Spaghetti alla Nerano
Behind nearly every Italian speciality dish is a story and Spaghetti alla Nerano is no different.
The story goes that one day Prince Caravita, known to all by the name of Pupetto di Sirignano, landed at the small dock of Marina del Cantone in Nerano. Prince Pupetto was a real character, an entertainer of Neapolitan social life in the 1950s.
It was the early 1950s and Pupetto with his group of friends from Capri went to dine, as he often did, at Ristorante da Maria Grazia, already famous for her excellent cuisine. And the restaurant still exists today.
At the end of that day, when the everyone were starting to clean up, Prince Pupetto entered the kitchen. Challenged by his friends, he wanted to prepare a plate of spaghetti for his friends, and wanted to do it together with Donna Rosa, the grandmother.
Prince Pupetto must of arrived during the months of June to September when, along the Amalfi Coast, tomatoes and zucchini dominate the tables. These simple ingredients would have been the inspiration behind Spaghetti alla Nerano.
So the story goes that at Ristorante da Maria Grazia, Donna Rosa and the other women in the kitchen, helped Pupetto make a great impression, creating the dish that is now famous throughout the world!
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INGREDIENTS for 4 people
- 360 grams spaghetti
- 1 kg zucchini
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 50 grams Parmigiano Reggiano
- 50 grams Provolone del Monaco PDO
- 30 grams Pecorino Romano
- Fresh basil and mint to taste
- Good quality extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
PREPARATION
- Cut the zucchini into round discs and fry them in a pan with plenty of oil (not olive oil)
- Drain them and set them aside.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of lightly salted water until al dente, then lift the pasta out of the water and into the zucchini.
- Add the grated cheeses, basil and mint and gently turn it over to mix well.
- If necessary to help stop the pasta from being too dry, add some of the pasta water.
- Season with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.
