“Da vero?”
“Sì.”
“Un po di crema?”
“Certamente, no! Mai.”
“Prezzemolo?”
“No.”
“Solo, zucchine—”
“Zucchine, basilico, olio, e formaggio.”
“Incredibile.”
Then, in English, I posed the famous question that Peggy Lee asked in song so many years ago: “Is that all there is?”
Antonia looked at me, smiled wryly, and said, “Yes, that’s all there is.”
I would have made a terrible cop.
Lo Scoglio was founded in 1952 by Antonia’s grandparents Peppone and Antoinetta, and now she and her two siblings are the owners of this rather famous establishment that is today also a small fourteen-room hotel. She explained to me that spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano is a very old recipe and by all accounts is what fishermen’s wives would cook for their families when zucchine were in season. Today this recipe, like so many Italian peasant dishes, is considered a luxury for which anyone will happily pay a pretty penny in restaurants all over the world. （Cacio e pepe is another prime example.） I told Antonia, who was warming up to me by now （thank God）， yet again how much I loved the dish and asked if she wouldn’t mind talking me through its preparation. （Okay, truth be told I had to see the process for myself because I still didn’t believe there wasn’t more to it, and yes, yes, to this day, I am still ashamed of doubting this more-than-honorable woman.）
The kitchen at Lo Scoglio is sizable and needs to be in order to turn out the volume of extraordinary meals they cook on any given day. As we entered, a chef was indeed cooking the zucchine. Antonia explained to me that the smaller the zucchine, the better, and that a significant number of them must be used in every dish. （If you have ever cooked zucchine, you will know that the larger they are, the more water they contain and the less flavorsome they are.） Many recipes for spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano will use garlic as well, or even just flavor the oil with garlic with which the pasta is tossed. But at Lo Scoglio, as Antonia said, no garlic is used at all. （My guilt for not believing her is still palpable as I write this.） The zucchine are fried in a large amount of sunflower oil, which causes them to actually soak up less of the oil than if they were cooked in less oil, if that makes any sense （meaning both my sentence and the concept）。 They are then left to drain on paper towels, salted, and tossed gently with chopped fresh basil. When the pasta is ready, the zucchine are put into a pan with olive oil and tossed together with the pasta, basil, some of the pasta water, salt, pepper, and Parmigiano. （I have read that provolone del Monaco cheese can also be used, but I have never tried it this way, though hopefully, if I ever finish writing this book, I will.） Antonia told me that they also make the zucchine in big batches, add chopped basil and salt, and store it in the fridge overnight, allowing the flavors to amalgamate. The next day the mixture is brought to room temperature and used as needed.
Having ocular evidence that her words were true, I thanked Antonia for her hospitality and vowed I would return, a prospect that I am sure caused her some concern. And as a matter of fact （lucky woman）， I am returning to Lo Scoglio in two months’ time. It is my intention to stay in one of their rooms, eat spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and not once raise a dubious eyebrow or question a single word spoken by the establishment’s noble proprietress.I
Following is the recipe for spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano. Since we introduced it to the kids, immediately upon our return from that trip to the Amalfi coast, it has become one of their favorites. It’s also a wonderful dish to make for a family with different dietary desires because it is completely vegetarian but its depth of flavor will surprise and satisfy most carnivores. Although the process of cooking a huge amount of zucchine can be a bit slow going, it’s worth it. Actually, it’s best to make even more zucchine than the recipe calls for the night before and store it in the fridge. This makes the task of putting the dish together the next day a very easy one and allows you to have extra zucchine to use in the coming days, either in a frittata, as an addition to rice or polenta, or just as a side dish.
The simple but poignant spaghetti con zucchine alla Nerano, born from a quartet of oil, basil, cheese, and humble squash, points once again to the Italian ability to discover riches where others might find very little.
Spaghetti con Zucchine alla Nerano
— SERVES 4 —
About ? quart sunflower oil or vegetable oil, or, if you choose, olive oil