In recent years, this dish was made popular by Stanley Tuccis' cooking show, and I'm not mad about it! This pasta dish is really delicious and surprisingly easy to make. It does require a bit of preparation ahead of time, but its worth it.
Spaghetti with zucchini, or spaghetti alla nerano, as its called in Italian, is one of those lovely dishes that just allows the seasonal produce to sing. Caramelised zucchinis and fresh basil are the new tastes of summer, and combined with pasta, its a winner in my book and its definitely on repeat!
Because of their high water and high fibre content, zucchinis are great for digestion and immune health. If you need any excuse to eat more zucchinis, this recipe is it!
Zucchini and basil are in season during summer, the perfect time to enjoy such an easy and delicious meal.
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Ingredients
As expected with an Italian dish, the ingredients are seasonal and minimal. Just a handful of ingredients, most of which you'll likely already have in the kitchen, creates this spaghetti with zucchini dish of simple, seasonal goodness.
- zucchini - seasonal zucchinis are caramelised and that's basically what makes the pasta sauce. I love the Italians, they really know what they're doing when it comes to food
- basil - not just a garnish, but it tastes great mixed into the pasta just before you take a bite (or mouthful!)
- parmesan cheese - another part of the sauce, the melted salty parmesan cheese is delicate and delicious
- spaghetti - traditionally using spaghetti for this recipe, but bucatini pasta is next level
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: slice the zucchinis, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until golden brown. Store for at least 3 hours in the fridge or overnight.
- Step 2: Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water
- Step 3: Reheat the zucchinis, season, add some paste water and emulsify the sauce. Add a little butter and pasta.
- Step 4: Before serving scatter over some basil leaves and lots of parmesan cheese.
Hint: Always use pasta water to gently thicken pasta sauces. I use pasta water for Bolognese, tomato based pasta sauces and always this zucchini pasta.
Substitutions and Variations
I don't like to change traditional recipes too much, but there are some minor additions and substitutions you can make to suit your preferences.
- Gluten free - any gluten free pasta can be used, just be sure that the pasta water isn't too thick, as it will change the consistency of the sauce when adding pasta water to thicken. Use half pasta water and half filtered water
- Chilli flakes - stir through chilli flakes just before serving if you want some heat in the dish
- Parsley - the flavour is not the same as basil, but a herb does need to be added to the dish, and parsley is lovely if you don't have basil
Equipment
A wide shallow pan works best for this recipe, as it allows the sauce to cook evenly and makes adding the pasta to the dish easier too. Avoid using a deep pot for this dish, as it will quickly turn mushy.
This is my favourite shallow pan to use for this dish. Its an investment piece, but its so versatile, its worth it.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and the dish will be good for up to 2 days. Reheat in a shallow pan on low heat, adding a little water and olive oil to the dish so it doesn't stick to the pan.
Related
Looking for more summer recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favourite salad dishes to serve with spaghetti with zucchini:
Spaghetti with Zucchini (Spaghetti alla Nerano)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180℃. Thinly slice the zucchini, place on a lined baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven until golden brown.
- Once the zucchini is removed from the oven, allow to cool before transferring into an airtight container and storing in the fridge for up to 3 hours or overnight.
- Whilst the spaghetti is cooking, heat a little olive oil in the pan and add the zucchini from the day before (bring to room temperature before using) and gently heat through the zucchini.
- Once the zucchini starts to breakdown, add the wine and cook for a few minutes before ladling in some pasta water. Whilst stirring the pasta water into the rest of the sauce, gradually add the parmesan cheese and give it a good whisk. This should create a lovely glossy sauce.
- Add the spaghetti into the sauce, then add the salt and pepper. Combine, then scatter the basil leaves and extra parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!
Let me know if you have tried this recipe