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Gluten-Free Pasta Nerano Recipe

by Elyse the Gluten-Free Foodee
Gluten-Free Pasta Nerano Recipe

I’ve been waiting with baited breath for zucchini to be in season and its all Stanley Tucci’s fault. I was a huge fan of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy on CNN and wanted to make his zucchini pasta recipe. So I did and I was blown away. So today I’m sharing it so you too can experience this gluten-free pasta Nerano recipe. It is an experience.

This gluten-free pasta Nerano recipe is quite similar to our Cacio e Pepe pasta dish. Many say that pasta Nerano is Cacio e Pepe with fried zucchini (and minus the pepper). That’s true but it doesn’t do the impact the zucchini has on the flavour justice. Both recipes were inspired by Tucci’s travels and I worked to make the very best gluten-free version possible.

Gluten-Free Pasta Nerano Recipe

Ingredients :

Directions:

  • Wash and dry the zucchini.
  • With a vegetable peeler remove any cuts or blemishes. You don’t want to remove all the peel, so just remove the “problem areas.”
  • Cut off the the ends of the zucchini and discard.
  • Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch slices.
  • In a large fry pan, pour in 1/4- 1/2 inch of oil.
  • Fry zucchini in batches. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan – keep them in a single layer.
  • They should cook until they are golden brown on both sides.
  • Remove golden brown zucchini from pan and put into a heat proof bowl.
  • Lightly salt the hot zucchini.
  • After each batch, add them to the bowl and lightly salt each layer.
  • Allow the zucchini to sit covered in their bowl for three hours, up to overnight, this is the stuff you could do a day before. If you are doing the night before, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
  • Put on a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta to al dente.
  • Roughly chop the basil leaves.
  • To a large fry pan add half of your basil and all of your zucchini, let heat on low allowing the oil and the juices from the zucchini to release.
  • Add butter to the zucchini and let heat through. This allows the zucchini to heat with the butter.
  • In heat proof measuring cups, put aside 3 to 4 cups of pasta water.
  • Drain pasta.
  • Add pasta back to pasta pot. You can allow a little pasta water to stay at the bottom of the pot.
  • Grate your Parmigiano-Reggiano and provolone cheeses and mix them together.
  • Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta pot scraping any oil or butter that may be at the bottom of the pan into the pot.
  • Pour 1/2 cup of pasta water into the pot.
  • Toss the zucchini and pasta well.
  • Mix in half of the cheese mixture and stir.
  • Once stirred, mix in the other half of the cheese mixture and stir again.
  • Taste and adjust salt, if needed.
  • Top with the remaining basil for garnish.
  • Serve with hot pepper and extra cheese
Tip: If your pasta seems dry, add in additional pasta water 1/4 cup at a time.

Before making this Gluten-Free Pasta Nerano recipe at home, I had never tasted the dish. Words cannot describe the deliciousness, but I’ll try. The zucchini becomes sweet in a way that sautéing just doesn’t do. The pasta water and cheese, give you a creamy, light, and salty sauce that just makes for a great supporting player to the zucchini. The zucchini is the star of this dish and rightly so. If you love zucchini, make this dish – you will not be disappointed.

If you do have leftovers, and I did, the Gluten-Free Pasta Nerano recipe reheats well. Before putting the leftovers away I added 1/4c of pasta water to the container. By adding the pasta water before I put it away, I didn’t need to add water when I did reheat the pasta in a frying pan.

This is one pasta dish, that will satisfy everyone, including vegetarians!

Buon Appetito

Gluten-Free Pasta Nerano Recipe

Gluten-Free Pasta Nerano Recipe

Print Recipe/Tips
Serves: 4
Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

  • 5 medium zucchini
  • 1 400g package Rummo gluten-free spaghetti Nº 3
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/4 c butter
  • 1 c grated provolone cheese
  • 1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 6 basil leaves roughly chopped

INSTRUCTIONS/NOTES/TIPS

  • Wash and dry the zucchini.
  • With a vegetable peeler remove any cuts or blemishes. You don’t want to remove all the peel, so just remove the “problem areas.”
  • Cut off the the ends of the zucchini and discard.
  • Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch slices.
  • In a large fry pan, pour in 1/4- 1/2 inch of oil.
  • Fry zucchini in batches so you don’t over crowd the pan, and they are in a single layer.
  • They should cook until they are golden brown on both sides.
  • Remove golden brown zucchini from pan and put into a heat proof bowl.
  • Lightly salt the hot zucchini.
  • After each batch, add them to the bowl and lightly salt each layer.
  • Roughly chop the basil leaves.
  • Allow the zucchini to sit covered in their bowl for three hours, up to overnight, this is the stuff you could do a day before. If you are doing the night before, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
  • Put on a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta to al dente.
  • To a large fry pan add half of your basil and all of your zucchini, let heat on low allowing the oil and the juices from the zucchini to release.
  • Add butter to the zucchini and let heat through. This allows the zucchini to heat with the butter.
  • In heat proof measuring cups, put aside 3 to 4 cups of pasta water.
  • Drain pasta.
  • Add pasta back to pasta pot. You can allow a little pasta water to stay at the bottom of the pot.
  • Grate your Parmigiano-Reggiano and provolone cheeses and mix them together.
  • Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta pot scraping any oil or butter that may be at the bottom of the pan into the pot.
  • Pour 1/2 cup of pasta water into the pot.
  • Toss the zucchini and pasta well.
  • Mix in half of the cheese mixture and stir.
  • Once stirred, mix in the other half of the cheese mixture and stir again.
  • Taste and adjust salt, if needed.
  • Top with the remaining basil for garnish.
  • Serve with hot pepper and extra cheese

NOTES/TIPS

If your pasta seems dry, add in additional pasta water 1/4 cup at a time. If you have leftovers, add pasta water to the container (1/4c depending on quantity) before putting the leftovers away. By adding the pasta water before, you won't need to add it when the pasta is reheated in a fry pan.

Did You Try This Recipe or These Tips?
How did it go? Let us know in the comments. Tag us on Instagram at @Gluten_Free_Foodee..

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