Spaghetti alla Nerano

It's almost summertime again and the garden will be producing more zucchini than I can possibly eat.  I'm always looking for ways to use it.  This recipe caught my eye last summer and a really delicious and easy way to combine zucchini and spaghetti in one dish.

2 lbs zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/4" slices

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1 tsp kosher salt, divided

6 oz uncooked spaghetti

3 Tbsp butter

2 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 cup shredded provolone and Fontina cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup fresh parsley, sliced for garnish

Preheat your oven to broil with rack 5" from heat.  Toss together zucchini and 3 Tbsp oil in a bowl.  Arrange zucchini slices in a single layer on 2 large foil lined baking sheets.  Broil zucchini, 1 pan at a time, until tender and browned, 5 - 10 minutes.  Flip them halfway through cooking.  Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt.  Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add spaghetti and boil for 1 minute less than package instructions for al dente, about 10 minutes.  Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid.  Set aside.  

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the broiled zucchini slices for garnish.  Add remaining zucchini slices to the skillet.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is softened and some pieces begin to break apart, about 2 minutes.  Add the butter, garlic, and remaining 3/4 tsp of salt.  Cook, stirring often, until the garlic is light golden, about 3 minutes.  

Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to the skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 1 minute.  Add cooked spaghetti and 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.  Stir, turning pasta constantly until well coated with zucchini mixture.  Remove from heat.  Add both shredded cheeses and 1/3 cup pasta cooking liquid.  Stir constantly until sauce thickens and pasta is evenly coated.  (Add additional pasta cooking liquid if needed, 1/4 cup at a time, to thin sauce to desired consistency.)

Garnish pasta with reserved zucchini slices, sliced parsley, and a sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese.

This recipe is perfect for dinner for 2.  Enjoy!