Description
Spaghetti Alla Nerano is a classic Italian pasta dish featuring crispy fried zucchini, fresh basil, and creamy parmesan cheese, all tossed together to create a simple yet indulgent meal perfect for a comforting dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Frying and Sauce
- 2 cups sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
- 6 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Pasta
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 cups grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil: Add the sunflower oil to a large pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat to prepare for frying the zucchini.
- Fry zucchini: Fry the thinly sliced zucchini in the hot oil until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Prepare zucchini mix: Combine the fried zucchini with chopped fresh basil and kosher salt to taste. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to infuse flavor.
- Cook pasta: Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente. Before draining, reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking liquid for the sauce.
- Toss pasta and zucchini: Add the cooked pasta to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Toss it with the fried zucchini mixture, gradually adding reserved pasta liquid until the sauce becomes creamy and coats the pasta well.
- Add parmesan cheese: Stir in the grated parmesan cheese, continuing to toss until the cheese melts and the pasta is evenly coated with the creamy zucchini and cheese sauce. Adjust salt to taste.
- Finish and serve: Drizzle additional extra virgin olive oil over the pasta. Serve with extra parmesan cheese on the side for garnishing.
Notes
- Zucchini can be fried up to 5 days in advance and kept refrigerated to save preparation time.
- Use fresh quality parmesan for the best flavor and creamy consistency in the sauce.
- Adjust the amount of pasta cooking water added to achieve your preferred sauce creaminess.
- Be careful not to overcook zucchini; golden brown and slightly crisp is ideal.
- Extra virgin olive oil added at the end enhances the richness and aroma of the dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
