Zucchini Butter Pasta
Creamy, buttery zucchini sauce, enrobes the pasta delicately, to create a light, but bright summer dish!
Zucchini Butter Pasta
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped ½ cup diced sweet red pepper 2 pounds medium zucchini squash, about 4 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, plus a bit more for garnish (about 1 cup freshly grated or 2/3s cup store-bought, grated) 8 - 10 fresh basil leaves ½ medium lemon 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick or ½ cup) 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons salt pinch of red pepper flakes 12 ounces dried spaghetti (about 3/4s of a standard-sized 16-ounce box) Freshly ground black pepper or Lemon Pepper ½ cup roughly chopped or whole salted pistachios
-Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mince garlic cloves and chop shallot. Trim and shred zucchinis using the large holes of a grater into a large bowl, or shred in the food processor, cutting squash in half if necessary to make it fit through the feed tube of the processor. Slice the basil leaves into ribbons, then juice the lemon half. Set aside.
-Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and red pepper, then sauté for about 1 minute until softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute, stirring frequently. Next, add the grated zucchini, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Sauté the vegetables together, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been cooked off and the squash is very soft, about 15 minutes.
-To the boiling water, add the spaghetti. Cook, stirring occasionally and separating any noodles that are sticking together according to the package’s directions to “al dente” (pasta should still have a bit of bite to it, tender but not soft and mushy). Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
-Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the zucchini mixture along with ½ cup of the pasta water and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, tossing constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the pasta, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in more pasta water a tablespoon at a time if needed, to create a thick enough sauce to coat the pasta.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, add the Parmesan, basil, and fresh pepper, then toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper as desired. Garnish the top with pistachio nuts, an extra crack of pepper and more Parmesan cheese if desired. Makes 4 - 5 servings.
Saute vegetables in the butter, in a large skillet, until they are very soft.
Toss cooked pasta in the butter vegetable sauce until well coated.
Garnish with pistachio nuts and fresh cracked pepper. A light, silky pasta, perfect for a summer dinner or side dish!
