Nerano Style Pasta with Courgettes

Introducing Our Nerano Style Pasta with Courgettes Recipe: Bringing Authentic Campania Flavours to Your Table!

With our pasta alla Nerano recipe, we’re excited to share a taste of Campania – a region known for its delicious food. This traditional Neapolitan first course captures the essence of simplicity and authenticity, making it a beloved favourite among food enthusiasts.

The story goes back to the 1950s when a clever restaurant owner in Nerano added Provolone del Monaco cheese to pasta and zucchini. This cheese comes from the Lattari Mountains and gives the dish its creamy texture and unique taste.

While you might have to wait for your next trip to Nerano or the Amalfi Coast to try the real thing, we invite you to make our version at home!

My personal journey with this dish began in a quaint restaurant near Positano, where they prided themselves on using locally grown produce. Their menu changed daily to showcase the freshest ingredients, and it was here that I first experienced the unforgettable flavours of Spaghetti alla Nerano. Inspired by this memorable dining experience, I’ve endeavoured to recreate the essence of that dish in my own kitchen.

So, whether you’re craving a taste of Italy or just want to try something new, our pasta alla Nerano recipe is here to take you on a culinary adventure. Let’s get cooking!

Why you will love this Nerano Style Pasta with Courgettes

• Quick and Easy: Ready in under 30 minutes, just like one pot tomato pasta, this recipe is perfect for busy nights.
• Simple and Light: This pasta dish is light and easy on the stomach. The sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and a little pasta water create a sauce that coats the pasta without being heavy or rich.
• Few Ingredients: With just pasta, courgettes, cheese, olive oil, and basil, this recipe is made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
• Enhanced Flavour: Frying the garlic clove in olive oil and then removing it before adding the courgette allows the courgette to soak up all that delicious garlicky flavour.

Key Ingredients to Make Nerano Style Pasta with Courgettes

• Olive oil– I suggest using olive oil to fry the zucchini not sunflower or other seed oil.
• Courgettes– Are the star of the dish, and it’s crucial to choose them carefully. When shopping, look for small courgettes that are deep green in color and firm to the touch. These characteristics indicate that the courgette was picked before reaching full maturity, resulting in a sweeter taste and lower water content with fewer seeds.
• Basil – Fresh basil is non-negotiable.
• Spaghetti – Usually this dish is made with spaghetti or any long, thin pasta noodle, like angel hair, bucatini, fettuccine, or linguine. Today i have used Campanelle pasta.
• Parmesan – For authenticity’s sake, the best cheese is semi-aged provolone del Monaco. Since it’s a regional cheese, it can be hard to find. Parmesan, caciocavallo, or other types of provolone (or a mixture!) grated directly from the block are suitable substitutions.
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Nerano style Pasta with Courgettes

• Firstly, Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Remember, you’ll need lots of water – a litre per 100g of pasta is a good guideline. Don’t forget to add salt to taste.
• While the water is heating up, thinly slice the courgettes into rounds, ensuring they’re no more than 2mm thick. Pour olive oil into a wide pan, enough to cover the bottom by about 2cm. Heat the oil over medium to high heat until it’s nice and hot but not smoking. You want the courgettes to fry in the oil, not absorb it.
• Fry the courgette slices until golden brown, then transfer them to absorbent kitchen paper to drain.

• Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions.
• Meanwhile, set a small pan over medium heat, add the oil and 4 cloves of garlic. Let the garlic cook until lightly golden. Remove the garlic cloves and reserve the oil for later use.
• Put a pan on medium heat and add four ladles of the pasta cooking water. Add the fried courgettes, basil, salt, and pepper to the pan. Stir gently to combine, being careful not to let the courgettes turn into mush. Let the sauce simmer for about two minutes before turning off the heat. The courgettes will partially dissolve into a sauce, but some should remain intact.
• Drain the pasta when it’s still fairly al dente, reserving another ladle-full of cooking water just in case. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the courgette sauce. Turn the heat to high and stir to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding the reserved garlic oil from earlier. If the pasta looks too dry, add a bit more cooking water. Finally, add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
• Serve the pasta with courgettes piled loosely onto each plate, garnished with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy your delicious homemade pasta dish!

Helpful Tips and tricks to Make Nerano Pasta

1. Be ready to juggle tasks! This recipe moves quickly. While the courgettes is frying, start boiling water in a pot for the pasta. By the time the courgettes and pasta are done, you’ll be ready to season, mix in Parmesan, and serve.
2. After draining the pasta, skip the rinse! The starch left on the surface helps the sauce stick to each pasta.
3. Make Ahead and Storing: You can fry the courgettes up to 3 days ahead to save time. Let the slices cool completely before putting them in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
4. Nerano-style pasta tastes best when served hot, so it’s not ideal for making extras. If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge. Just keep in mind that as the dish cools down, the cheese will clump together.
5. Let’s Add Vegetable Variety: Give your pasta a twist by using zucchini, yellow squash, or fried mushrooms.
6. Go Gluten-Free with Nerano Style Pasta: Use your favourite gluten-free long, thin pasta noodles for a gluten-free option.
7. Choose Vegan: Swap real parmesan cheese for your preferred meltable vegan parmesan or mozzarella to make a vegan version of this dish.

Looking for More Pasta Recipes?? Here are few on Our favourites:

1. Trofie Pasta with Broccoli and Leek
2. Pasta Salad with Roasted Broccoli Pesto
3. Best Pesto Mac and Cheese
4. Spicy Pasta Arrabiata

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on our blog let us know how liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more amazing recipes!!

Nerano Style Pasta with Courgettes

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 6 voted )

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Ingredients

• 6-7 small courgettes , (roughly 1kg)
• 350 grams pasta/spaghetti 
• 1 cup basil leaves, removed for the stalk
• 100g parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano), grated
• 2 cups olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

method

1. Firstly, Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Remember, you'll need lots of water – a litre per 100g of pasta is a good guideline. Don't forget to add salt to taste.
2. While the water is heating up, thinly slice the courgettes into rounds, ensuring they're no more than 2mm thick. Pour olive oil into a wide pan, enough to cover the bottom by about 2cm. Heat the oil over medium to high heat until it's nice and hot but not smoking. You want the courgettes to fry in the oil, not absorb it.
3. Fry the courgette slices until golden brown, then transfer them to absorbent kitchen paper to drain

   Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions.

4. Meanwhile, set a small pan over medium heat, add the oil and 4 cloves of garlic. Let the garlic cook until lightly golden. Remove the garlic cloves and reserve the oil for later use.
5. Put a pan on medium heat and add four ladles of the pasta cooking water. Add the fried courgettes, basil, salt, and pepper to the pan. Stir gently to combine, being careful not to let the courgettes turn into mush. Let the sauce simmer for about two minutes before turning off the heat. The courgettes will partially dissolve into a sauce, but some should remain intact.
6. Drain the pasta when it's still fairly al dente, reserving another ladle-full of cooking water just in case. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the courgette sauce. Turn the heat to high and stir to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding the reserved garlic oil from earlier. If the pasta looks too dry, add a bit more cooking water.
7. Finally, add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir until melted.Serve the pasta with courgettes piled loosely onto each plate, garnished with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy your delicious homemade pasta dish!

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you did, take a picture and tag me on Instagram at @poetryofspices!