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I made the 4-ingredient zucchini pasta dish that Stanley Tucci says changed his life and it's easy to see why

I made the 4-ingredient zucchini pasta dish that Stanley Tucci says changed his life and it's easy to see why
Stanley Tucci, pictured eating a pasta dish in "Searching for Italy" (left); spaghetti alla Nerano, made by the author (right).CNN, Josh Ong/Insider
  • In his TV show "Searching for Italy," Stanley Tucci recalls the pasta that he says changed his life.
  • Requiring four ingredients, spaghetti alla Nerano is just zucchini, pasta, butter, and cheese.

While I was watching Stanley Tucci's CNN show "Searching for Italy," one moment where he mentioned a zucchini pasta dish that changed his life stuck out to me.

While I was watching Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci, pictured in Italy for his CNN series "Searching for Italy."      Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images

From starring in "Julie and Julia" to publishing his memoir "Taste: My Life Through Food," it's become clear that Stanley Tucci knows his food.

Being a big fan of pasta, when Tucci's Emmy award-winning show, "Searching for Italy," premiered in the UK in late February, I had to watch it.

In the first episode centered on Naples and the Amalfi Coast, one moment stuck out to me when Tucci visits the restaurant Lo Scoglio on the Bay of Nerano. It was there that he said he had a life-changing pasta dish, which he loves so much he has "yearned" for it since and even tried re-creating it at home. During the show, he saw how Chef Tommaso de Simone made the dish in the kitchen.

The dish, known as spaghetti alla Nerano, was first created in 1952 and named after the village of Nerano in Campania, according to La Cucina Italiana.

I was surprised to see how few ingredients were in the dish, which is effectively just deep-fried zucchini tossed with pasta and a tiny bit of butter, then topped with Parmesan.

How good could this pasta dish really be with just four ingredients? Even though it would require deep-frying in my apartment and having to wait overnight to soften the zucchini, I decided to find out.

To make Tucci's go-to zucchini pasta dish, you only need four ingredients.

To make Tucci
The basil is not necessary for this dish but makes for a great garnish.      Josh Ong/Insider

To make spaghetti alla Nerano, you will need:

  • Zucchini (about 1 per person)
  • Spaghetti
  • Butter, around a teaspoon
  • Parmesan (for garnish)
  • Sunflower oil (for frying)

As Tucci didn't give a precise recipe on the show, I had to estimate the proportions as I was cooking. (I later found the recipe from the chef at Lo Scoglio on CNN, if you want to follow that at home.)

First, chop your zucchini into half-inch discs.

First, chop your zucchini into half-inch discs.
Each round doesn't have to be perfect.      Josh Ong/Insider

The discs shouldn't be too thin as they will overcook while frying, as I've learned from my own experience making other dishes with fried zucchini.

To deep-fry the zucchini, place the zucchini discs into a pot of hot sunflower oil — you'll want to make sure there's enough oil to just cover them.

To deep-fry the zucchini, place the zucchini discs into a pot of hot sunflower oil — you
The chopped zucchini frying in sunflower oil.      Josh Ong/Insider

If you have an instant thermometer, you'll want to check that the oil is around 400F before you add the chopped zucchini. If not, just make sure that the zucchini immediately sizzles and bubbles when placed in the oil.

Fry your zucchini while stirring often, until the discs become golden brown.

Fry your zucchini while stirring often, until the discs become golden brown.
The zucchini discs should be golden brown.      Josh Ong/Insider

The discs aren't going to be super crispy, but as long as they have the right color they're perfect.

Unless you have a very large pot, it's best to fry in batches.

Once you've fried all of the zucchini, place the discs in a container and let them cool Then, seal the container and pop it in the refrigerator to sit overnight.

Once you
This is probably the most difficult step, as it requires a lot of patience.      Josh Ong/Insider

While Tucci and the chef used parchment paper on "Searching For Italy" to absorb any excess oil from the zucchini, I found using a slotted spoon and allowing the discs to drain properly worked well.

Once the zucchini has rested overnight, add your discs into a pan and start reheating them on medium-low.

Once the zucchini has rested overnight, add your discs into a pan and start reheating them on medium-low.
They aren't particularly appetizing to look after the overnight chill.      Josh Ong/Insider

The zucchini should be the same color but have softened considerably overnight and smell great.

While the discs are reheating, start cooking your pasta in boiling water until it's al dente, about one or two minutes less than the cooking time on the packaging.

While the discs are reheating, start cooking your pasta in boiling water until it
Don't forget to season your pasta water.      Josh Ong/Insider

You'll want to cook your pasta until it's al dente then remove it from the heat, as it will finish cooking with the zucchini.

While this dish will still work if you substitute the spaghetti for another kind of pasta, it will mostly work better with long pastas. Particularly as this is a stickier pasta sauce, from my own experience, I've found that longer noodles, like tagliatelle, bucatini, or linguine, rather than shorter pastas tend to hold the sauce better.

Continue to cook your zucchini for approximately five minutes, or until they become jammy and start to fall apart.

Continue to cook your zucchini for approximately five minutes, or until they become jammy and start to fall apart.
The zucchini should release a green oil that will help color the dish.      Josh Ong/Insider

Use a splash of water to loosen any caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan to prevent them from burning.

Once the pasta is al dente, drain and add it to the zucchini, along with a tablespoon of butter and some of the pasta water (the chef's recipe calls for 2 ladles) — mixing together until fully combined.

Once the pasta is al dente, drain and add it to the zucchini, along with a tablespoon of butter and some of the pasta water (the chef
Transferring the pasta directly from pot to pot doesn't require cleaning a strainer.      Josh Ong/Insider

Keep mixing the pasta, zucchini, and butter together until the mixture coats each of the noodles well.

If the sauce is too thick, add more of the pasta water as necessary.

Once plated, add a generous amount of Parmesan, season to taste, and you're ready to eat.

Once plated, add a generous amount of Parmesan, season to taste, and you
Using a pair of tongs and ladle can help to plate the pasta well.      Josh Ong/Insider

I added a basil leaf, too, but it was mostly for show.

I was genuinely shocked by how great this pasta tasted, given how few ingredients it had — I'll definitely be making it again.

I was genuinely shocked by how great this pasta tasted, given how few ingredients it had — I
It's easy to see why Tucci says this pasta dish changed his life.      Josh Ong/Insider

I was genuinely very impressed by how well this dish came together. The sticky, almost jammy consistency of the zucchini had a sweet undertone that clung to each strand of pasta. Complete with the Parmesan and butter, it emulsified perfectly into one of the best pasta dishes I have eaten all year.

While there are some limitations to the dish, primarily that it requires deep-frying and refrigerating overnight, they're necessary sacrifices to make for a fantastic end-product.

It's hard to believe that something this good comes out of just four ingredients. Then again, that's what traditional Italian food has always been about — simple, high-quality ingredients executed well.

For that reason, I'm sure I'll be cooking it up again very soon — especially as zucchini season, which tends to go from May until August, approaches.

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