The best zucchini spaghetti from La Scoglio, Italy, probably my favorite restaurant I’ve ever been to. It’s one of those dishes that is so iconic in the Amalfi Coast, yet it’s easy to replicate at home. Using the best quality ingredients is of the utmost importance, as they always do in Italy.
La Scoglio is one of those places you never forget. Built into the rocky cliffs in the seaside town of Marina del Cantone, it’s literally sitting over the bright blue sea. The De Simone family is running it for the third generation now – their farm to table cuisine can’t be beat, and this is one of their incredible signature dishes.
Stanley Tucci shared the actual recipe from the restaurant, which is incredibly simple but requires a lengthy overnight in the refrigerator. I have simplified it here by also removing the deep frying process for the zucchini – it may not be authentic, but it’s much faster and easier this way and I think it tastes great. The trick is a quick shallow fry – I like a deep pan for this, but you can even use a frying pan – just make sure you have at least 1/2 ” of oil to get them cooked properly.
After cooking the zucchini rounds in batches, you need to season them with salt, cracked black pepper, and I like to use red pepper flakes as well.
Spaghetti alla Nerano
Ingredients
- 5 small to medium zucchini squash
- 1 clove garlic, lightly smashed but in tact
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil
- kosher salt, black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3/4 lb spaghetti
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup chopped or torn fresh basil
Instructions
- Using a mandolin, or a sharp knife, slice the zucchini into 1/8" thick discs - you should have a very large pile.
- Set a large pot of water over high heat to cook the spaghetti - season liberally with salt.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small dutch oven or a shallow frying pan, so that you have about 1/2" depth of oil - you want to shallow fry the zucchini discs in the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic clove until is sizzles and turns caramel in color, then remove and set aside. In small batches, cook the zucchini in the hot oil until just barely browning. Remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. You can also add red pepper flakes at this point - I like them here!
- Continue cooking the zucchini in small batches until all of it has been cooked down. When you are finishing this process, start to cook the spaghetti according to package directions for al dente - usually about 10-11 minutes.
- When the spaghetti is almost ready, take 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and add to a blender or food processor along with about 1/3 of the cooked zucchini. You can also do this with a potato masher in a bowl - you are looking to make a paste to thicken the pasta sauce. Blend until smooth, then place in a large shallow bowl you will use for the pasta.
- Add the cooked spaghetti, the butter, the parmesan, and most of the basil, along with the rest of the cooked zucchini rounds. Toss until everything has blended into a smooth consistency - you can adjust for more or less broken up zucchini, depending on your preferences. Top with extra black pepper, parmesan and fresh basil. Buon Appetito!
Notes
