Starfinancer

Spaghetti Alla Nerano. The name may sound exotic, but they are actually one of the most territorial dishes, and greedy in their territoriality, that you can meet. Typical of Campania cuisine, they were born in Nerano, a fishing village that gives the recipe its name, in 1952, in the kitchens of the Mariagrazia restaurant. A fairytale cove almost in front of Capri, at the beginning of the Amalfi Coast, where the Taverna del Capitano is also located, one of the most famous restaurants on the Coast, the address of choice for tasting this dish. The basic ingredients are three: spaghetti di Gragnano, zucchini (fried) and provolone del Monaco, great local excellence that supports the preparation by giving it the creamy creaming that characterizes it.

Recipe

Ingredients for 4 people):
340 grams of Gragnano spaghetti
650 gr of fresh courgettes
200 gr of Provolone del Monaco
2 cloves of garlic
To taste Extra virgin olive oil
Basil
salt
Pepper

Method:

The first step is to take care of the vegetables. Then wash the courgettes and peel the most superficial part of the peel; then cut them into thin slices – so that they can blend well with the dough – of about 2 millimeters. Dab them with kitchen paper to dry them well, then fry them in plenty of extra virgin olive oil for about two minutes. The temperature of the oil is fundamental, it must be boiling. Once the courgettes turn golden, drain them on a plate covered with new absorbent paper, pat them again and salt them delicately. In a separate bowl, grate the provolone: ​​the grater must have narrow holes to have the most suitable consistency.

Put the water on the stove, with a handful of coarse salt. In the meantime, when it comes to a boil, in a separate pan, add a generous round of oil with the well-peeled garlic cloves; the latter must be sautéed, when they are golden, remove them and add the courgettes and a handful of washed and squeezed basil leaves. Cook everything together over a soft flame for 2-3 minutes.

Once the water for the pasta has come to a boil allow the spaghetti to cook only half the time necessary, in order to complete the cooking in the pan. Drain the spaghetti directly into the pan, then add a ladle of cooking water. Stir and continue to cook again, cooking strictly over medium heat until the spaghetti are al dente and creamy. At the end of cooking, the heat must be turned off and the pasta mixed for about 10 seconds in order to mix the creamy base, at this point you can add the cheese, which will then be stirred away from the stove. The result must be very creamy: if it is dry, add another tablespoon of cooking water.