It’s important to make it clear that this pasta dish was not born from my brain. But let me just fantasize for a minute that it was…One look at the title, and you probably would have guessed it is a tribute to the delicious and now A-list pasta made famous by the show Searching For Italy on CNN. Watching Stanley Tucci lap up spaghetti alla Nerano at the restaurant Lo Scoglio da Tommaso in Nerano, Italy, was nothing short of enviable. Watching anyone consume the creamy, verdant pasta dish definitely stimulated my salvatory glands, and I wanted the recipe adesso! Unfortunately, a trip to the Amalfi Coast was not in my near future, so I had to bring bella Italia to me.
As stated in the first episode of the CNN series, one of the key steps to creating spaghetti alla Nerano is to fry the zucchini in oil and let it macerate overnight. I have tried this method, and of course, it is delicious, but it uses a large amount of oil that isn’t completely repurposed into the final dish. A personal caveat is that sometimes I want my version of spaghetti alla Nerano, that evening. But, as is very typical of me, I sometimes don’t plan ahead, so macerating overnight is not always an option. However, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention, so to solve this problem, I roasted my zucchini until it turned lightly golden. This cooking method results in sweet and unctuous zucchini, allowing it to expel some of its water content while concentrating its fresh, green flavor.
Since this is my version of spaghetti alla Nerano, my family and I have called it the far less sexy “Zucchini Pasta.” I guess we could have tried spaghetti alla New York, but that just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Regardless of the name, when you taste this dish, I think we can all agree that it can be universally called delicious. Buon appetito!
Instructions
Step1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2: Slice the zucchini into ⅛ inch coins and coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat all of the zucchini coins. Reserve any remaining olive oil in the bowl.
Step 3: Place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Arrange the zucchini in rows until the baking sheet is full. Do not overcrowd the pan, or your zucchini will steam. Roast the zucchini for 30 minutes or until it becomes slightly golden brown. Be careful not to burn it. You will need to cook the zucchini in several batches or use multiple baking sheets.
Step 4: Remove the zucchini from the baking sheet and place it inside the bowl with the reserved olive oil. Add 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the zucchini, mix, and incorporate it all together.
Step 5: Make the pasta according to the package directions, reserving a cup of the starchy pasta water.
Step 6: Add the cooked pasta to the zucchini and mix. Add the provolone cheese and mix again. Add pasta water, ¼ cup at a time, to create a silky sauce. Keep the sauce thick to avoid watering the dish down. Mix in the butter.
Step 7: Finish the dish with the remaining Parmesan, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Catbird Cooking 