Sorrento is a beautiful town perched on a cliff high above the sea with views of Vesuvius and the islands in the Bay of Naples . Use this website to help you plan a visit to this elegant southern Italian resort and find your way to the best beaches and some lovely villages and towns along the Sorrentine peninsula that are perhaps less well known to tourists.

20130803

Spaghetti alla Nerano

Serve up memories of Sorrento with this authentic pasta dish



Spaghetti with zucchini (courgettes) or Spaghetti alla Nerano is a dish that was born on the Sorrentine Peninsula and tastes best when eaten while looking at the stunning sea views.
Spaghetti alla Nerano cooked to perfection!
But this delicious pasta dish is very simple to make and will conjure up wonderful memories of the bay of Naples and the holiday you enjoyed there, wherever in the world you serve it up.
It is believed to be the invention of a lady called Maria Grazia, the proprietor of Ristorante Maria Grazia down at Marina del Cantone which overlooks the beach below Nerano just a few kilometres south of Sorrento out along the peninsula.
The only ingredient you might find difficult to get when you are away from Italy is provolone or caciocavallo cheese, but you can always double the amount of parmesan that you use instead.
For centuries there was a restaurant on the beach at Marina del Cantone providing meals for the local fishermen.
Ristorante Maria Grazia started up in 1901 and the owners claim to have invented Spaghetti alla Nerano at the beginning of the 1950s.
But you will now find this dish on the menus of the other restaurants at Marina del Cantone and at restaurants in the resort of Sorrento itself.
For four people you will need:
400 gr spaghetti
700 gr zucchini (about four whole zucchini)
extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
sea salt
black pepper
100 gr provolone or caciocavallo cheese cut into cubes
100 gr grated parmesan
fresh basil
Cut the zucchini into thin slices and fry in hot oil. Take off heat before they start to burn. Blot dry on kitchen paper, then plunge into boiling water for a few seconds and then drain.
Cook the spaghetti until al dente
Brown the garlic in olive oil in a frying pan. Remove the garlic, add more oil and some sea salt and then add the drained zucchini. Add the spaghetti with a ladle full of the water it was cooked in. Add the cheese and black pepper, mix well and serve topped with leaves of fresh basil. Buon appetito!

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20130109

Visit il Duomo - the elegant cathedral in the heart of Sorrento

Entrance to il Duomo from Corso Italia
The main church in Sorrento is il Duomo, also known as the Cathedral of San Filippo and San Giacomo, which is right in the centre of town in Corso Italia.
Il Duomo dates as far back as the 11th century but was completely rebuilt in the 15th century in Romanesque style.
It is well worth going to have a look at the magnificent interior, which has three naves separated by pillars and an ornate ceiling.
Il Duomo houses some rare 14th century bas-reliefs, paintings by artists of the 17th century Neapolitan school and a fine 16th century archbishop’s throne in marble.
The choir in the apse provides some wonderful examples of the decorative inlaid woodwork, intarsia, that is a Sorrentine artisan tradition, being used to illustrate religious subjects.
Next to the cathedral is a bell tower resting on an arch with four columns, which dates back to medieval times, and an elegant Bishop’s palace.

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