Spaghetti alla Nerano
Fresh Zucchini Spaghetti
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
This recipe is a slightly varied take on the original recipe from La Scoglio - they deep fry their zucchini and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator - this one is a little simpler, and I think tastes just as good!