This brown butter zucchini pasta is the perfect comfort food dinner. It has a lovely combination of flavours, with the nuttiness of the brown butter and the garlic and herbs. A vegetarian and low histamine dinner, that can be gluten-free using suitable pasta.
Have a peek at my artichoke pesto pasta for another time!
Pasta is always perfect for a busy weeknight, so you may also like to see my coriander pesto pasta and creamy tahini broccoli pasta. Both easy to make and very tasty!
My zucchini pasta recipe was inspired by the famous Smitten Kitchen zucchini butter spaghetti but with swaps and substitutions for slightly different flavours. It has a light but flavourful sauce, and is made without tomatoes as many pasta sauces are. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal.
Do have a peek at my tomato free pasta sauce recipes round-up for even more tasty dinner ideas!
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💭 What is a brown butter sauce?
Brown butter sauce is made by gently heating unsalted butter in a pan. It starts to foam and very lightly bubble as the water evaporates and the butter turns brown in colour.
As a tomato-free option, brown butter is perfect for making pasta sauce and has a rich nutty flavour. Some say it tastes like caramel! Vegetables such as zucchini and butternut squash take up the flavour so well, and make for a lovely weeknight pasta dinner.
🍝 Ingredients
This brown butter zucchini pasta recipe has surprisingly few ingredients, and quite a few are pantry staples. So I hope it can be made easily without a trip to the store!
- Pasta: if you aren't able to tolerate regular pasta, then there are so many good gluten-free options available now. You don't have to use spaghetti, but I like the way it picks up the brown butter flavours.
- Zucchini: the main vegetable of the dish. It looks like a lot when you grate it, but it cooks down a great deal.
- Fennel: complements the zucchini with its anise-like flavour, and gives a little hint of a crunch to the dish.
- Garlic: one of the biggest flavours of the dish. I suggest using fresh rather than a garlic powder.
- Basil and thyme: for a fresh herby flavour that complements the zucchini so well. Adjust the quantities to preference. You can add even more if you like a very herby taste!
- Butter: unsalted butter is used to make the brown butter sauce. It becomes nutty and delicious after being heated in the pan.
📖 Variations on the recipe
This recipe is actually very adaptable. Not a fan of fennel? Then simply use zucchini by itself.
The herbs can be swapped for those you prefer. A small handful of mint would be a nice addition for that fresh summer flavour.
It can easily be made gluten-free by using a suitable pasta.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Making a brown butter sauce is surprisingly easy, and is a great option for a pasta without tomato sauce. This brown butter zucchini pasta recipe has just a few easy steps:
- Make your pasta according to packet instructions. Don't forget to reserve at least half a cup of the pasta water.
- Heat the butter on a low-medium heat. It will begin to foam and very slightly bubble - just don't let it get too hot or too bubbly! Add the garlic, and let it become fragrant for a minute or so before adding the zucchini, fennel and a good pinch of salt. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The zucchini will cook down a great deal.
- Sprinkle in the basil and thyme and then pour in ¼ cup of the pasta water, then add the spaghetti. Combine using tongs, adding more pasta water if required. Cook for a few more minutes then add a pinch of salt and pepper.
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Heat the butter on a low to medium heat, not high. It should foam, slightly bubble and give off a nutty aroma. Add the garlic at that point, not before.
- Add pasta water according to how dry the sauce is and to taste preference.
- Swap out the pasta for your preferred variety if regular wheat pasta isn't suitable for you.
- You can leave out the fennel if you prefer and have just zucchini.
- This gives a fairly subtle flavour, for a 'bigger' flavour add more garlic and herbs to taste preference.
🍽 How to serve
This pasta can be served on its own, or I like to add some torn pieces of mozzarella if I am more hungry and want a source of protein. You could also add some chicken, such as my herbed panko chicken or pan fried rosemary chicken fillets, and a fresh salad on the side is always nice.
🥣 Gluten-free pasta options
If you aren't able to tolerate gluten, there are many gluten free pasta options to try:
Trader Joe's organic brown rice and quinoa fusilli pasta
Trader Joe's brown rice and quinoa spaghetti
Barilla gluten free elbows pasta (corn and rice flour)
🍝 More tasty pasta recipes
There are lots of pasta recipes to try out, including my roasted red pepper ricotta pasta and creamy tahini pasta, amongst many others. Some recent recipes:
I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating ⭐ if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Brown Butter Zucchini Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 3 medium zucchini grated
- ½ fennel finely diced
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced or finely diced
- large handful basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- salt
- black pepper optional
Instructions
- Boil the spaghetti according to packet instructions in salted water. Take off the heat and drain around a minute away from al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water.
- Heat the butter on a low-medium heat. Once it begins to foam and lightly bubble add the garlic. After a minute or so, add the zucchini, fennel and a good pinch of salt. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes silky in texture. The zucchini will first release liquid, and then this will mostly evaporate.
- Add the basil and thyme to the pan. Pour in ¼ cup of the pasta water, then add the spaghetti. Combine using tongs, adding more pasta water if required. Cook for a few more minutes then add a pinch of salt and pepper (if using), plate up and enjoy!
Notes
- Heat the butter on a low to medium heat, not high. It should foam, slightly bubble and give off a nutty aroma. Add the garlic at that point, not before.
- Add pasta water according to how dry the sauce is and to taste preference.
- Swap out the pasta for your preferred variety if regular wheat pasta isn't suitable for you.
- You can leave out the fennel if you prefer and have just zucchini.
- This gives a fairly subtle flavour, for a 'bigger' flavour add more garlic and herbs to taste preference.
- Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- pasta: wheat scores 1 and has a ? as a liberator.
- garlic, which scores 1.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
Steph says
We had some zucchini and fennel from the farmers market, and just added some Parmesan (not on any restrictive diet, just found this through searching ingredients). It was sooo delicious!! Thank you!
Claire says
So glad you liked it Steph! Perfect recipe for all the zucchini that's in the farmers market (and my back yard) right now I think! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Chelsea says
This was lovely. I had some fennel in the garden and zucchini I picked up from the farmers market yesterday so decided to whip this up for lunch. We used tinkyada gf pasta. And added thinly sliced chicken breast. My children gobbled it up and went back for seconds
Claire says
So happy to hear you all enjoyed it! Always lovely to use fresh produce from the garden isn't it. I've got fennel growing too, so looking forward to using it for this pasta. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Antje says
Delicious!
Claire says
So glad you liked it Antje!