Pasta Alla Nerano

In the early 1950s, Maria Grazia, who ran a simple trattoria on the beach in Nerano, wanted to create something special with the humblest of ingredients: pasta, zucchini, and local cheese. Zucchini were cheap, plentiful, and grown in nearly every garden along the coast.

She sliced them thin and fried them (which brings out a nutty sweetness), then tossed them with spaghetti and a generous handful of Provolone del Monaco, a cheese produced only in the Sorrento Peninsula from local cow’s milk. By using some pasta cooking water and letting the cheese emulsify with the zucchini, she created a silky, almost creamy sauce without cream.

The dish became such a hit with visitors that it spread beyond Nerano, but locals still insist the original at Trattoria Maria Grazia tastes different, thanks to their cheese, technique, and the magic of the seaside setting.

You will need:

14 oz spaghetti

5–6 small zucchini (the smaller, firmer ones are best)

2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed

Extra-virgin olive oil (enough for frying + a drizzle for finishing)

1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, adds silkiness)

1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Fresh basil leaves

Salt & black pepper to taste

Cut zucchini into thin rounds.

Heat olive oil in a wide pan,  fry zucchini in batches until lightly golden, removing to bowl. In the same pan, add the smashed garlic cloves, and the butter. Let the garlic gently infuse, then add to bowl with zucchini.

Take about 1/2 of the fried zucchini with the juices from the bowl, the toasted garlic cloves, and 1/2 the grated cheese, purée in a food processor or blender. Add this purée back into the pan with olive oil and butter.  Toss in a few red pepper flakes if you’d like.

Boil spaghetti in well-salted water until just shy of al dente.

Reserve at least 1½ cups of starchy pasta water.

Transfer spaghetti to the zucchini pan.

Add a ladle of pasta water and toss vigorously.

Sprinkle in the grated Pecorino gradually, tossing and adding more pasta water as needed to form a creamy coating (like making cacio e pepe).

Top with the rest of the fried zucchini, some torn basil leaves, and black pepper.

Serve immediately with an extra dusting of Pecorino and a drizzle of olive oil.