← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 400 g Spaghetti
• 700 g small courgettes, sliced into thin rounds
• 150 ml sunflower or light olive oil, for frying
• 2 cloves Garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
• 150 g provolone (Provolone del Monaco if you can find it), finely grated
• 40 g Parmesan, finely grated
• 20 g Butter (optional)
• 1 handful basil leaves
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the courgette slices in batches for 4–5 min, turning, until golden. Drain on paper, salt them and toss with half the basil.
2. Pour off all but 2 tbsp of the oil. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti for 2 min less than the packet says.
3. Meanwhile, warm the garlic in the reserved oil for 1 minute, then discard it. Add the courgettes and a ladle of pasta water and mash about a third of them with a spoon.
4. Transfer the spaghetti to the pan with another ladle of water and finish cooking it for 2 min, tossing, until al dente.
5. Take the pan off the heat and add both cheeses (and the butter, if using). Toss hard, adding splashes of water, until the cheese melts into a smooth, creamy sauce. Finish with the rest of the basil and black pepper.

Tips

• Off the heat is key: if the pan is too hot, the cheese turns stringy instead of creamy.
• Many traditional Italian cheeses use animal rennet; pick vegetarian versions if that matters to you.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Sip and Feast Memorie di Angelina Marcellina in Cucina