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 400 g spaghetti or spaghettoni

Main

  • 600 g zucchini (courgettes), sliced into 3–4mm rounds

Cooking

  • 150 ml good olive oil (for frying)

Cheese

  • 100 g Provolone del Monaco, finely grated (or aged Pecorino Romano as substitute)
  • 50 g Parmesan, finely grated

Aromatics

  • 1 large bunch fresh basil
  • 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and left whole

Seasoning

  • 1 tsp salt (plus generously salted pasta water)
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic cloves. When sizzling gently, add the zucchini slices in a single layer (work in batches). Fry slowly, turning occasionally, for 15–20 minutes until golden, slightly caramelised, and very soft. Do not rush with high heat.
  2. Remove garlic. Season zucchini with salt. Tear in half the basil and allow to wilt in the hot oil off the heat. Set aside: reserve the cooking oil in the pan.
  3. Cook spaghetti in generously salted boiling water until 2 minutes before al dente. Reserve at least 300 ml pasta water before draining.
  4. Return the zucchini pan to medium heat. Add the drained spaghetti and a generous splash of pasta water. Toss vigorously to combine. Remove from heat.
  5. Add both grated cheeses in stages, tossing and adding pasta water as needed to create a loose, creamy, cling-everything sauce. The heat of the pasta and the starchy water emulsify with the cheese and olive oil. Add black pepper.
  6. Serve in warm bowls. Tear the remaining basil over each bowl. No additional cheese is necessary but add to preference.

Notes

The original Nerano recipe uses Provolone del Monaco (a semi-aged, slightly smoky provolone made only in the Sorrento Peninsula. It is available at good Italian delis. Without it, aged Pecorino Romano gives the closest result. Do not use fresh mozzarella) it will not create the sauce.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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