Spaghetti alla Nerano | Carlo Florence chef

Ingredients

• 500 g of homemade ancient grain spaghetti alla chitarra ( see pasta making section to make your homemade pasta )
• 800 grams of fresh zucchini
• 200 grams of Provolone, )I used Del Monaco, but other Provolone or Caciovallo, will be fine)
• A few basil leaves
• Pepper
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• Wash the zucchini and tick them, then cut them into thin slices with a mandolin
• Once cooked, drain them with a skimmer and lay them on a tray lined with paper towels to dry the excess oil. As you cook the zucchini, season them with salt.
• Keep the zucchini aside, grate the Provolone del Monaco, and place a high-edged pot on the fire filled with salted water that will be used for cooking spaghetti.
• Cook the pasta which must be drained a couple minutes before it’s ready.
• In a large pan heat 30 g of extra virgin olive oil, add the poached garlic and some basil to flavor then remove them.
• Place the fried zucchini (leaving some aside for the topping) in a strainer and dip them quickly in the pot with the pasta, this way they will not dry.
• Drain the spaghetti directly into the pan with the zucchini, taking care to preserve the pasta water.
• Add chopped basil and ladle of pasta cooking water at a time, as needed, to continue cooking the spaghetti, risottando (cooking like risotto in its own juice) it will take a couple minutes.
• Turn off the flame. Pour a some of the Provolone del Monaco by mixing the spaghetti to melt it and create the cream; once it is absorbed, keep adding the remaining provolone.
• Flavor again with the chopped basil by hand and pour pasta cooking water if needed.
• Stir and serve adding some freshly grated Provolone and ground pepper on top.
• First courses