Spaghetti alla Nerano Recipe (Fried Zucchini Pasta)
Updated Mar 06, 2025, Published Apr 24, 2023
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Spaghetti alla Nerano Recipe (Fried Zucchini Pasta)– lightly fried zucchini nestled in creamy provolone and parmigiano cheese-covered spaghetti is a summertime love language. Enjoy this beautiful zucchini pasta for a winning lunch or dinner. Buon appetito!
Elevate your pasta recipes and make this phenomenal pasta alla nerano recipe soon! Serve with homemade ciabatta bread and focaccia bread. More pasta side dishes!
Authentic Italian Spaghetti alla Nerano Recipe
Spaghetti alla Nerano brings is a pasta dish with flavors from Campania, a first course in the Neapolitan culinary tradition that shines with genuine simplicity.
The secret to this dish’s goodness lies in its incredible and appetizing creaminess and the incomparable taste of provolone cheese. While waiting to savor the typical spaghetti alla Nerano in one of the small restaurants on the Amalfi coast, I invite you to make this delicacy at home!
If you love zucchini, try: Easy Italian Zucchini Fritters, Shredded Zucchini Pasta, Sauteed Italian Zucchini, Roasted Zucchini with Squash, and Cinnamon Sugar Zucchini Bread.
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
This simple pasta dish reflects the simplicity of Italian cooking. It makes a beautiful and showstopping pasta dinner with only a few fresh ingredients. This is an easy pasta recipe to love!
- Spaghetti or pasta of choice
- Zucchini, thinly sliced
- Parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated
- Provolone cheese, freshly grated
- Fresh basil, torn by hand
- Garlic cloves
- Reserved pasta water
- Salt for pasta water
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Oil for frying plus more for cooking (extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil)
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Spaghetti alla Nerano Recipe
This simple pasta dish is so easy to prepare! Home cooks can achieve a restaurant-quality spaghetti alla nerano dish with these simple steps and tips. Buon Apetito!
Variations
While Spaghetti alla Nerano traditionally includes fried zucchini, garlic, basil, Provolone cheese, and Parmigiano or Parmesan cheese, there are several variations you can make to the recipe to suit your taste preferences.
- Adding pancetta or bacon: Adding crispy pancetta or bacon to the dish can add a smoky flavor to the pasta.
- Using different vegetables: You can use other vegetables instead of zucchini or in addition. For example, add sautéed mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, or roasted peppers to the pasta.
- Making it creamier: You can add a splash of heavy cream or crème fraîche to the sauce for a creamier version.
- Using different pasta shapes: While spaghetti or linguine are the traditional pasta shapes for this dish, you can use other shapes like penne or fusilli for a different texture.
- Making it vegetarian or vegan: You can make Spaghetti alla Nerano vegetarian or vegan by omitting the Provolone and Parmesan cheese or using a vegan alternative (you may not achieve the same creaminess in the sauce). You can also substitute the fried zucchini with eggplant or another vegetable.
- Adding fresh herbs: Adding fresh herbs, parsley, or oregano can enhance the dish’s flavor and add a pop of color.
See this recipe to know How Long to Boil Spaghetti (pasta)- Perfect Every Time.
Origins of Spaghetto alla Nerano
Pasta alla Nerano is a pasta dish from Campania (Sorrento peninsula). The original recipe was created by restaurant owner Maria Grazia in the town of Nerano, 1952. The creamy texture of the sauce comes from using provolone del monaco cheese; for this recipe, any provolone variety will work.
You may have heard of this past dish from the actor Stanly Tucci who displayed an obsession with this dish on his show. Before Mr. Tucci made this dish a worldwide hit, my Italian family had long loved this simple spaghetti alla nerano recipe. We enjoy it at our beach home in Sardgna with the bounty of in-season zucchini.
This simple pasta alla nerano is popular in the Amalfi Coast, and the rest of southern and northern Italy. It is one of my favorite pasta dishes, and I know you will love I too!
More classic Italian pasta recipes: Authentic Italian Cacio e Pepe Recipe, Authentic Italian Pasta Carbonara (no cream), Mediterranean Lasagna, Pasta with Clams, Easy Pistachio Pesto Pasta, and Lemon Butter Pasta Sauce (Pasta al Limone).
Equipment
- Mandoline to get the zucchini all the same size and thinly sliced.
- Deep Pan for frying
Storage
Store in an airtight container: Transfer the spaghetti alla Nerano to an airtight container with a lid. Make sure that the container is suitable for storing food in the refrigerator. Eat within 3-4 days.
Top tips
- Use high-quality ingredients: The key to making a great Spaghetti alla Nerano is to use the freshest and highest quality ingredients. Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ripe zucchini, and fresh basil.
- Pasta quality: Use spaghetti or linguine pasta for this dish, as they are the traditional choices. Cook the pasta al dente with a slight bite, then finish cooking in the pan with the zucchini and cheese.
- Fry the zucchini properly: To get its crispy texture cut it into thin slices and fry it until golden brown. I highly recommend using a mandoline.
- Garnish with fresh basil: The final touch is adding fresh basil to the pasta. This adds a fresh and aromatic flavor to the dish.
- Coat the pasta in the sauce: Mix well to ensure that the pasta is coated evenly.
FAQs
To prevent the zucchini from becoming soggy, make sure to cut it into thin slices and fry it until golden brown. Also, do not overcrowd the pan when frying.
Spaghetti alla Nerano is a traditional Italian pasta dish that originates from the town of Nerano on the Amalfi coast in Southern Italy. This is the most authentic recipe you can find that resembles the original dish.
It’s not recommended to freeze Spaghetti alla Nerano as the texture may become mushy when reheated. Spaghetti alla Nerano is so easy to make you can whip it up whenever you crave this easy pasta dish.
More delicious pasta recipes:
What to Serve with Spaghetti alla Nerano Recipe (Fried Zucchini Pasta)
Try these dishes to serve with Fried Zucchini Pasta:
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Spaghetti alla Nerano Recipe (Fried Zucchini Pasta)
Ingredients
- 400 grams spaghetti, or pasta of choice
- 5 small fresh zucchini, thinly sliced (or 3 large zucchini)
- ¼ cup parmigiano cheese, freshly grated
- 1 cup provolone cheese, freshly grated
- ¼ cup fresh basil, torn by hand
- 2 garlic cloves, whole
- reserved pasta water
- Salt for pasta water
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Oil for frying + 4 tablespoons for cooking, olive oil or sunflower oil
Instructions
- Thinly slice the zucchini with a mandoline or sharp knife. Set out a plate lined with paper towels and set it aside.
- Finely grate the provolone and parmigiano cheese. Set the grated cheese aside.
- In a deep pan or skillet, add the oil and ensure it is very hot before adding the zucchini. Fry the zucchini in batches in plenty of hot olive oil until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a paper towel, and sprinkle the zucchini with torn basil leaves and salt.
- In a frying pan, on medium heat, sauté the garlic cloves in a pan with 4 tablespoons of oil (about 1 minute). Remove the garlic and add the fried zucchini. Reserve a few sliced zucchini for garnish. Turn off the heat.
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of water. Bring it to a boil and salt generously. Cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain once al dente, setting aside 3/4 cup pasta cooking water.
- Add the drained spaghetti, half of the reserved pasta cooking water, and half the provolone to the pan with zucchini in the hot pan. Stir continuously as you add the rest of the pasta cooking water, the remaining provolone, and parmigiano cheese, mixing until it forms a creamy sauce- this may take a couple of minutes of stirring. If needed, turn the heat to low to warm up the cheese a bit.
- Serve immediately with a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, extra cheese, and a few fried zucchini slices on top.
Notes
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- Use high-quality ingredients: The key to making a great Spaghetti alla Nerano is to use the freshest and highest quality ingredients. Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ripe zucchini, and fresh basil.
-
- Pasta quality: Use spaghetti or linguine pasta for this dish, as they are the traditional choices. Cook the pasta al dente with a slight bite, then finish cooking in the pan with the zucchini and cheese.
-
- Fry the zucchini properly: To get its crispy texture cut thin slices of zucchini approximately all the same size and fry it until golden brown. I highly recommend using a mandoline.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This pasta was sooooo delicious! I have a TON of zucchini, wanted to try something new, and this was it! The fried zucchini really made the dish. The dish was so perfectly seasoned. The whole family loved it! Thank you!
Yay! It is a delicious recipe with depth of flavor and texture, yet so simple in nature. I’m happy you could use some of your zucchini for it.
I love pasta with zucchini – frying the zucchini takes it up a notch! I added in cooked, chopped bacon at the end so that it stayed crispy! Yum!
Wow, love the addition of the bacon. Delicious!
Family loved this!
Thrilled to hear that!
Fantastic! I saw the Tucci episode where this was featured and thought it fantastic. I fried zucchini in shallow oil in skillet as I do not care to deep fry anything. Caterpillars ate my basil overnight, so used pesto. new stand of basil coming on. Will be making this often.
Glad to find this recipe.
Happy you loved it! Yes, a light frying of the zucchini works great.