Almost Stanley Tucci's Spaghetti Alla Nerano

After watching Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and reading Taste, I was inspired to make Spaghtti alla Nerano.

After listening to “Taste” and watching “Searching for Italy” by Stanley Tucci, I’ve found myself wanting to try a couple of his recipes so badly—especially Spaghetti alla Nerano. It was a fairly simple recipe, the only challenge was that I had no idea how this dish should taste since I’ve never had it before! So I am not sure if this is close enough to the one at Lo Scoglio, but this is so delicious regardless!

This recipe has been adapted from Chewing the fat and allrecipes and of course, Stanley Tucci’s recipe. This can be done in one day, but I usually deep fry zucchini the day before and refrigerate overnight. This can be optional, but this process is supposed to do ‘magic’ in the sauce…

Note: The cheese selection according to Chewing the fat - A great number of recipes use Provolone di Monaco. “Monk’s Provolone” is a local cheese from the Sorrento peninsula. It’s incredibly expensive in this country. A substitute is Caciocavallo at half the price. Another is Provolone. Provolone is made by hanging up the cheese to age. The longer the cheese is aged, the harder it becomes and the sharper its flavor. So if budget is an issue, Provolone Piccante is a great choice. But if all else fails, a mixture of 70 % Pecorino and 30 % Parmigiano will approximate the salty, tangy, spiciness of the genuine article. Here, at last, is the recipe, followed by some other favorite pasta dishes.

Serve 2

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Ingredients

• 1/4 quart sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)

• 4~5 small zucchini, thinly sliced

• about 1/2C  Pecorino Romano, grated

• 1/4~1/3C Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

• 2 tbsp EVOO

• 1/2C fresh basil, torn or roughly chopped

• 1/2 lb spaghetti

• Sea salt to taste

• 1~2 tbsp butter

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Instructions

Day 1:

1. In a deep-fry pot, heat oil over medium~high heat to about 350°F. Deep-fry the zucchini in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. (Note: Drop the zucchini slices into the hot oil one at a time, very carefully. If you add too many at once, they may stick together and become difficult to separate. Remove the zucchini with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining zucchini. Once all are cooked, transfer them to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.)

   

Day 2:

1.  Cook spaghetti until al dente, about 9~10 minutes.

2. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat oil in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, until it starts to release its juices, soften, and break down. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the basil and butter.

   

3. Transfer the spaghetti directly from the pot to the zucchini pan using tongs, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta water, 1/2C at a time, and stir until the mixture becomes creamy. Add the cheese mix and stir vigorously until it melts into a creamy sauce, adding more pasta water and salt as needed. (I usually add about 1 1/2C~2C of water.) Serve with Parmigiano Reggiano and basil.

   

   

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