After watching the CNN special “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” I vowed I would make several of the featured recipes. My first attempt was a dish that is a favorite of Stanley and his wife. After observing chef Tommaso de Simone making Spaghetti alla Nerano, and learning that a spoonful of butter makes all the difference, I was all in!
The three components to the spaghetti are thinly sliced zucchini, provolone cheese, and basil. The zucchini not only provided a bit of sweetness to the dish, but gave it a spongy texture. The chef hand sliced the zucchini into thin rounds which to me seemed too onerous. So, to save time, I used a mandolin (a food processor would work as well) to thinly slice the zucchini. Combining the cheese, basil and spoonful of butter with the fried zucchini was a marriage made in heaven when added to the spaghetti. The butter was described as optional but I think it made all the difference.
The end result was a mouthwatering sweet and creamy pasta dish that exceeded my expectations!
Here’s the link to this recipe, as well as many others featured on the show.
Mangiare felice!
https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/stanley-tucci-searching-italy-all-recipes