Nerano is an Italian village on the Sorrento peninsula. Home of the Provolone del Monaco. A semi-hard, spun curd cheese made from raw milk. Tradition has it that cheesemakers would bring their provolone cheese by boat from Nerano to the Port of Naples. When the cheesemakers arrived at dawn with a load of provolone cheese they would be seen wearing sack cloths, similar to those of monks, to protect themselves from the humidity. Their cheese came to be called Provolone del Monaco, or provolone of the monk. This is the signature ingredient in this simple pasta recipe.
Ingredients
- 5-6 small zucchini
- 150 g ( 5 oz) provolone del Monaco
- 1 bunch fresh Basil
- Salt
- 300 g (10 oz) spaghetti
- 1 clove garlic
- Olive oil
- Fresh ground black pepper
Preparation
- Slice zucchini thin (4mm or 1/4”) rounds. Fry until lightly golden. Drain on paper towels. Season with torn fresh basil, finely grated provolone & pepper.
- Cook spaghetti al dente. Reserve 2 ladles of the pasta water.
- Fry garlic clove in pan with a little oil. Remove the garlic then add the cooked spaghetti, zucchini, a ladle of water and 1/2 the remaining provolone. Stir to cook slowly over low heat.
- Add remaining water and provolone a little at a time until a cream is created. Remove from heat and serve.
** We love garlic, so for step 3 we crush or dice the garlic and cook until lightly browned and leave it in the oil as we proceed.
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