The Best Pasta You’ve Never Had

This is the closest recipe I could find to the original Nerano Pasta as it is served in the eponymous restaurant of the chef that invented it, Maria Grazia. I haven’t had the opportunity to eat there personally, but I deployed a research team in Southern Italy to find the recipe for me, and this is what they came back with.

Recipe for 2 people:
3 Fresh zucchini (Thinly Sliced)
100g Provolone del Monaco
-If you can’t find it (or afford it, because it is PRICEY), try using 50g of the sharpest provolone you have mixed with 25g Pecorino Romano and 25g Parmigiano Reggiano
200g Spaghetti
1 Clove Garlic (Smashed)
A bunch of Fresh Basil
2 Tbsp Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-Fry your thinly sliced zucchini in olive oil till golden brown. Personally, I like getting a mix of crispy dark brown and creamy light brown for different textures in the final product.

-Fry them in batches so that they can cook more evenly, and let each batch cool on a bed of fresh basil. It’ll make your kitchen smell AMAZING, but also start the process of bringing out the basil aroma.

Big Tip: Once the zucchini are fried, you can let them sit for a few hours or even overnight until you are ready to start cooking the pasta. Then just pick up where you left off.

-As your pasta cooks, infuse a few Tbsp of Olive oil on low heat with the garlic and basil stems.

-Remove the garlic and basil stems, then turn off the heat and add your zucchini, basil, butter, and AL DENTE spaghetti to the pan.

-Toss and mix for a minute before adding the grated cheese. Continue mixing the pasta vigorously. Like REALLY REALLY hard, until a delicious cream forms.

-Top with some extra fried zucchini slices and freshly ground pepper… and some parmesan cheese of course.

#nerano #italianfood #recipe #zucchini #vegetarian

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