This Italian courgette pasta, Spaghetti alla nerano, is a delicious light pasta recipe that is ready under 20 minutes! Courgettes are pan fried in garlic infused olive oil before being tossed with spaghetti, parmesan and fresh basil.
This easy pasta recipe is made with a handful of ingredients and is one of my favourite dinners to make when there is a glut of courgettes / zucchini in the garden. Olive oil is infused with fresh garlic, then the courgettes are fried in this oil until golden. They are then mixed with al dente pasta, fresh parmesan, pecorino and basil. (Fresh basil is delicious with courgettes – my courgette soup with basil and peas is one of my son’s favourite soups!) If you love simple summer pasta recipes, then have a look at my roasted cherry tomato pasta too!
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Ingredients notes
- Zucchini/courgette – I often use small green courgettes, but yellow ones work just as well. I refer to courgettes and zucchini alternatively throughout the post as I am English and therefore grew up calling them courgettes, but living in Australia where they are called zucchini, so use both terms daily!
- Spaghetti – or linguine, fettuccine, or tagliatelle.
- Garlic – a fresh garlic clove is needed in this recipe. If you like a strong garlic taste, use 2 cloves rather than one. I often keep it milder for my younger family members.
- Olive oil – use a good quality olive oil for this recipe.
- Fresh basil – adds a fresh perfume to the pasta dish. If you don’t have any basil to hand, see these substitutions for basil.
- Parmesan cheese – for vegetarians, check your parmesan is vegetarian. You can also use provolone in this dish. For a budget friendly alternative to parmesan, use a strong cheddar – not authentic, but still very tasty.
- Pecorino remano – this is to substitute provolone which is traditionally used to make spaghetti alla nerano, but is hard to find outside of Italy. Use more parmesan instead if you don’t have it. Don’t use all pecorino as it can make the dish very salty.
How to make this Italian courgette pasta recipe
(This instructions are for guidance only – for full detailed recipe, please see recipe card at the end of the post.)
- Fry the garlic in the olive oil: as soon as the garlic becomes golden, take it out of the pan (you don’t want it to burn as it can become bitter.)
- Fry the courgettes (zucchini): add sliced courgette (zucchini) to the garlic infused oil and fry over a high heat until golden. Don’t turn too much as you will prevent the slices from browning. Drain on kitchen paper towel and season with salt and black pepper.
- Return to the pan: Add half the courgette (zucchini) slices back to the pan with the cooked spaghetti. When stirring the pasta the courgettes can break down, so I prefer to save the rest of the courgette / zucchini and add it back to the pasta at the end for contrast.
- Mix together: Sprinkle in the freshly grated parmesan, and pecorino (sprinkling will help avoid the cheese from clumping), then add the torn basil and stir until the cheese is melted. Add a little of the pasta cooking water to help create a rich luscious sauce. Serve straight away.
FAQ
Should I add salt to pasta water?
Yes! Adding salt to the pasta water when the water allows the salt to be absorbed by the pasta as it cooks, enhancing the flavour of the pasta.
Why do you reserve pasta water?
The starchy water that the pasta has cooked in helps bind sauce to the pasta, give the pasta dish a smooth and silky texture, and the salty water adds flavour too.
My recipe tips
- Remove the garlic as soon as it become mid-golden brown. It will turn dark very quickly and can taste bitter.
- Frying the zucchini/courgettes until blistered and dark brown adds flavour and texture to them.
- Cook the pasta to al dente – having a little bite to the spaghetti works with the soft zucchini/courgette.
- Remember to save the pasta water – this is full of starch that mixes with the cheese to make a creamy sauce.
Serving Ideas
This pasta makes a delicious family dinner in itself, but here are some ideas for sides:
- With a few slices of baguette garlic bread or air fryer garlic bread
- A simple, crunchy leafy salad like this walnut parmesan salad or rocket salad.
- If you are serving an Italian-themed meal, a slice of torta Caprese (an Italian flourless chocolate cake) or Italian jam tart is a delicious way to round it off!
Storage
This courgette pasta is best eaten fresh. However, if you do have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat over a gently heat with a splash of water.
More easy pasta recipes
Courgette Pasta (Spaghetti alla nerano)
Author: Robyn
This simple traditional Italian pasta dish, spaghetti alla nerano, with courgettes pan fried in garlic olive oil before being tossed with parmesan and fresh basil, is ready in under 20 minutes, and a delicious vegetarian midweek meal.
Ingredients
- 320 g spaghetti
- 800 g courgettes/zucchini approx 4-5 small – medium
- 50 g parmesan grated (check it's vegetarian parmesan if vegetarian)
- 25 g Pecorino romano grated (check it's suitable for vegetarians if vegetarian)
- 1 clove garlic peeled and halved
- handful fresh basil roughly torn
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt
- cracked black pepper
- parmesan to serve, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
- Slice the courgette/zucchini into circles around 1 cm (0.4") thick.
- Cut the garlic clove in half and place in a frying pan with the olive oil. Gently heat until lightly golden.
- As soon as the garlic is lightly golden, remove from the pan and add the courgettes/zucchini. Take care as they can spit a bit. You may have to cook them in two batches, depending on size of your frying pan.
- Whilst the courgette / zucchini cooks, place the spaghetti in the water and cook per packet instructions to al dente.
- Turn the zucchini/courgette occasionally until medium brown and blistered. If you turn them too much they won't achieve this – and this adds flavour!
- Once brown both sides, remove to kitchen paper towel on a plate to remove excess oil. (Cook the second batch if cooking in batches).
- Season the cooked zucchini/courgette with a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
- Drain the spaghetti, keeping 1 cup/ 240ml of the cooking water. .
- Tip the cooked pasta into the frying pan you cooked the zucchini/courgette in.
- Add half of the cooked zucchini/courgette to the pan and sprinkle over the grated parmesan, and grated pecorino romano. Add half the torn basil leaves and a couple of spoonfuls of the cooking water.
- Heat over a very gentle heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted. Add a little more pasta water if it's getting too dry – the sauce should be creamy. Stir through the rest of the cooked courgette / zucchini slices.
- Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle over a little more grated parmesan and the rest of the torn basil, to serve.
Notes
Zucchini/courgette – small green ones. Smaller zucchini are generally less bitter. You can use larger ones and cut in half if you prefer.
Spaghetti – you could also use linguine, fettuccine, or tagliatelle.
Garlic – a fresh garlic clove (or 2!) is needed in this recipe, it makes all the difference! Remove the garlic as soon as it become mid-golden brown. It will turn dark very quickly and can taste bitter. You can use 2 cloves of garlic for a stronger garlic taste. I keep it milder for younger family members.
Olive oil – use a good quality olive oil for this recipe.Â
Fresh basil – adds a fresh perfume to the pasta dish. I recommend you don’t leave this out.
Parmesan cheese – for vegetarians, check your parmesan is vegetarian. You can also use provolone. For a budget friendly alternative, use a strong cheddar – not authentic, but still delicious.
Pecorino remano – this is to substitute provolone, which is traditionally used to make spaghetti alla nerano but is hard to find outside of Italy. Use more parmesan instead if you don’t have it. Don’t use all pecorino as it can make the dish very salty.
Frying the zucchini/courgettes until blistered and dark brown adds flavour and texture to them.
Cook the pasta to al dente – having a little bite to the spaghetti works with the soft zucchini/courgette.
Remember to save the pasta water – this is full of starch that mixes with the Parmesan to make a creamy sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 498kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 19gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 296mgPotassium: 720mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 524IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 2mg
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen
Or just leave a comment below!
Ingredients
- 320 g spaghetti
- 800 g courgettes/zucchini approx 4-5 small – medium
- ½ c parmesan grated (check it's vegetarian parmesan if vegetarian)
- ¼ c Pecorino romano grated (check it's suitable for vegetarians if vegetarian)
- 1 clove garlic peeled and halved
- handful fresh basil roughly torn
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt
- cracked black pepper
- parmesan to serve, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
- Slice the courgette/zucchini into circles around 1 cm (0.4") thick.
- Cut the garlic clove in half and place in a frying pan with the olive oil. Gently heat until lightly golden.
- As soon as the garlic is lightly golden, remove from the pan and add the courgettes/zucchini. Take care as they can spit a bit. You may have to cook them in two batches, depending on size of your frying pan.
- Whilst the courgette / zucchini cooks, place the spaghetti in the water and cook per packet instructions to al dente.
- Turn the zucchini/courgette occasionally until medium brown and blistered. If you turn them too much they won't achieve this – and this adds flavour!
- Once brown both sides, remove to kitchen paper towel on a plate to remove excess oil. (Cook the second batch if cooking in batches).
- Season the cooked zucchini/courgette with a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
- Drain the spaghetti, keeping 1 cup/ 240ml of the cooking water. .
- Tip the cooked pasta into the frying pan you cooked the zucchini/courgette in.
- Add half of the cooked zucchini/courgette to the pan and sprinkle over the grated parmesan, and grated pecorino romano. Add half the torn basil leaves and a couple of spoonfuls of the cooking water.
- Heat over a very gentle heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted. Add a little more pasta water if it's getting too dry – the sauce should be creamy. Stir through the rest of the cooked courgette / zucchini slices.
- Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle over a little more grated parmesan and the rest of the torn basil, to serve.
Notes
Zucchini/courgette – small green ones. Smaller zucchini are generally less bitter. You can use larger ones and cut in half if you prefer.
Spaghetti – you could also use linguine, fettuccine, or tagliatelle.
Garlic – a fresh garlic clove (or 2!) is needed in this recipe, it makes all the difference! Remove the garlic as soon as it become mid-golden brown. It will turn dark very quickly and can taste bitter. You can use 2 cloves of garlic for a stronger garlic taste. I keep it milder for younger family members.
Olive oil – use a good quality olive oil for this recipe.Â
Fresh basil – adds a fresh perfume to the pasta dish. I recommend you don’t leave this out.
Parmesan cheese – for vegetarians, check your parmesan is vegetarian. You can also use provolone. For a budget friendly alternative, use a strong cheddar – not authentic, but still delicious.
Pecorino remano – this is to substitute provolone, which is traditionally used to make spaghetti alla nerano but is hard to find outside of Italy. Use more parmesan instead if you don’t have it. Don’t use all pecorino as it can make the dish very salty.
Frying the zucchini/courgettes until blistered and dark brown adds flavour and texture to them.
Cook the pasta to al dente – having a little bite to the spaghetti works with the soft zucchini/courgette.
Remember to save the pasta water – this is full of starch that mixes with the Parmesan to make a creamy sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 498kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 19gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 296mgPotassium: 720mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 524IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 2mg
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen
Or just leave a comment below!
Ingredients
- 11 oz spaghetti
- 28 oz courgettes/zucchini approx 4-5 small – medium
- ½ c parmesan grated (check it's vegetarian parmesan if vegetarian)
- ¼ c Pecorino romano grated (check it's suitable for vegetarians if vegetarian)
- 1 clove garlic peeled and halved
- handful fresh basil roughly torn
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt
- cracked black pepper
- parmesan to serve, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
- Slice the courgette/zucchini into circles around 1 cm (0.4") thick.
- Cut the garlic clove in half and place in a frying pan with the olive oil. Gently heat until lightly golden.
- As soon as the garlic is lightly golden, remove from the pan and add the courgettes/zucchini. Take care as they can spit a bit. You may have to cook them in two batches, depending on size of your frying pan.
- Whilst the courgette / zucchini cooks, place the spaghetti in the water and cook per packet instructions to al dente.
- Turn the zucchini/courgette occasionally until medium brown and blistered. If you turn them too much they won't achieve this – and this adds flavour!
- Once brown both sides, remove to kitchen paper towel on a plate to remove excess oil. (Cook the second batch if cooking in batches).
- Season the cooked zucchini/courgette with a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
- Drain the spaghetti, keeping 1 cup/ 240ml of the cooking water. .
- Tip the cooked pasta into the frying pan you cooked the zucchini/courgette in.
- Add half of the cooked zucchini/courgette to the pan and sprinkle over the grated parmesan, and grated pecorino romano. Add half the torn basil leaves and a couple of spoonfuls of the cooking water.
- Heat over a very gentle heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted. Add a little more pasta water if it's getting too dry – the sauce should be creamy. Stir through the rest of the cooked courgette / zucchini slices.
- Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle over a little more grated parmesan and the rest of the torn basil, to serve.
Notes
Zucchini/courgette – small green ones. Smaller zucchini are generally less bitter. You can use larger ones and cut in half if you prefer.
Spaghetti – you could also use linguine, fettuccine, or tagliatelle.
Garlic – a fresh garlic clove (or 2!) is needed in this recipe, it makes all the difference! Remove the garlic as soon as it become mid-golden brown. It will turn dark very quickly and can taste bitter. You can use 2 cloves of garlic for a stronger garlic taste. I keep it milder for younger family members.
Olive oil – use a good quality olive oil for this recipe.Â
Fresh basil – adds a fresh perfume to the pasta dish. I recommend you don’t leave this out.
Parmesan cheese – for vegetarians, check your parmesan is vegetarian. You can also use provolone. For a budget friendly alternative, use a strong cheddar – not authentic, but still delicious.
Pecorino remano – this is to substitute provolone, which is traditionally used to make spaghetti alla nerano but is hard to find outside of Italy. Use more parmesan instead if you don’t have it. Don’t use all pecorino as it can make the dish very salty.
Frying the zucchini/courgettes until blistered and dark brown adds flavour and texture to them.
Cook the pasta to al dente – having a little bite to the spaghetti works with the soft zucchini/courgette.
Remember to save the pasta water – this is full of starch that mixes with the Parmesan to make a creamy sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 498kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 19gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 296mgPotassium: 720mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 524IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 2mg
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen
Or just leave a comment below!
Courgette Pasta (Spaghetti alla nerano)
Author: Robyn
This simple traditional Italian pasta dish, spaghetti alla nerano, with courgettes pan fried in garlic olive oil before being tossed with parmesan and fresh basil, is ready in under 20 minutes, and a delicious vegetarian midweek meal.
Ingredients
- 320 g spaghetti
- 800 g courgettes/zucchini approx 4-5 small – medium
- 50 g parmesan grated (check it's vegetarian parmesan if vegetarian)
- 25 g Pecorino romano grated (check it's suitable for vegetarians if vegetarian)
- 1 clove garlic peeled and halved
- handful fresh basil roughly torn
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt
- cracked black pepper
- parmesan to serve, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
- Slice the courgette/zucchini into circles around 1 cm (0.4") thick.
- Cut the garlic clove in half and place in a frying pan with the olive oil. Gently heat until lightly golden.
- As soon as the garlic is lightly golden, remove from the pan and add the courgettes/zucchini. Take care as they can spit a bit. You may have to cook them in two batches, depending on size of your frying pan.
- Whilst the courgette / zucchini cooks, place the spaghetti in the water and cook per packet instructions to al dente.
- Turn the zucchini/courgette occasionally until medium brown and blistered. If you turn them too much they won't achieve this – and this adds flavour!
- Once brown both sides, remove to kitchen paper towel on a plate to remove excess oil. (Cook the second batch if cooking in batches).
- Season the cooked zucchini/courgette with a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
- Drain the spaghetti, keeping 1 cup/ 240ml of the cooking water. .
- Tip the cooked pasta into the frying pan you cooked the zucchini/courgette in.
- Add half of the cooked zucchini/courgette to the pan and sprinkle over the grated parmesan, and grated pecorino romano. Add half the torn basil leaves and a couple of spoonfuls of the cooking water.
- Heat over a very gentle heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted. Add a little more pasta water if it's getting too dry – the sauce should be creamy. Stir through the rest of the cooked courgette / zucchini slices.
- Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle over a little more grated parmesan and the rest of the torn basil, to serve.
Notes
Zucchini/courgette – small green ones. Smaller zucchini are generally less bitter. You can use larger ones and cut in half if you prefer.
Spaghetti – you could also use linguine, fettuccine, or tagliatelle.
Garlic – a fresh garlic clove (or 2!) is needed in this recipe, it makes all the difference! Remove the garlic as soon as it become mid-golden brown. It will turn dark very quickly and can taste bitter. You can use 2 cloves of garlic for a stronger garlic taste. I keep it milder for younger family members.
Olive oil – use a good quality olive oil for this recipe.Â
Fresh basil – adds a fresh perfume to the pasta dish. I recommend you don’t leave this out.
Parmesan cheese – for vegetarians, check your parmesan is vegetarian. You can also use provolone. For a budget friendly alternative, use a strong cheddar – not authentic, but still delicious.
Pecorino remano – this is to substitute provolone, which is traditionally used to make spaghetti alla nerano but is hard to find outside of Italy. Use more parmesan instead if you don’t have it. Don’t use all pecorino as it can make the dish very salty.
Frying the zucchini/courgettes until blistered and dark brown adds flavour and texture to them.
Cook the pasta to al dente – having a little bite to the spaghetti works with the soft zucchini/courgette.
Remember to save the pasta water – this is full of starch that mixes with the Parmesan to make a creamy sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 498kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 19gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 296mgPotassium: 720mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 524IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 2mg
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to see your creation!
Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen
Or just leave a comment below!
Let me know your thoughts!