Enjoy the final taste of summer with this simple zucchini pasta

Spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano is a great way to savor the calm, fading light of August evenings. This simple zucchini pasta combines the season’s freshness with a comforting warmth, making it an ideal late-summer treat.

IF YOU'VE EVER grown zucchini, you know that timing is everything. A delicious and flavorful baby zucchini can turn into a large, tasteless baseball bat in the blink of an eye. Tiny, four-inch zucchinis are true gems, perfect for picking from the garden or finding at the market, and they shine in this fantastic pasta recipe from actor Stanley Tucci's memoir.

This pasta dish has inspired numerous articles with writers delving into the perfect ingredient ratios and techniques for cooking zucchini. This might be because this is a simple recipe with flavors that exceed the sum of its parts, and the right preparation makes the pasta truly delicious.

There’s no need to deep-fry the zucchini; instead, pan-fry them in about an inch of oil until golden brown. Adding plenty of basil will give the pasta a refreshing lift. Make sure to use high-quality pasta and Parmesan cheese, and seek out the smallest zucchini available. If you can only find larger ones, remove the soft, seedy center before cooking.

Sharp-eyed readers might notice that while the recipe calls for spaghetti, the photos show linguine. Zucchini clings more effectively to linguine, which is like a flattened version of spaghetti. However, this is to personal choice, but to stay true to the original recipe, this version also suggests using spaghetti.

You can prepare the zucchini in advance by frying the slices and storing them in the fridge, so when it’s time to cook, you’ll only need to boil the pasta. If you prefer a bit more texture, leave the zucchini slices thicker. Some versions suggest slicing the zucchini very thin, but remember that then it will take longer to fry all the slices.

Spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano (for 4 people)

Ingredients:

500 g pasta
6 tbsp oil
6–8 small zucchinis (total 500–700 g)
1 bunch of basil
150 g Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper
(1 tablespoon of butter)

Instructions:

Slice small zucchinis into thin rounds and fry them in a layer of oil about 1 cm deep until golden brown. Place the fried slices on a paper towel to absorb most of the oil.

Grate the Parmesan cheese and pluck the basil leaves from their stems.

Boil a large pot of well-salted water. Once the water is boiling, drop the pasta into the pot and give it a quick stir to keep it from sticking together.

While the pasta is cooking, peel one garlic clove and lightly crush it. Place the garlic and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and heat until the garlic sizzles in the oil. Add the zucchini slices and stir. Add a couple of ladles of the pasta cooking water to the frying pan and mix. Season with salt, black pepper, and a small knob of butter.

When the pasta is still al dente, reserve a couple of ladles of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the zucchini pan and, over low heat, gradually stir in handfuls of Parmesan cheese and the reserved pasta water to create a creamy sauce. Add the basil leaves to the pasta.

Plate the pasta and grate more Parmesan cheese on top. Serve immediately.

Design Stories contributor Suvi Kesäläinen is a photographer, who loves to create dishes that are not only delicious but also fast and easy to make. She’s passionate about the best seasonal ingredients, local food, and intriguing culinary trends.

See also:

• All tableware >

Text and images: Suvi Kesäläinen