Pasta alla Nerano

J. Kenji López-Alt

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A classic southern Italian pasta dish from near the Amalfi Coast featuring fried zucchini and an emulsified pasta water, butter, and cheese sauce.

Ingredients9

Directions9 Start Cooking

Slice the zucchini and summer squash.
Heat olive oil in a pan until hot and fry the zucchini slices until they turn deep golden brown.
Remove the zucchini and drain off excess oil.
Boil pasta in a pot with a minimal amount of water, seasoned with a bit of salt, so the resulting pasta water is extra starchy.
Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente.
Add some of the fried zucchini to a separate pan, add a splash of olive oil and starchy pasta water, then add the pasta.
Cook over high heat to finish the pasta and emulsify the sauce, adding more pasta water as needed to create a creamy consistency.
Remove the pan from the heat, add butter, fresh basil, black pepper, and grated parmesan, tossing to incorporate.
Serve hot.