From the town of Nerano, located at the far end of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, comes this well-loved pasta dish of fried zucchini, basil and cheese. Typically, a matured, raw-milk, semi-hard Neapolitan cheese called provolone del monaco (monk’s provolone) is used. I find a mix of pecorino romano and parmigiano reggiano to be a great substitute, though; it adds a similar buttery, sweet and sharp characteristic to the dish.

Since the zucchini are fried in hot oil, choose ones that are slim and small as they have small seeds and a lower water content. Smaller zucchini also tend to be sweeter, with a better overall flavour, making them the star of this summery spaghetti.