NERANO STYLE PASTA
with double-fried zucchini, Provolone del Monaco and fresh basil
Difficulty
Medium
Preparation
25 min
Cooking time
20 min
Serves
4 people
Category
First Courses
Season
Summer
Cuisine
Campanian
Propaganda's Pasta alla Nerano is a love letter to the Sorrento coast: spaghetti cooked risotto-style and stirred to a velvety, glossy cream with Provolone del Monaco, topped with double-fried zucchini—golden-crisp on the outside, soft inside—and scented with fresh basil. A dish whose deceptive simplicity hides meticulous technique, where every step—the frying, the risotto method, the careful stirring off the heat—makes the difference between good and unforgettable.
Ingredients
For the pasta
Spaghetti or paccheri360 g
Coarse salt for the pastato taste
For the fried zucchini
Medium Neapolitan zucchini (light-skinned)600 g
Peanut oil for fryingplenty
Saltto taste
For the sauce
Grated Provolone del Monaco (rind removed)150 g
Extra virgin olive oil4 tbsp
Fresh basil1 bunch
Saltto taste
Black pepperto taste
For finishing the fried zucchini
Extra virgin olive oilto taste
Fresh basila few leaves
Method
01
Preparing the zucchini
Rinse the zucchini thoroughly under cold running water. Slice them thinly — about 2–3 mm thick — using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Pat completely dry with kitchen paper. This step is essential: any remaining moisture will lower the oil temperature and produce a limp, soggy result instead of a crisp one.
02
Double-frying the zucchini
Heat a generous amount of peanut oil in a wide pan or deep fryer. Fry the zucchini in small batches for 2–3 minutes, until tender but still pale, then drain: this first pass cooks them through without browning. Once the oil has returned to full temperature, fry them again until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and season lightly with salt.
03
Infusing the oil with basil
In a wide pan, pour in the extra virgin olive oil and add a generous amount of fresh basil. Warm over low heat to gently infuse the oil, without letting the basil fry. Keep over the lowest possible heat until needed.
04
Finishing the pasta risotto-style
Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water. With 1–2 minutes left before al dente, transfer it directly into the pan with the basil oil, reserving the pasta water. Finish cooking risotto-style over medium-high heat, adding ladlefuls of pasta water a little at a time, stirring vigorously, until the pasta is fully cooked and coated in a creamy, glossy sauce.
05
Creaming with the Provolone
This is the critical step: remove the pan from the heat and allow the pasta to cool slightly for a moment. Only then add the grated Provolone del Monaco. Cream vigorously with a splash of pasta water, stirring until you achieve a smooth, silky sauce that clings to every strand. If the cheese is added while the pan is still on the heat, it will string and split, ruining the dish's creaminess entirely.
06
Dressing the zucchini and plating
In a bowl, toss the fried zucchini with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a few fresh basil leaves. Twirl the pasta into a neat nest at the centre of each plate. Pile the dressed zucchini generously on top. Finish with a fresh basil leaf and, if you like, a grind of black pepper.
👨🍳 Chef's tip
