Spaghetti alla Nerano
Serves 4
Adapted from Platings And Pairings
2 cups (475 milliliters) vegetable oil, such as sunflower, avocado, or coconut oil
2½ pounds (1.1 kilograms) zucchini, thinly sliced (about 2-6 zucchinis, depending on size)
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound (500 grams) spaghetti
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, whole
1 cup (8 grams) fresh basil, coarsely chopped
2 cups (200 grams) parmesan cheese, grated
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. As it’s heating up, add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add enough zucchini slices to fill, but not crowd, the pan.
Fry the zucchini in the oil until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on paper towel-lined baking tray. Salt the zucchini while they rest.
Repeat the zucchini frying steps, adding more vegetable oil once the pan begins to dry, until all the zucchini has been fried.
Remove the pan from the heat to cool down, as you will use it again later. Drain off the vegetable oil.
Cook the spaghetti until al dente, reserving 2 cups of pasta cooking water before draining. Set the spaghetti aside.
Heat the stove to medium-low heat and put the pan back on the heat. Add the olive oil and the whole garlic cloves. Fry the garlic, stirring regularly, until golden brown. Remove the garlic and discard.
Add 10-15 zucchini slices to the pan along with 3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water. Using a fork, carefully mash the zucchini against the sides of the pan and mix with olive oil and water until you’ve got a loose, chunky sauce.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and coarsely mix with the sauce. Toss with the remaining zucchini and the basil, adding pasta cooking water, as needed, until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency.
Add the parmesan and continue tossing, until the pasta is coated in parmesan and zucchini and the sauce is creamy. Season with additional salt, to taste.
Serve with additional parmesan.
Enjoy!