Spaghetti alla Nerano | Classic Italian Zucchini Pasta

Thoroughly wash the zucchinis, pat them dry, and slice them into thin rounds of about 2-3 mm. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan, add the slightly crushed garlic cloves, and fry the zucchini slices in batches until golden brown (about 6-8 minutes). Remove the fried zucchini onto paper towels and discard the garlic.

Bring a large pot of generous salted water to a boil, then cook the spaghetti al dente (2 minutes less than the time indicated on the package). Measure out and set aside about 1.5-2 dl of the starchy pasta cooking water.

Return three-quarters of the fried zucchini to the pan, add the butter and about 1 dl of hot pasta cooking water. Lightly mash some of the zucchini with a fork or wooden spoon to form a creamy emulsion.