Spaghetti alla Nerano is a traditional Italian pasta dish from the Campania region, made with pasta, fried zucchini and provolone del Monaco cheese.
Spaghetti alla Nerano is a traditional pasta recipe from Campania, in southern Italy.
Ready in just 20 minutes, pasta alla Nerano main ingredients are spaghetti, fried courgettes, basil, and Provolone del Monaco.
This is a slightly spicy, aged local cheese – which gives it its characteristic creaminess.
Don't worry if you can't find it, I've shared below a few alternative cheeses that work just fine!
This popular pasta dish was recently featured in the show "Stanly Tucci: Searching for Italy" .
Since then, many of you have asked me for the recipe, which I originally shared in my cookbook "20-Minute Italian".
So, here you'll find the original spaghetti alla nerano recipe with all the tips, to make it creamy and delicious just like in the best Italian restaurants!
Why is it called Spaghetti alla Nerano?
Spaghetti alla Nerano was invented in the 1950s in Nerano, a small town on the Sorrento peninsula, by the chef of the local restaurant “Mariagrazia”.
It was created as a late-night dish for the prince of Sirignano, using the few ingredients left in the restaurant kitchen: pasta, a local hard cheese, and a few zucchini from the garden.
Since then it has become a true cornerstone of Neapolitan cuisine!
Ingredients
The traditional pasta alla Nerano recipe, calls for just 6 ingredients.
The key to the best result is to use the best quality ingredients you can find!
Here are my recommendations:
- Spaghetti: I recommend using bronze-cut Gragnano pasta, which is keeps the pasta al dente, and its rustic texture holds the sauce better.
- Zucchini: Opt for smaller zucchini, which have a sweeter flavor.
- Provolone del Monaco: Gives the sauce its sharp, slightly spicy distinctive flavor. If you can't find it, use a mix of caciocavallo and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
- Olive Oil: You can use extra virgin olive oil both for frying the zucchini and for tossing the pasta.
- Garlic: It's optional but highly recommended, and it will infuse flavor into the olive oil.
- Fresh Basil: Adds a fresh, aromatic touch, do not substitute it with dried basil. Alternatively, you can use fresh mint leaves.
Cooking tips
Here you can find my cooking tips for the best Nerano pasta you can make at home:
- Finish off cooking the pasta in the pan with the zucchini, adding a ladle of pasta water, the starch in the water will turn into a deliciously creamy sauce.
- Remove the pan from the stove and THEN add the grated cheese, just like you would it for cacio e pepe pasta.
- If you want to make the dish lighter, you can air fry the zucchini slices, then transfer them to a large skillet with a little olive oil.
Storage tips
Nerano pasta is best enjoyed straight away. If you have leftovers, use them as a base for making this spaghetti frittata recipe.
More Neapolitan recipes to try
If you enjoyed this delicious recipe from Campania cuisine, don't forget to try this mafaldine with Neapolitan sauce, this classic clam linguine, or the traditional Neapolitan pizza.
Did you try this recipe?
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Recipe
Spaghetti alla Nerano
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti pasta
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, + extra for frying
- 4 baby zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, optional
- 3 oz Provolone del Monaco (or a mix of Parmesan cheese and Caciocavallo cheese), finely grated
- handful of fresh basil leaves
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Lightly salt the boiling water, and add in the spaghetti pasta. Cook until just halfway through the cooking time suggested on the package. Remove ½ cup (120 ml) of pasta cooking water from the pot, and set it aside.
- Cover the base of a large pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the zucchini slices in a single layer, and fry until golden on both sides, about 2-3 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate covered with kitchen paper, to absorb the oil in excess.
- Discard the frying oil from the pan. Add 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and the garlic, and cook over medium-low heat, until the garlic is golden, then remove the pan from the heat and discard the garlic.
- Drain the spaghetti, and add them to the pan with the garlic-infused oil. Continue cooking the pasta, adding a ladle of reserved pasta water at a time, until the pasta is al dente.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the grated provolone cheese and two spoonfuls of pasta cooking water to the bowl and mix quickly, adding more cooking water if necessary to ensure that the mixture mixes well, forming a cream.
- Finally, add the zucchini slices and basil leaves, and toss gently to combine all the ingredients. Serve immediately with freshly-cracked black pepper on top.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Gianni says
This is the authentic recipe for spaghetti alla Nerano! Thank you for sharing Andrea!