Everyone has been taken by the Stanley Tucci series, “Searching for Italy.” It premiered during the pandemic, which was a perfect time to awaken the public’s sense of wanderlust and needing an escape from the confines of our homes and communities. All of our pent-up travel desires were satisfied weekly with a tour of another region of the country. Every Monday morning (the series aired on Sundays), social media was all the chatter about what Stanley found and ate the night before. My wife and I (and I’m sure many families) made the dishes the following day after each airing.
Upon opening our cooking school after 16 months, it seemed appropriate to offer a hands-on experience to re-create the recipes and “taste” the series not just with our eyes. This recipe, Spaghetti alla Nerano, was featured in the first episode: Naples and the Amalfi Coast.
Stanley Tucci’s Spaghetti alla Nerano
14 ounces spaghetti
6 medium zucchini
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
Sunflower oil, for frying
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Butter
• Heat a generous amount of sunflower oil in a large deep saucepan.
• Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and then fry in the hot sunflower oil until they begin to turn golden.
• Drain the zucchini with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and leave in the fridge for at least two hours to rest and soften.
• When you are ready to prepare the dish, bring a large pot of salted water (Italians usually say that the water should be as salty as the Mediterranean!) to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
• Heat the rested zucchini in a large frying pan along with two ladles of the spaghetti cooking water and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.
• Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan with the zucchini. Remove the pan from the heat, add a couple of handfuls of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and toss everything together well.
• Divide into portions, sprinkle each bowl with more Parmigiano Reggiano and top with a few fresh basil leaves before serving.
• If you are looking for extra decadence stir through a spoonful of butter before serving.
Serves 4
Inspired by Stanley Tucci’s “Searching for Italy: Naples” episode
