This Stanley Tucci-Approved Pasta Recipe Is the Best Way To Use up Extra Zucchini

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We love ripe summer tomatoes as much as anyone. But truth be told, there’s a different summer vegetable that we constantly need new recipes for, because not only is it affordable (unlike those farmer’s market heirloom tomatoes), it’s also incredibly abundant for home gardeners. We’re talking about zucchini, of course. We’re always down to make a loaf of savory parmesan zucchini bread or one of the many summer zucchini recipes we’ve collected over the years, but when we saw the first episode of actor, cookbook author, and Italian food enthusiast Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, there was a new zucchini recipe we knew we’d have to try: spaghetti alla Nerano. And we weren’t alone.

@heresyourbite

Stanley Tucci’s Favorite Zucchini Pasta: Spaghetti alla Nerano 🥒 I was slightly skeptical of this, but it’s absolutely delicious. I highly suggest adding lemon and red pepper, really takes it up a notch. Here’s how to make it: Olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2-3 small zucchini Flakey salt 1/2 lb spaghetti (plus pasta water) 1-2 T butter Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, about 3/4 cup (to taste) 4-5 basil leaves, torn Black pepper Lemon juice Red pepper 1. In a large sauté pan, heat a generous amount of olive oil over medium/low heat. (You don’t need the zucchini to be completely submerged in oil). Throw in your garlic cloves and let that flavor the oil as it heats. Once it begins to sizzle, remove from the pan and discard. 2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in your pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water. 3. Fry in your zucchini in batches, you don’t want to overcrowd the pan. You can stir/flip occasionally, until lightly golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towel-lined dish. Immediately hit them with some flakey salt. Repeat with your remaining zucchini. 4. Once you’ve finished frying your zucchini, remove the oil from the pan. 5. Add your zucchini back into the dry pan along with a splash of pasta water and your al dente pasta directly from the pot. 6. Throw in a couple knobs of butter, another splash of pasta water, and your basil. Stir. 6. Add in parmesan cheese, more butter, and more pasta. Stir. 7. Continuing adding more cheese, butter, and pasta water until your sauce is silky and clings to the pasta. Just eyeball it here, you don’t need to be exact with your measurements. 7. Add in some freshly cracked black pepper (taste for salt), serve, and top with lemon juice and red pepper. Enjoy! #zucchinipasta #zucchinirecipes #zucchini #pastaallanerano #spaghettiallanerano #italian #authenticitalian #italianfood #italianpasta #italianrecipe #easyrecipe #easyrecipes #pastatok #foodtok #summerrecipe #stanleytuccipasta #stanleytucci #brat #bratsummer

♬ Apple – Charli xcx

TikTok creator Here’s Your Bite recently shared their rendition of Tucci’s favorite pasta alla Nerano, a dish of spaghetti with deep-fried zucchini, and the video has more than 1 million views. It seems like we’re not the only ones looking for ways to use up all of our zucchini! But what is the traditional spaghetti alla Nerano?

Nerano is a village in Italy, and it’s where this zucchini dish was invented. It’s a simple pasta recipe that pairs al-dente spaghetti with deep fried, thinly sliced zucchini, salty aged cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh basil. The cooked pasta is swiftly tossed with the fried zucchini, cheese, and a splash of pasta water, creating a silky, flavorful sauce dotted with caramelized zucchini pieces. Fresh basil is tossed in before serving. Like most simple Italian dishes, the quality of the ingredients counts. Use a high-quality pasta, like Tucci’s favorite Rummo Italian Pasta, and the freshest zucchini and basil you can find. That’s the recipe at it’s most basic, the New Yorker reported after traveling to the area to try different versions of the dish, but leave it to TikTok to add a some twists.

Here’s Your Bite’s recipe includes a few additional ingredients that pack in even more flavor to this pasta dish, while still keeping things simple (it’s the type of meal that can be made start-to-finish in about 30 minutes). They include two cloves of garlic in the recipe, to add that allium heat, and they also add a zip of acidity to the dish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Red pepper flakes make things spicy for those who like it, and all three ingredients help cut through the rich, cheesy sauce.

If you’re sick of eating loaf after loaf of zucchini bread and don’t feel like firing up the grill to make zucchini planks yet again, then Stanley Tucci’s favorite zucchini pasta recipe is a must-try.

In search of more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has plenty: