Which vegetable is fried in spaghetti alla Nerano?

The vegetable fried in spaghetti alla Nerano is zucchini.

Spaghetti alla Nerano is a Campanian pasta dish associated with the village of Nerano on the Sorrento Peninsula. Its defining preparation begins with thinly sliced zucchini fried in olive oil, usually until tender and lightly golden. The fried slices are then combined with spaghetti and a cheese-based sauce.

The dish is commonly linked to restaurant owner Maria Grazia, who is said to have created it in the mid-1950s. Alongside the zucchini and spaghetti, familiar ingredients include garlic, basil, black pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, Parmesan, and provolone del Monaco, a prominent cheese from the Sorrento area.

A common mix-up is pasta alla Norma, another famous Italian pasta dish that uses fried eggplant. Bell pepper and artichoke are also used in many pasta recipes, but neither defines alla Nerano. The contrast between sweet, fried zucchini and sharp, melting cheese is the signature of this recipe, which has spread far beyond its small coastal birthplace.