Creamy Zucchini Pasta

Spaghetti alla Nerano — Photo:
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser

Active Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Servings:

This simple spaghetti dish from Nerano, Italy, highlights the luscious texture and slightly sweet flavor of zucchini. Traditional versions call for pan-frying thinly sliced zucchini in multiple batches, but we found that a broiler makes it easy to get a golden-brown caramelized exterior in a fraction of the time. After a quick broil, a portion of the zucchini coins are slowly cooked down with pasta cooking liquid, butter, and cheese to form a creamy sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is caciocavallo cheese?

Caciocavallo is a traditional semi-hard cheese from southern Italy with a buttery yet sharp flavor. It is available at specialty cheese stores or online at murrayscheese.com.
What does Nerano mean in Italian?

Nerano is a small village on the Sorrento Peninsula in southern Italy, where spaghetti alla Nerano was first created in the 1950s.
Why do you add pasta cooking liquid to the sauce?

We like to use a small amount of the pasta water to make pasta sauce. The starches in the hot water help thicken and emulsify the sauce so it coats each piece of pasta. This trick also works to revive your leftovers — splash in a bit of the water as you reheat your meal to restore the texture.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

This spaghetti is best served immediately. The longer it sits after cooking, the sauce will thicken and become more pasty — still delicious, but less luxuriously silky.

Suggested pairing

Serve this zucchini pasta with a medium-bodied Italian white, such as Ronchi di Cialla Cialla Bianco.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick coins (about 7 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
6 ounces uncooked spaghetti
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 ounces caciocavallo cheese, provolone piccante, or Fontina, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup), plus more for garnish
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, plus small leaves for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to broil with rack 5 inches from heat. Toss together zucchini and 3 tablespoons oil in a bowl. Arrange zucchini coins in a single layer on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Broil zucchini, 1 pan at a time, until tender and browned, 5 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add spaghetti; cook 1 minute less than package instructions for al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium. Reserve 1/4 cup broiled zucchini coins for garnish. Add remaining zucchini coins to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is softened and some pieces begin to break apart, about 2 minutes. Add butter, garlic, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until garlic is light golden, about 3 minutes.
Add 1/3 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid to skillet; cook over medium, stirring constantly, until liquid is mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Add cooked spaghetti and 1/3 cup pasta cooking liquid; stir, turning pasta constantly until well coated with zucchini mixture. Remove from heat; add caciocavallo, Parmigiano-Reggiano, sliced basil, and 1/3 cup pasta cooking liquid. Stir constantly until sauce thickens and pasta is evenly coated. (Add additional pasta cooking liquid if needed, 1/4 cup at a time, to thin sauce to desired consistency.)
Garnish pasta with reserved zucchini coins, additional basil leaves, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.