The recipe of “Spaghetti alla Nerano” is full of history, shrouded in legend and still hides a secret ingredient. The dish is born in one of the most suggestive locations of the Amalfi Coast, in Marina del Cantone, a small seaside hamlet of the municipality of Massa Lubrense.

The most widespread and accredited history originates in the kitchen of the Maria Grazia Restaurant, in the small Bay of Nerano. In the 1950s, in this fishing village, dishes from a poor tradition were consumed. It was precisely here that Mrs Rosa, having to offer a dish to the Prince of Sirignano, without having the catch of the day at her disposal, tried to revisit a very simple recipe. The ingredients he used were all those he had in the kitchen: courgettes, seasoned provolone, fresh basil and lots of passion (the supposed secret ingredient!).

Certainly the cook couldn’t foresee that over time this dish could become so famous and a source of pride for a land rich in culinary excellence.

The “Provolone del Monaco”, prized jewel of the Lattari Mountains

The origin of this cow's milk cheese dates back to the 18th century, when the demographic expansion of the city of Naples led many farmers to emigrate from Vomero to the Lattari Mountains. The territory was chosen to peacefully continue to raise cattle, cultivate the land and work with dairy products.

The real Provolone del Monaco PDO cheese is a semi-hard and matured cheese. Its shape resembles that of a melon or a pear, even if slightly irregular, circular and rounded. The rind is hard and slightly cracked gray with yellow shades and divided into segments - generated by the strings with which it is tied and seasoned.

Its taste is sweet when it is fresh and gradually more intense and spicy depending on the duration of the seasoning. For the production of this tasty cheese, only raw cow's milk from the municipalities of Vico Equense and Agerola is used.

The feeding of the cows that are left to pasture gives the milk a particularly pleasant and fragrant aroma. After the spinning and shaping process the shapes are firmed and salted and then hung up to mature on the appropriate boxings at a temperature between 8 and 15 °. Their seasoning will last at least 6 months.

Some mistakes to avoid for a perfect Nerano’s Pasta

Even if the original recipe of Nerano’s Pasta is secret, there are precise steps to follow and errors that must absolutely be avoided. We report the most serious, those that would make the Nerano purists horrified.

First, do not taste the courgettes: this vegetable could reveal a very persistent bitter aftertaste that would ruin the flavor of the dish. Our advice is to cut a piece of each courgette and taste it, before cutting. Attention also to the slices: they must be thin and regular to avoid uneven cooking between heart and rind.

Finally, pay attention to the pasta format: for Nerano verace you should never use short pasta! Now all in the kitchen and enjoy your meal.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS

400 g Antonio Amato Spaghetti

800 g courgettes

200 g Provolone del Monaco PDO cheese or seasoned provolone cheese

Antonio Amato extra virgin olive oil to taste

1 clove garlic

fresh basil to taste

black pepper to taste

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Start by cutting the courgettes into thin slices and then fry them a little at a time in plenty of extra virgin olive oil.

During the frying turn the courgettes often and add in the pan a clove of garlic and two basil leaves that will release a pleasant aroma and will flavor the whole thing.

Remove basil and garlic and when the courgettes are golden brown, let them dry on absorbent paper, adding a pinch of salt.

Meanwhile cook the Antonio Amato Spaghetti in abundant salted water. Remove excess oil from the pan in which the courgettes were previously cooked and leave only a bottom. Add a ladle of pasta cooking water and simmer for a few seconds.

Lower the heat, dip the spaghetti in the pan and finish cooking with the fried courgettes, stirring often. To finish the dish, remove the pan from the heat and add a generous sprinkling of Provolone del Monaco PDO cheese, chopped basil by hand and very little cooking water so as to create a tasty creamy sauce.

Add a nice grinding of black pepper and enjoy!