Spaghetti alla Nerano
Spaghetti alla Nerano is an Italian zucchini pasta dish and one of the best things Stanley Tucci says he has ever eaten!!
Cook time: 35 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 3 cups sunflower oil for deep frying
- 3 green zucchini sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
- 0 green zucchini
- 8 ounces spaghetti uncooked
- 1 teaspoon salt for boiling water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 0 green zucchini already fried
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 cup basil chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 0 spaghetti cooked
- 0.5 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- 0.5 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese grated
- 0 Pecorino Romano cheese for serving
- 0 Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving
- 0 basil fresh, for garnish
Instructions
- Place sunflower oil in a deep fryer and heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slice zucchini into 1/8-inch rounds.
- Add some zucchini to the hot oil and deep-fry until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a single layer on paper towels to drain and repeat to cook remaining zucchini. Let zucchini cool to room temperature.
- Transfer cooled zucchini to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until it's 2 minutes away from being tender yet firm to the bite, 9 to 10 minutes.
- As you are cooking the spaghetti, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to release juices, soften, and break down, 3 to 5 minutes. Add a couple splashes of the pasta water to the zucchini, but don't overdo it. Break zucchini into small pieces with the edge of a spoon or spatula. Reduce heat to low and toss in basil and butter; stir until butter melts.
- Grab spaghetti with tongs and transfer it right into the sauce; stir until coated. Mix in Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses. Add a final splash of pasta water and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve with more grated cheese and fresh basil.