SPAGHETTI alla NERANO

This is a celebrated pasta dish from the Sorrento peninsula, named after the beach town, where it originated.  It’s a delightful combination of zesty provolone cheese which adds interest to the often-bland vegetable, zucchini.  I experimented with this recipe during my recent trip to Italy, where I spent 4 weeks in Sorrento immersing myself in the culture, another week in Tuscany and then on to Bologna for 5 days, the food capital of Italy. 

Ingredients – serves 2:

·      1/2 lb. of pasta (I used spaghetti)

·      2 small zucchinis, sliced thin

·      3 oz of provolone cheese, grated

·      3 garlic cloves

·      Basil leaves

·      3 tbsps. of extra virgin olive oil

·      Salt and pepper to taste

·      Red pepper flakes if desired

Directions

1.     Fry the zucchini slices in the evo until lightly browned

Fry in a single layer in the skillet, lay the slices on paper towels to absorb the excess oil

2.     Sprinkle lightly with salt

3.     Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and throw in the spaghetti.  Cook to very al dente.

4.     In the same skillet where you fried the zucchini, sauté the garlic lightly.  Remove the garlic.  In Italy, your food dishes never show onion or garlic; the oil is flavored with it, and then it is removed.

5.      Save a cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.  Add zucchini to the skillet and then the pasta.  Reserve some zucchini rounds for garnish

6.     Mix everything together vigorously for a minute.

7.     Add the grated cheese and a few chopped basil leaves and continue mixing until the cheese has melted into a creamy sauce.

8.     Add pasta water if it needs it to keep the pasta moist

9.     Garnish with zucchini rounds and some whole basil leaves with freshly grated cheese and ground pepper