"The United States has fallen in love with Spaghetti alla Nerano." The story and rise of the Campanian dish that's taking Miami by storm

If in 2023 the trending Italian dish abroad was 'cacio e pepe', things are now changing. Get ready for an invasion of Spaghetti alla Nerano. The dish originated in the 1950s at the trattoria Da Maria Grazia in Marina del Cantone, the beach of Nerano. A summer classic and a symbol of the cuisine of the Amalfi Coast, the dish is experiencing a renaissance since it arrived across the ocean, specifically in Miami, Florida, thanks to young chef Michele Esposito and his mentor, Antonio Mellino.

Miami goes crazy for Spaghetti alla Nerano

It’s popping up everywhere, but especially across the Atlantic, where it’s becoming a cult dish. Particularly in Miami, where everyone is crazy about Spaghetti alla Nerano. It’s featured on the menus of Italian restaurants in the city, such as Corallo or Dōma, and the dish is very much in vogue. At Casa Tua, a renowned Italian restaurant awarded Tre Forchette by Gambero Rosso's Top Italian Restaurants, the "Spaghetti Chitarra alla Nerano" created by young chef Michele Esposito, who trained in Nerano with Antonio Mellino of the three-Michelin-starred Quattro Passi, is outstanding. The signature dish at Casa Tua has become Pasta alla Nerano. The recipe is not the traditional one but rather Mellino's interpretation, featuring linguine dressed with zucchini and black pepper—a formula kindly passed on to Esposito for his restaurant in Florida.

The "Nerano" by Michele Esposito

Why is this dish so popular in the USA?

"Americans who travel to the Amalfi Coast and taste Pasta alla Nerano fall in love with it," Esposito tells *Gambero Rosso*. "When they return to the USA, they are pleasantly surprised to find that light, vegetable-based dish. It has great appeal, especially for the people of Miami, who often look for light and vegetarian options." Esposito's recipe is a clear homage to Maestro Mellino, who taught him his version, where to lighten the dish compared to the original recipe, the zucchini are fried, then blanched to reduce the fat. "For me, it's a privilege to bring my Maestro's recipe to the tables of Miami," continues Esposito. The version served at Casa Tua, an evolution of the dish, uses baby zucchini (a variety with fewer seeds and less spongy flesh) sliced thin, fried in delicate oil until they become golden and dry chips. The dish is completed with a blend of two aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses and zucchini flowers.

The history of Spaghetti alla Nerano

Marina del Cantone is a place frozen in time, a bay that appears as you round Punta Campanella, the nearest mainland point to the island of Capri. It was the early 1950s when Prince Caravita, known as "Pupetto," landed with a group of jet-setting friends from Capri on the small dock of Marina del Cantone. As often happened, they went by boat to dine at Da Maria Grazia, a small eatery right on the beach. At the end of the evening, with dishes and pots still to be cleaned, Prince Pupetto, challenged by his friends, stepped into the kitchen and asked to prepare a plate of spaghetti for them. Maria Grazia and the other women in the kitchen helped the Prince impress his friends with zucchini from the garden, good olive oil, grated *formaggio di fuscella*, and plenty of basil, thus creating the legendary dish.