Spaghetti alla Nerano with Crispy Zucchini

Prep 20 min·Cook 25 min·Total 45 min·4 servings·VEGETARIAN·640 kcal

Served spaghetti alla Nerano with fried zucchini in a blue bowl with a pepper mill beside it

Ingredients

For the pasta

400 gr (14 oz.) spaghetti
150 to 200 ml (2/3 to 3/4 cup) pasta water (taken from the pot)
salt for the cooking water

For the zucchini and the sauce

3 to 4 zucchini (about 600 gr (21 oz.))
3 to 4 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
150 gr (5.3 oz.) parmesan (or Provolone del Monaco)
fresh basil leaves (1 large bunch)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Equipment: Large pot for the pasta, Large pan, Mandoline or sharp knife, Slotted spoon, Kitchen paper, Immersion blender, Fine cheese grater

Instructions

Fry the zucchini

1.Wash the zucchini and cut them into thin slices, ideally on a mandoline.
2.Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the zucchini slices golden over medium heat, working in several batches.
3.Lift the slices out with a slotted spoon, let them drain on kitchen paper and season them with salt and pepper.
4.Wash the basil, pat it dry and tear it roughly.
5.Blend one third of the fried zucchini with half of the basil until smooth.

Cook the spaghetti

1.Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted water according to the packet, draining it 1 minute early.
2.Before draining, take out 150 to 200 ml (2/3 to 3/4 cup) of the cooking water and set it aside.
3.Meanwhile grate the parmesan finely and peel and finely chop the garlic.

Bring the sauce together and serve

1.Soften the garlic in a little olive oil until translucent and add the blended zucchini and basil mixture.
2.Take the pan off the heat, stir in half of the parmesan and add the pasta water bit by bit until a creamy sauce forms.
3.Add the spaghetti to the pan together with the remaining zucchini slices and the rest of the basil.
4.Toss everything with the remaining parmesan and a little more pasta water if needed, then season with salt and pepper.
5.Serve piping hot straight away and scatter over grated parmesan and fresh basil.

Notes

Tip from my kitchen: the moment that decides everything is when the cheese goes in. Take the pan off the heat first, otherwise the parmesan pulls into strings and the sauce turns grainy instead of velvety. I add the pasta water only a spoonful at a time, stirring until the whole thing gleams. Let the zucchini go properly deep golden, pale slices taste of nothing and make the sauce watery. If you want to work ahead, fry the slices the day before and layer them with basil in the fridge, which turns dinner into a 20-minute affair. The recipe also works vegan with a matured plant-based hard cheese and one extra spoonful of olive oil, though the emulsion then needs a little more patience at the stirring stage.

Nutrition per serving: 640 kcal · 26 g protein

MY NOTES

Ten more easy vegan dinners, free: frei-style.com/ebook