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1
Pour the oil into a wide, deep frying pan to a depth that will submerge the courgette rounds. Set over a medium-high heat. Working in small batches to avoid crowding, fry the courgette rounds until deeply golden and slightly caramelised at the edges. Drain on a rack or absorbent paper. Rest at room temperature for several hours or overnight: the rounds are ready when their raw sweetness has concentrated into something more complex and slightly yielding.
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2
Bring a pot of water — less than you would ordinarily use, so that the starch content builds — to the boil. Salt it well. Cook the pasta until al dente, reserving a generous ladleful of the starchy cooking water before draining.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies. Transfer the drained pasta to a wide pan set over a low heat. Add a ladleful of the hot, starchy cooking water and begin the mantecatura: scatter in the grated Provolone del Monaco and Parmigiano and toss and stir continuously, adding further cooking water in small additions as needed. Work quickly — if the pan overheats the cheese will seize rather than emulsify. The sauce is ready when it coats the pasta in a creamy, stretchy, cohesive emulsion with no visible clumps of cheese.
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4
Remove the pan from the heat. Fold in the rested fried courgette rounds with care, turning the pasta gently so the rounds remain intact. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Scatter the basil leaves over the top and serve immediately, while the emulsion holds.