If I’m being honest, I’ve never been a big fan of zucchini. So when I saw this dish, Spaghetti alla Nerano, on Stanley Tucci‘s special, Searching for Italy, I wasn’t initially that interested.

But when he said, it was his favorite pasta of all time and that he made it at least once a week, I thought to myself I have to give this a try.

And frankly it blew my mind. It was a totally different flavor than any zucchini I had ever had before, and mixing it with pasta, and the fresh basil was a revelation.

Stanley Tucci has often spoken about his love of risotto as well. If you’d like to learn the technique, take a look at my guide to making perfect risotto. Mastering Simple Risotto: A Step-by-Step Guide

Or this wonderful lemony pasta dish, Italian Lemon Pasta with Pancetta (Pasta al Limone con Pancetta)

In the mood for a creamy pasta dish, Easy Cacio e Pepe Recipe: Pure Italian Comfort Food

In the mood for a classic Sicilian marinara, Sicilian Marinara Sauce-Workhorse of Nonna’s Kitchen

Or the classic meat sauce from Bologna, Classic Ragu Bolognese Sauce Recipe: Slow and Delicious

And maybe the world’s fastest pasta dish to throw together, Quick Italian Garlic Pasta: Aglio e Olio

A creamy pasta with homemade sausage, Pasta alla Norcina: Authentic Creamy Sausage Pasta from Umbria

Looking for a list of recipes I come back to again and again, My Favorite Recipes

What is the number one tip to make this zucchini dish incredible?

The number one thing you can do to make this dish sing is to let the fried zucchini rest in the fridge overnight. Trust me.

Ingredients

2 cups Sunflower Oil, infused with one lightly crushed clove of garlic. Removed before frying.

6- 8 medium Zucchini 

Extra-virgin Olive Oil

1 pound Spaghetti

Large bunch of fresh Basil, torn. Avoid the stems. 

3 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and aged Provolone mixed or pure Provolone del Monaco if you can find it.

Sea Salt to taste

2-3 Tbsp Butter

Preparation:

Put the sunflower oil in a large pot and bring to 375F over medium-high heat. Infuse the oil with the lightly crushed clove of garlic, but remove before frying.

Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and fry in batches until golden brown.

Remove and set aside on paper towels to drain. 

Add the basil, olive oil and put in the fridge overnight. Get it back to room temperature before using. You can skip the overnight rest if you’re in a hurry, but the overnight rest is a big improvement. 

Boil the pasta until al dente and drain, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water.

Place the cooked pasta back into the pot over low/medium heat along with the zucchini mixture and combine gently. 

Add the pasta water, a little at a time, to create a creamy texture. You may not use all of the pasta water. 

Add some of the Parmigiano a bit at a time to the mixture and continue to combine by stirring gently and tossing. Finish with the butter, if using. Serve immediately.

If you interested in exploring another Italian classic dish, click here Authentic Sunday Sauce: A Family Tradition