pictonguy
Executive Chef
So, I found some Provolone del Monaco and it brought back memories of using it for this particular dish so I'm going to make it in the next week. I thought I'd share the recipe because it's pretty good.
I refined this recipe over the years and because this dish is not codified there's a lot of leeway and variation in this Naples dish, especially around Campania which is where Provolone del Monaco is made. Different pasta shapes are used and sometimes a fresh pasta and to balance the flavors some will use additional Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino or both. Different cooking methods for the zucchini where some might just saute as opposed to "deep frying" and some will roast the zucchini, so this is my recipe but by all means make adjustments that suit you.
Keep in mind this is first and foremost a recipe that is with zucchini and Provolone as a bare minimum.
INGREDIENTS: for 2 persons
160g's or 6oz of spaghetti
2 medium zucchini sliced to about 1/16-1/8"
80g's of provolone or 3oz, finely grated
1 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
2 cloves of garlic, cut in half
6 or so basil leaves, torn
extra virgin olive oil for frying, around 1 cup + 2-3 tbsp
tbsp or 2 unsalted butter
fresh black pepper and salt to taste
METHOD:
Slice the zucchini into rounds then fry in the evoo @ around 325 degrees until golden then drain on some paper towels, sprinkle lightly with a sea salt and add the torn basil.
Cook the pasta until al dente and reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and keep the pot of pasta water at a simmer, this will be used as a bain-marie (double boiler) meanwhile in another sauce pan heat 2 or 3 tbsp of evoo and under a gentle heat cook the garlic until golden, then remove.
Add the fried zucchini to the garlic infused olive oil under a gentle heat for a minute or 2 then transfer to that stainless steel bowl and add the butter and remove the spaghetti from the water and add to the SS bowl as well. Place this SS bowl over the bain-marie. Now gradually add the pasta water and the provolone and Parmigiano Reggiano to create a creamy emulsion while gentle moving the pasta around in the SS bowl to help the emulsification to happen. make adjustments with further water and you might not need the full cup, and pepper generously and adjust for salt, and serve immediately in heated bowls.
The reason for the zucchini to be cut to 1/16-1/8" instead of much thinner is it loses the essence of the dish where they crisp up, lose moisture, and won’t melt into the sauce. You end up with crunch instead of creaminess, this is of the utmost importance.
This may sound complicated but it really isn't it's just I wanted to explain in more detail why certain instructions might make it easier to understand in the overall recipe.
When I do make it I'll take some pics, cheers!
I refined this recipe over the years and because this dish is not codified there's a lot of leeway and variation in this Naples dish, especially around Campania which is where Provolone del Monaco is made. Different pasta shapes are used and sometimes a fresh pasta and to balance the flavors some will use additional Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino or both. Different cooking methods for the zucchini where some might just saute as opposed to "deep frying" and some will roast the zucchini, so this is my recipe but by all means make adjustments that suit you.
Keep in mind this is first and foremost a recipe that is with zucchini and Provolone as a bare minimum.
INGREDIENTS: for 2 persons
160g's or 6oz of spaghetti
2 medium zucchini sliced to about 1/16-1/8"
80g's of provolone or 3oz, finely grated
1 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
2 cloves of garlic, cut in half
6 or so basil leaves, torn
extra virgin olive oil for frying, around 1 cup + 2-3 tbsp
tbsp or 2 unsalted butter
fresh black pepper and salt to taste
METHOD:
Slice the zucchini into rounds then fry in the evoo @ around 325 degrees until golden then drain on some paper towels, sprinkle lightly with a sea salt and add the torn basil.
Cook the pasta until al dente and reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and keep the pot of pasta water at a simmer, this will be used as a bain-marie (double boiler) meanwhile in another sauce pan heat 2 or 3 tbsp of evoo and under a gentle heat cook the garlic until golden, then remove.
Add the fried zucchini to the garlic infused olive oil under a gentle heat for a minute or 2 then transfer to that stainless steel bowl and add the butter and remove the spaghetti from the water and add to the SS bowl as well. Place this SS bowl over the bain-marie. Now gradually add the pasta water and the provolone and Parmigiano Reggiano to create a creamy emulsion while gentle moving the pasta around in the SS bowl to help the emulsification to happen. make adjustments with further water and you might not need the full cup, and pepper generously and adjust for salt, and serve immediately in heated bowls.
The reason for the zucchini to be cut to 1/16-1/8" instead of much thinner is it loses the essence of the dish where they crisp up, lose moisture, and won’t melt into the sauce. You end up with crunch instead of creaminess, this is of the utmost importance.
This may sound complicated but it really isn't it's just I wanted to explain in more detail why certain instructions might make it easier to understand in the overall recipe.
When I do make it I'll take some pics, cheers!
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