Spaghetti alla Nerano is a traditional Italian pasta dish from the Campania region, made with just a few simple ingredients: spaghetti, fried zucchini, Provolone cheese, and fresh basil.
This creamy zucchini pasta is a perfect example of how minimal ingredients can create extraordinary flavor.
What makes this dish so special is the contrast of textures and flavors. The fried zucchini brings a subtle sweetness and a delicate crunch, which pairs beautifully with the rich, creamy texture of melted Provolone cheese. Fresh basil adds a bright and aromatic touch, making every bite fresh and flavorful.
The name Spaghetti alla Nerano comes from Nerano, a charming seaside village near the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy, where this iconic dish was first created. Today, it's considered a local treasure and a must-try for pasta lovers.
One of the key ingredients is Provolone del Monaco, a flavorful aged cheese from the Lattari Mountains. Slightly spicy and intensely savory, it melts beautifully into the sauce, giving the pasta its signature creaminess.
Although it’s popular all year round, Nerano pasta is especially loved in summer, when zucchini are at their peak—fresh, tender, and full of natural sweetness. It’s perfect for both casual meals and special occasions, whether you're serving it for lunch or dinner.
Ready to bring a taste of the Amalfi Coast to your kitchen? Let’s make authentic Spaghetti alla Nerano, step by step—with all the tips and tricks for a flawless result!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 10 Min | Cook Time: 20 Min | Servings: 4
- 350 g (12 oz) of spaghetti di Gragnano
- 700 g (1 ½ pound) of zucchini
- 200 g (~½ pound) of Provolone del Monaco
- 1 clove of garlic
- 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, for the soffritto
- 650 ml (~3 cups) extra virgin olive oil, for frying
- 10 basil leaves
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Step 1) - To prepare Spaghetti alla Nerano, start by washing the zucchini. Remove the ends. Then, using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice them very thinly and as evenly as possible.
Step 2) - Then fry them in a pan with plenty of hot extra virgin olive oil. We recommend frying a few zucchini at a time to prevent the oil temperature from dropping. This will take 2 to 3 minutes. The zucchini should be golden brown and crispy.
NOTE: When frying with extra virgin olive oil, the ideal temperature is between 160°C (320°F) and 180°C (356°F). This ensures crisp frying and prevents the oil from reaching its smoking point.
Step 3) - Place the zucchini on paper towels to dry, season with a pinch of salt and add the basil. Set aside.
Meanwhile, grate the provolone cheese with a small hole grater and set aside.
Step 4) - In a large frying pan, sauté the peeled garlic in the extra virgin olive oil for 1 minute.
Then add the fried zucchini. Sauté for two or three minutes. Finally remove the garlic.
Cook the Pasta
Step 5) - Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted water for about half the time indicated on the package. You will finish cooking them in the pan with the zucchini in the next step.
Step 6) - Drain the uncooked spaghetti and add them to the pan with the zucchini. Add a ladle of the cooking water and stir well. Finish cooking the spaghetti in the pan.
NOTE: This method is called "risottare" (cooking in the pan like risotto).
Step 7) - Remove the pan from the heat and add the grated provolone cheese.
If the spaghetti looks dry, add a little more pasta water. Stir until the pasta and cheese are perfectly blended.
Finish with a grind of black pepper and chopped fresh basil. Serve the spaghetti alla Nerano immediately, steaming and creamy.
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Pasta alla Norma
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
- Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
- Saffron Spaghetti Cooked Risotto-Style
- Authentic Spaghetti all’Assassina
- Fried Breaded Zucchini
Storage
Spaghetti alla Nerano are best enjoyed hot and creamy, right after cooking. Reheating them can cause the sauce to lose its smooth texture and some of its flavor.
That said, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm them gently in a skillet over low heat, adding a splash of water to help bring back some creaminess.
Freezing is not recommended, as it can significantly affect the texture and taste of the dish.
Substitutes
CHEESE
The key ingredient in Pasta alla Nerano is a very special cheese: Provolone del Monaco.
This semi-hard, aged cheese is one of Campania’s DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) products. It has a slightly spicy flavor and melts beautifully when combined with hot pasta, creating a rich, creamy texture that defines the character of Spaghetti alla Nerano.
Without it, the dish would simply be a basic zucchini and cheese pasta—still good, but missing its unique personality.
Since Provolone del Monaco is produced in a specific area of Campania, it can be difficult to find outside Italy. So if you can’t get your hands on it, don’t worry—there are some good alternatives.
You can replace it with a well-aged Caciocavallo Semipiccante or a Provolone Stravecchio with a sharp, spicy flavor. These cheeses offer a similar melt and taste profile, staying close to the original recipe.
PASTA
The traditional choice is spaghetti from Gragnano, another gem from Campania known for its high-quality pasta made from durum wheat. Using good-quality durum wheat pasta is essential. If you prefer short pasta, paccheri or fusilli are also excellent options for this recipe.
Origins
There’s no single official story behind the creation of Spaghetti alla Nerano, but most agree it was born from simplicity. Along the Sorrento Peninsula, fried zucchini, pasta, and aged cheeses like Provolone were common staples—making this dish a natural and spontaneous combination in local kitchens.
But one charming legend stands out.
According to the story, Spaghetti alla Nerano was first made in 1952 at the Maria Grazia trattoria, a small seaside restaurant in Nerano. That evening, Francesco Caravita, Prince of Sirignano—nicknamed Pupetto—visited the restaurant. With the pantry nearly empty, the cooks improvised with what they had: the last zucchini from the garden, leftover provolone, pecorino, dried caciotta, spaghetti, olive oil, and a few basil leaves.
The result? A surprisingly delicious dish that delighted the Prince—and marked the unofficial birth of this now-iconic pasta.
Today, Spaghetti alla Nerano is a symbol of Campanian cuisine, with a humble origin story that adds to its charm and appeal.
Why It's Called "Provolone del Monaco"
There’s an interesting story behind the name of Provolone del Monaco, the aged cheese often used in this dish. According to popular belief, cheesemakers from the Sorrento area used to cover themselves with thick sackcloth cloaks—similar to a monk’s robe—to protect themselves from the cold during their journey to Naples.
When they arrived at the market, locals nicknamed them “monks,” and the cheese they brought eventually became known as Provolone del Monaco—“Monk’s Provolone.”
This theory, which seems to be the most true, suggests that this provolone is not specifically related to the area of Nerano, but to products from a wider area of Campania.
Recipe Card
Spaghetti alla Nerano (Italian Zucchini Pasta from the Amalfi Coast)
Ingredients
- 350 g spaghetti di Gragnano - 12 oz
- 700 g zucchini - 1 ½ pound
- 200 g Provolone del Monaco cheese - ~½ pound
- 1 garlic clove
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 650 ml extra virgin olive oil - ~3 cups, for frying
- 10 basil leaves
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
Instructions
- To prepare Spaghetti alla Nerano, start by washing the zucchini. Remove the ends. Then, using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice them very thinly and as evenly as possible.
- Then fry them in a pan with plenty of hot extra virgin olive oil. We recommend frying a few zucchini at a time to prevent the oil temperature from dropping. This will take 2 to 3 minutes. The zucchini should be golden brown and crispy.
- Place the zucchini on paper towels to dry, season with a pinch of salt and add the basil. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan, sauté the peeled garlic in the extra virgin olive oil for 1 minute.
- Then add the fried zucchini. Sauté for two or three minutes. Finally remove the garlic.
- Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted water for about half the time indicated on the package. You will finish cooking them in the pan with the zucchini in the next step.
- Drain the uncooked spaghetti and add them to the pan with the zucchini. Add a ladle of the cooking water and stir well. Finish cooking the spaghetti in the pan.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the grated provolone cheese.
- If the spaghetti looks dry, add a little more pasta water. Stir until the pasta and cheese are perfectly blended.
- Finish with a grind of black pepper and chopped fresh basil. Serve the spaghetti alla Nerano immediately, steaming and creamy.
bailey says
don't you people proof read your writing??, 3 CUPS olive oil????
Silvana Nava says
Maybe it's better to read the whole recipe and not just the list of ingredients.
One of the features of the recipe for real pasta alla Nerano lies precisely in the double frying of the zucchini in plenty of extra virgin olive oil.
3 cups is the right amount.
Catherine says
This sounds so interesting I will try this,