Tortiglioni alla Nerano

In 1952, Maria Grazia invented this dish at her trattoria in Nerano, a fishing village on the Amalfi Coast. She fried zucchini until golden, tossed them with pasta and provolone del Monaco, and created something that tastes far greater than its parts. The zucchini almost dissolves into the cheese, creating a creamy, sweet sauce without a drop of cream.

1. 1

   Fry the zucchini

   15 min

   Heat olive oil in a skillet. Fry zucchini rounds in batches until deeply golden and crisp at the edges, 3-4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. Season lightly with salt.

2. 2

   Cook the pasta

   9 min

   Boil pasta until al dente. Reserve 1.5 cups pasta water.

3. 3

   Melt the cheese

   2 min

   In a large warm bowl, add half the fried zucchini, half the provolone, and a splash of pasta water. Stir until the cheese begins to melt.

4. 4

   Toss and finish

   2 min

   Add hot pasta to the bowl. Toss vigorously with tongs, adding pasta water to create a creamy emulsion. Fold in remaining zucchini and provolone. Finish with basil and Parmigiano.