I am a little bit obsessed with this spaghetti. If we’ve spoken recently, I didn’t let you not asking me about it keep me from going on about its simple summer dinner bliss. I have been fixating on the idea of this spaghetti for two delicious summers and I am almost sad that the recipe is done, as it now transfers into the category of Things I Already Know How To Make, which always gets bumped when there are so many Recipes That Aren’t Done Yet for a little manuscript due at the end of this summer.
It started with a zucchini butter recipe I once spied on Food52, but was traced back to Julia Child’s Grated Zucchini Sautéed in Butter and Shallots. Over rounds of tweaking, I eliminated several things, not because they weren’t good, but because they didn’t suit my needs here: the shallots (added too much sweetness), the partial addition of olive oil (I was promised butter, after all), salting, draining, and wringing the zucchini (so much work, all for a shriveled pile of zucchini that dragged in the pan), adding a little more butter (it helps when stretching it across a big bowl spaghetti), and a not insignificant amount of garlic, pepper flakes, basil, and parmesan and I realize that this now relates to Julia Child’s zucchini butter about as much as I relate to being a morning person, but this paragraph is about about what set the idea off, and this next one is about where I hope it goes:
Everywhere. The result is the kind of pasta I hope you make every summer, forever (and me, too, when I get to make old things again). I’ve kept the ingredient list as short and impactful as possible, so you could even scrounge it together in an unfamiliar kitchen this summer. I live for the moment when the garlic hits the butter in the pan and every person in the vicinity looks up from their devices in unison and says, “That smells nice. What are you making?” — don’t you?
Video
New: Have you checked out the new SK YouTube channel? There will be new recipe video every Wednesday morning through the end of July. If you subscribe to the channel, you won’t miss even one. Here are the first three episodes; I hope you enjoy them:
Previously
6 months ago: Gingerbread Yule Log
1 year ago: Whole Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
2 years ago: Simplest Spaghetti a Limone
3 year ago: Linguine and Clams
4 years ago: Stovetop Americanos
5 years ago: Strawberry Milk and Corn and Black Bean Weeknight Nachos
6 years ago: Strawberry Cornmeal Griddle Cakes and Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie
7 years ago: Valerie’s French Chocolate Cake
8 years ago: Espresso Granita with Whipped Cream
9 years ago: Broccoli Parmesan Fritters
10 years ago: Dobos Torte
11 years ago: Mushroom Crepe Cake, Braided Lemon Bread and Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta and Mint
12 years ago: Lemon Mint Granita, Pickled Sugar Snap Peas and Springy Fluffy Marshmallows
13 years ago: 10 Paths to Painless Pizza-Making and Pistachio Petit-Four Cake
14 years ago: Gateau de Crepes and Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad
Zucchini Butter Spaghetti
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for pasta water, and to taste
- 8 ounces (225 grams) spaghetti, cooked al dente
- 1 cup (235 ml) pasta water, reserved
- 1 1/4 pounds (570 grams) zucchini, trimmed, coarsely grated
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 1/2 cup (45 grams) grated parmesan
- Handful fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
Melt butter in your empty pan over medium-high heat and add the garlic, stirring it into the butter for one minute before adding the zucchini, salt, and red pepper. Cook the zucchini, stirring from time to time, for 13 to 15 minutes. It will first let off a puddle liquid, the liquid will cook off, and the zucchini will become soft and concentrated. If the zucchini begins to brown, reduce the heat slightly. Stir frequently for 2 more minutes, chopping it down into smaller bits with the edge of your spoon or spatula, until it reaches an almost spreadable consistency.
Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir up anything stuck, then add drained pasta, and cook together for 2 minutes. Use tongs or two forks to pull up the zucchini butter sauce into the pasta strands, tossing frequently, and adding some or all of the remaining pasta water as needed to loosen. Toss in half of the parmesan and basil and mix, then transfer to a serving bowl. Finish with remaining parmesan and basil.
ha! A brilliant sentence. “I live for the moment when the garlic hits the butter in the pan and every person in the vicinity looks up from their devices in unison and says, “That smells nice. What are you making?” — don’t you?”
I had the same thought, because YES yes I do!
As I’m not a fan of basil, I added rosemary, oregano, and thyme, and served it over tortellini. It was amazing!
What do you think about adding a glugg of white wine to the Zucchini butter?
Follow up: Tried it with a splash of white wine tonight, which was a welcome addition!
More surprising, my just-turned-one twins loved it! Especially my boy who is a vegetable sceptic basically inhaled it! Great toddler food! 😉
I was looking for this- no basil in the house, but plenty of rosemary growing!
Thank you!
I am passsing these on to the activities person at my Mom’s nursing home. Many are simple and can be done by those even with arthritic hands.
فروشگاه اینترنتی
Every. Dang. Time!
If I were to use gluten free pasta (my husband has celiac disease) would I still use reserved pasta water?
I do in other recipes for my gluten intolerant husband. Works just like regular pasta water! I’m trying this recipe tonight.
This looks amazing! Is it 225g of cooked or dry spaghetti please?
Pretty sure it’s 225g dry.
Dry spaghetti
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This recipe is so dang good. Had me dreaming of zucchini noodles last night. Super easy to make; could probably scale back on the butter a tad if you want to trim some calories. Will definitely make this again.
I made it last night with Jovial brown rice spaghetti and followed the recipe exactly, adding the reserved pasta water. It worked perfectly.
ha ha! for me, it’s onions. every single time, my husband comes in, “wow! what are you making?!?”
My husband also responds to onion smells. He comes trotting downstairs saying, “There’s an interesting foody smell, what’s for dinner?” And then he comes and peers into the pan.
My husband does that too! I didn’t realize it was universal until now.
Could you swap out zucchini for summer squash? Am drowning in summer squash!
Yes, I used yellow squash in mine. It was just as delicious.
Ridiculously delicious, easy, and kid-friendly.
hahaha at first I did not see the “r” in “peers” :-D
LOL
Yum….I. like meat sauce spaghetti but this was like dessert… rich and creamy. Man oh man delicious….
Wow! This was so much more than just zucchini and pasta…of course! It was delicious! The spice was great, the mouthfeel was unctuous without being heavy. A perfect way to put all that garden zucchini to delicious meal. Thanks Deb!
This one is a keeper. So delicious!
We only got two zucchini from our garden this year and I’m delighted that I used one this way, thank you!!
My neighbor stopped by the window and said that exact same thing! Lol
I have long dreamed of a zucchini-based pasta sauce. This is the perfect answer my summer zucchini abundance and I-only-want-to-eat-pasta-for-dinner cravings. It was perfect tonight and I suspect we’ll be eating it all summer long. Thank you a million times, Deb.
As an aside: I, too, relish the moment everyone catches a glorious whiff of garlic hitting the pan. It might be my favorite part of making dinner.
Ha! My sister in law’s husband passed away about ten years ago, but he was a food lover and cook who never held back his opinion about anything, especially food. Once he was cooking something with a lot of garlic in it, and someone commented about what they felt was an excessive amount of garlic. He immediately responded “anyone that don’t like garlic is crazy as hell.” That phrase has become part of the family vernacular. When I got to the garlic sauteeing part of this recipe, I heard a shout, from the basement where my teenage son’s room is, “ANYONE THAT DON’T LIKE GARLIC IS CRAZY AS HELL.”
💕💕
<3
I can only dream that my family will remember me by something like this when I leave this earth.
Absolutely! This sentence made me want to try this Recipe out asap!! lol
this looks DELICIOUS. I have a bumper crop of zucchini and summer squash in my garden, and assume that summer squash would work similarly.
Very excited for your *third* cookbook! Hope you’re proud of yourself – it is a major accomplishment/legacy.
You definitely need to make this! It’s incredible and a perfect way to make something 5 star with your zucchini!!
This DISH was truly SUPERB! Restaurant quality. I’m making it again tomorrow!! Thank you! I add onions and mushrooms just because. My mouth can’t wait!!!
I make a very similar summer pasta sauce where the garlic is sauteed with ham in olive oil, then the shredded zucchini & pepper flakes are added and cooked down, and it’s finished with a splash of cream. Excited to try this version!
This is how I’ve made it in the past (based on a recipe from Domenica Marchetti). I love how the method uses the potential mushiness of summer squash to an advantage by turning it into a sauce. I’m sure it’s fantastic with butter instead of olive oil and cream too.
Perfect timing for tonight’s dinner, the courgettes I was trying to figure out how to use, and the basil I’ve been lockdown-growing on my windowsill!
Any suggestions for the leftover portion (my partner loathes zucchini, so all the more for me)? On a salad, maybe?
Oops, that was supposed to be on the main thread…
I bet you could freeze it. Or put it on toast and put a fried egg on top. Or stir it into risotto.
I make zucchini butter every summer. It freezes beautifully!
I second Deb’s suggestion of toast! I often have leftover sauce from a similar-ish pasta dish I’ve been doing for years that also includes white wine (for a balancing touch of acidity) and cannellini beans (earthy boost of protein). For lunch, I often dollop the left over zucchini sauce on toast or crackers and add an extra shower of parm. After a night in the fridge, the left over sauce doesn’t get runny and holds up very well even when rewarmed – perhaps something to do with the starch from the beans. Thanks, Deb, for the risotto idea! Brilliant!
I had all the ingredients for this, except the pasta. So I toasted some bread, added a smear of goat cheese, and then had this on top. It was amazing, and I will totally be making it again.
Absolutely amazing! I used Banza chickpea spaghetti for protein, and it was delicious. I’ll be making this again. And again.
So delish! My 13 year old son took over the cooking halfway through and finished while I took a call.
He loved it! I did as well, even though it wasn’t the piping hot version he enjoyed. So easy to enjoy and make changes/additions as desired. A keeper, for sure!
Hi. Any cheese alternative to parmesan you would recommend with this (can’t have parm due to migraines). Thanks!
I bet feta would work well. Ooh, or even burrata on top!
we had a half a burrata on the side, it was nice to have that cold cheese.
Not sure which cheeses are and are not okay but I also think pecorino would be great here.
I can confirm that pecorino was fantastic! Thank you for another winner, Deb :)
Thanks for the comment! I was curious about using pecorino, I usually have it around because it’s a sheep’s milk cheese (sensitive to cow dairy).
I used manchego and that was perfect. It played perfectly off the nutty note of the zucchini.
I also melted a few anchovy fillets into the butter with the garlic and added a generous pinch of just-toasted-and-crushed black pepper.
Can’t wait to eat the leftovers!
Elizabeth, have you ever tried nutritional yeast as a sub for parmesan? It took me years to get around to it but when I did I was pleasantly surprised! Long ago it was a health food store item but now you can find it in any grocery store.
I made this a couple of days ago, and all the adults loved it. A neighbor had left a giant zucchini on my porch. I cut it up, cut out the giant seeds, and shredded the rest. It was lighter in color than yours (skin:innards ratio), but it was unexpectedly delicious!! Rich in flavor, but light in texture. It was perfect for a hot, sunny day.
I’m dairy free and was able to make this with a couple substitutions. I used Country Crock plant butter instead of regular, added a splash of olive oil, and then used Follow Your Heart parmesan cheese. I added the cheese a bit earlier because it takes longer to melt than regular, but it was super tasty!
I can confirm I made this for the third time yesterday and vegan for the first time. It works perfectly as written with a straight sub of olive oil for butter and some or no nutritional yeast on top. My kids and partner think it might even be better this way.
When I was doing non dairy I would make toasted garlic olive oil and sea salt bread crumbs. Gives a hit of salt, richness, and texture. Some people love nutritional yeast, but I react to that even worse than dairy.
Crunchy bread crumbs sounds like a great addition
I used sharp white cheddar (all I had on hand!) and it was absolutely delicious.
I made it and excluded the cheese and it was still amazing! Maybe sprinkle some nutritional yeast? But really. It’s excellent without the Parmesan.
Hi Elizabeth, I am not a vegan but made this little vegan umami crunch toping as part of another recipe one day and love it on pasta and other places in place of parmesan. Recipe credit to Bryant Terry from his Broccoli & Dill pasta recipe. :) Passing along in case it is helpful in your circumstances
¾ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, roughly chopped
¾ cup whole raw cashews
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons raw pine nuts
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
First blitz the porcini in a food processor until as tiny as possible (original recipe calls for a spice grinder but I cant be bothered. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and pulse until the mixture is broken down into a fine meal. Transfer to a jar or lidded container. (Makes about 1 1/4 cups.)
Hey Elizabeth did you see the recipe adaption idea for you a few comments on (posted by SDEPAS)? It looks good. Regards from Australia.
I was out of parm and used dubliner of all things, it was awesome!
I used pecorino romano because it doesn’t set off my lactose intolerance (I also substituted half the butter for olive oil) and as long as you adjust the salt you add to the dish, it works well.
I’m wondering how well this would double for bigger portions or to reheat?
Absolutely. I’d use the zucchini butter as needed.
Risking decadence: would sprinkling freshly toasted crackly-garlicky breadcrumbs be over the top? Also– thank you, this looks like perfection and bless you for eliminating the zucchini-wringing!
It would be delicious!
I literally had the same thought about the garlicky bread crumbs! Can’t wait to make this recipe!
Roughly how many zucchini are we talking about here? (big /medium/small, how many in each case)
if you look at the first photo, it appears to be 2 med/large zukes.
I think these were from a two-pack from (gasp) Trader Joe’s that was labelled as 1 pound but was actually exactly the 1.25 pounds I needed. I tested this recipe with 2 pounds of zucchini and 1.5 pounds of zucchini and both were too much; 1 pound was too little,
Do you think this sauce would work with the homemade gnocchi hanging out in my freezer?
I think you should try it and report back! :P
I had it with gnocci, because I had some I wanted to eat up, and it was delicious!
Absolutely!
Love it! I received 2 medium zucchinis in my CSA box this week, and they measured exactly 1.25 pounds. Score!
Another winner Deb! Think I’ll add some toasted pine nuts or sautéed shrimp or both next time. It is so easy and a welcome change from tomato based pasta sauce.
I am SO making this very soon. It sounds perfect. Thanks for sharing!
I have been looking for a recipe like this zucchini butter! The last time I was in Rome, I had this amazing pizza topped with grated zucchini. I have been trying to replicate this pizza for 5 years and I know this will do the trick! I know what I am making tonight and I know it will be amazing! Thank you, Deb!!
Joe Lahey’s Zucchini pizza is a regular in our house, modified to use my own sourdough crust and with variations on cheese and fresh herbs. Check it out.
I would love to know more about your variation! Sourdough crust sounds like heaven!!
Thanks, Liane! I made Joe Lahey’s summer squash pizza that Deb posted about a few years ago. Super delicious but it is not a match for what I was trying to recreate. This zucchini butter does the trick!
Has anyone tried this with spaghetti squash instead of regular spaghetti?
Have you tried Deb’s two ingredient flatbread? maybe she calls it a pizza. It’s just grated gruyere and zucchini. To die for!
As someone with a zucchini plant that is currently producing one a day, I really appreciate your commitment to providing us with innovative and delicious zucchini recipes. I love the chickpea and garlic yogurt one, I’m making your ultimate zucchini bread today, and will try this new pasta this weekend.
My husband keeping bringing yellow squash home from work, and I keep trying to figure out how to prepare it. Would that swap work here? Probably?
Zucchini and summer squash are basically identical. It’ll work.
This was delicious! It was a bit rich, and we’ll probably swap some of the butter for olive oil next time, but it wasn’t overly heavy. It was really enjoyable and came together quickly.
Absolutely. Zucchini is a kind of summer squash, so they’re all in the family.
Yum! This made an excellent lunch, once I figured out how to use the shredder on my food processor, which was not at all intuitive. I’ve only had the processor for about 10 years. I can’t be expected to master it in that short a time. I’m thinking about all the coleslaw I have NOT made because I couldn’t figure it out and hate shredding by hand. I used 4 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil to decrease the saturated fat, and I’ll probably try it with even less oil the next time I make it, even though butter and pasta are my favorite comfort foods. Thanks for the recipe – a new way to use zucchini!
Use grass fed butter. The taste is far superior and it is heart healthy! :)
Thank GOODNESS you posted this today! We were down to a random number of almost not great summer squash/zucchini but definitely had basil and pasta and not much else in the house. This recipe was fantastic. Two small changes: I don’t love butter as much, so we went 1/2 butter, 1/2 olive oil. Also, we love zucchini pasta recipes with a touch of lemon, so we squeezed a small lemon into the pasta when it was cooking with the pasta water and zucchini. It was really great.
So good! All we had was gnocchi. Added some chickpeas. Everyone loved it!
I start quite a few recipes by cooking down a couple of grated zucchini (hiding the veg from the sceptics) and I find that few simple things smell better or taste more delicious, even before any seasoning other than salt is added. With the garlic and basil there too I reckon I could get just about anyone to enjoy this.
Looks great for a meal for one twice! Gonna try!
Could you do this with zuke noodles, or would something be lost in the translation? I count carbs.
I wouldn’t cook it together with the reserved pasta water because the zucchini noodles, but you might need a splash or two of salted water to loosen it into a sauce. Let us know how it goes!
I’m thinking of it with trader joes cauliflower gnocchi… That might just do the trick for those of us sadly on diabetic diets
Good grief, this was amazing! Other than using gluten free pasta, followed the recipe exactly and we unanimously agreed it was restaurant worthy. Absolutely delicious. This will be on repeat all summer. Thanks Deb!
What’s your favorite gluten-free pasta? There are so many to try and so many potential disappointments.
With apologies for horning in ahead of Becky – for taste and texture, I’ve had good experiences with Bionaturae (rice, potato, soy), Le Veneziane (corn), Ancient Harvest (corn and quinoa), and Jovial (brown rice, with the caution that the copious foam can make a mess if you don’t keep an eye on the pot).
I doubt Becky will mind. Thanks for your recommendations! Are certain brands better for long thin pastas and others better for chunky thick ones? What is good for pasta salad? I tend to use Trader Joe’s red lentil penne for most things, but it’s not good cold for pasta salad and it tends to tend to be stiff (like cardboard) when used with a light sauce or leftover and reheated. I like the brown rice pasta in the purple wrapper for things like rice pilaf, but it tends to be rather soft and tasteless. I tried the Trader Joe’s black bean fusilli and was left with a pile of soft goo. Have you tried ever DeLallo GF corn and rice orzo?
Yes, it is good and holds up well in soup.
Bionaturae also makes an excellent rice and lentil pasta that tastes more like wheat pasta than anything else I’ve ever tried!
That’s what I use; I did the penne with this and loved it.
Amazing! We had thai basil from our CSA and it added amazing oomph and flavor to what was already delicious.
Jovial is my favorite :) I made this tonight with Jovial capellini. Jovial does not get crumbly or break down like other GF pastas (Jovial is brown rice only. It’s my observation that GF pastas that include corn are crumbly and don’t hold up)
I’ve tried so many brands of gluten-free pastas (including Trader Joe’s, Banza, Tinkyada, Jovial, Bionaturae, and Le Veneziane), and my favorite gluten-free spaghetti is from Rummo (blue label is GF; red label is their regular pasta). My gluten-eating spouse and kids can’t tell the difference! I get it from my local farmers market, but you can find it online.
We love Banza in my house! Even my Italian-American husband is into it, which surprised me. Some of the bigger shapes fall apart during cooking but I’ve had pretty good luck with the macaroni/ziti/cavatappi and also the spaghetti. Definitely start checking on it ~2 minutes before the recommended time and watch out for foaming.
I like Barilla best and firm. I am celiac and have tried them all.
Just thought I’d jump in here… but Rummo gluten-free pasta is the absolute best!
Huge Banza fan here for the added protein AND they have excellent customer service. I had an issue with their linguine breaking and after contacting got a 6 pack of assorted pasta in the mail. Best day ever!
I also like Jovial b/c they make some unique shapes (tagliatelle, manicotti ) and it cooks well. Generally, the bean based pastas are harder to mess up than rice based…once you over do a rice pasta it’s never salvageable IMO. Also…if you have Wegmans near you, they have a fresh cauli gnocchi that is honestly so good it’s on regular request by my 7 yr old.
What do you use as substitute for the pasta water when using gf pasta? I tried using the cooking water from gf pasta once and it just washed all the sauce off the pasta instead of thickening the sauce.
Erin,
It has been my experience that you use the pasta water to thin a thick sauce. Sometimes you need it sometimes you don’t. I sometimes save the pasta water to thin and loosen leftover pasta. Just use a little bit at a time.
Pasta water is also used to mildly thicken the sauce: the starch off of gluten pasta.
“How to Make an Emergency Pasta Water Replacement. Mix together ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 cup of water and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until hot. Use this mixture as you would use pasta water to create a sauce with a silky consistency”
https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/5721-accidentally-drained-pasta-water-replacement
It might need less pasta water for gluten-free pasta
Thanks! So would you say in this recipe the pasta water is used to thin the sauce? I know with Carbonara I found it helps to thicken or make the sauce creamier.
I only used the initial 1/2 cup of water from GF Barilla, put in before the pasta is added. In this recipe, the water is mostly to help deglaze the pan of any stuff stuck on the bottom. It cooks off pretty quickly.
If your zucchini was extra moist to start with, you might not need the water at all. But it’s always better to have it saved and not need it than the other way around.
I think I’ve made this 10 times since the recipe was posted, definitely a keeper for me.
This is perfectly timed, as I’m realizing I will be overrun with squash thanks to my pessimistic assumption that only one or two of my seedlings would achieve production. Lo, I have 4 zucchinis plants and three patty-pans. This is the second week of harvest and Im picking 2-3 medium squashes a day. That’s a squash a person in our household
We made this tonight and loved it. Added 5 oz cremini mushrooms and 2 oz country ham – because my husband needs meat occasionally – before the zucchini. Used a curly pasta and corn/burrata ravioli instead of spaghetti. It’s my favorite kind of recipe: flavorful, simple, quick, and versatile for substitutions or additions.
Yummers! Such an easy, straightforward preparation with a smashing conclusion. A perfect foil for anything off the grill. Or keep it veggie and add some tofu chunks.
PS I used vegan butter (Miyoko’s), vegan parm, and gf shell noodles. Because that’s how we need to eat around here. Still DELISH.
I don’t have a food processor – would a box grater work for the zucchini here?
I think so. That’s what I plan on using!
Absolutely.
I just made this for dinner and used a box grater on the largest side. Only took me a few minutes to grate and came out amazing! Used the other side of the grater for the cheese.
This is such a great recipe, quick recipe! I served my boyfriend first and he immediately remarked after one bite “wow, this is good.” Thanks, Deb!
Works fine
Wait. What? Another sk book? I can’t wait. I also can’t wait to try this!
So excited for this. I made the Food52 zucchini butter a while back and it was delicious, but omg all that squeezing and draining. This is so much more appealing!
We are having HEAT here ( over 100 for two days) so this is going to be made and served cold!
Yes – A third cookbook! That definitely means you’re the real deal, although anyone here already knows that! Also, thanks so much for all the easy summer recipes that don’t involve an oven – it’s keeping me afloat in this northwest heat wave and still delicious enough to keep the campers happy.
Made this last night following the recipe exactly. Loved it. The flavor was wonderful. It will definitely go into the rotation.
This is a spin on my Italian in-laws garlic spaghetti that shows up at every important family celebration. They use copious amounts of garlic and a glug of olive oil….it’s the most heavenly simple dish. I will try with the addition of zucchini and see if I can impress our traditionalist family members tastebuds. They grow the zucchini after all!
Fantastic idea! Let us know how it goes?
Looks divine. Zucchini…peeled or unpeeled ?
Unpeeled
No need to peel!
Made this today because I had all the ingredients! WOW! This is a must make recipe for sure! I was a little skeptical about zucchini, but always trust Deb’s recipes. This will be on repeat for sure!
Susan- yes! “Always trust Deb” is my motto too! We love zucchini, looking forward to making this new recipe!
It was so good, you will love it! I will double the recipe for dinner to accommodate a pound of pasta. I had half a box of Barilla Bucatini and it was perfect. Added a bit more crushed red pepper and two more cloves of garlic. This would be great with some grilled shrimp added in, but stands on it’s own! You’ll love it!
Made this last night for dinner. Super delicious. Added the grated zest of one lemon at the same time as the red-pepper flakes and salt. As I was dishing it out thought that next time, I would top with toasted chopped almonds, along with the Parmesan. Thanks, SK!!
Made this for lunch today and loved it! Had all the ingredients on hand and it was easy to put together. Will definitely make it again!
Made for dinner tonight! It was delicious!
Do you have a carb count on this recipe??
I made this tonight exactly as written, except only had a few sad basil leaves. Wow, this recipe is a winner. I had to laugh because my boyfriend yelled from the living room “smells great!” as I was cooking the garlic. We both loved it and my only regret is that I didn’t double the recipe!
Just made this for dinner tonight! So delicious!! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow. Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Very tasty and easy summer meal. Love this recipe because it’s different way to cook with ingredients I generally have on hand, which is key for summer meals. I served it with some leftover grilled chicken and kept the whole family happy. When I ate the leftovers I added some cherry tomatoes and a little squirt of lemon and really liked the added brightness.
Just wanted to say that yours is the only food blog I actually read. The others I just skim looking for any tips, but basically just skip to the recipe. Not yours. I enjoy your writing style and sense of humor. And now that I’ve seen you on your YouTube channel, I hear your voice in my head as I read!
I echo this sentiment. There have been numerous times where I was laughing enough that my husband asked “What are you doing over there? What’s so funny?” Thank you for not only providing drool-worthy recipes, but great content to boot!
I just made this and increased amounts to work with 2 zucchinis and it is DELICIOUS!!! Like, can’t stop eating it!! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe! Can’t wait to make it again. :)
I have so much Zucchini growing in may garden this year (not sure why I planted so many) and always looking for a way to use them. This recipe was PERFECT! I will make it again and maybe add some grilled shrimp and make it a FULL MEAL! THANK YOU for sharing. Looking for more ways to use zucchini (besides muffins and bread)!
Agree with all comments. How have I loved without this my whole life!?!? Yum! The less picky two year old are probably half and the very picky four year old refused to try it. Her loss! Thanks for a great recipe.
This is incredible!! I recommend really pushing the boat out and using fresh pasta.
Now that this SK recipe gave you a lifelong jonesing for the zucchini/basil/carb triple threat, wanted to share this Ottolenghi strata. It’s my go-to when I want to impress people for brunch. (And you can make it decadent or kid-friendly with the tiniest drizzle of maple syrup.) https://leitesculinaria.com/225876/recipes-zucchini-strata.html
I thought this was FANTASTIC and my toddler also enjoyed it. However the recipe calls for 1.5tsp of kosher salt to be added to the pan with the zucchini, and even reducing it to just 1tsp I found this recipe salty enough that I omitted the parm at the end for fear of pushing it over the edge. (I used unsalted butter as directed and salted my pasta water well.) Next time I will use less salt in the pasta water as well as reducing the salt added to the zucchini to 3/4 tsp at most.
Are you using Diamond Crystal kosher salt? I believe Deb’s recipes are written with Diamond Crystal, which is significantly less salty than other brands of Kosher salt (the crystals are much bigger) so you’d need to recalibrate the recipe.
I made this tonight. It was delicious, everybody loved it. We had alongside grilled steak. Perfect summer dinner.
Do you think the zucchini butter could be made an hour or so in advance and reheated when ready to toss with the pasta?
Yes!
The zucchini butter that inspired this recipe freezes really well. I suspect this sauce would as well.
I made this and it was wonderful! Definitely for garlic and basil lovers!
I doubled it. Used 1 lb of trofie pasta, three ENORMOUS farmer’s market zucchini, and 8 cloves of garlic (!) I used real parmigiano reggiano which was wonderful. With doubling it I made the zucchini butter in two batches in a large skillet rather than making it all at once.
I will say that doubling it meant using 1.5 sticks of butter which is… a lot! Fed four people generously with probably one smallish serving’s worth of leftovers. So that’s almost 3 Tbsp butter per person. I do think I’ll see in the future if I could get away with using a bit less, since it gets a lot of thickness/creaminess already from the pasta water and the cheese.
Thanks so much for this recipe. Made it today exactly as instructed, and it was perfection. For the future, can I prep the zucchini by putting it in a food processor instead of grating it? Hoping to make it again soon with less manual labor if I can get away with it!
totally! That’s how I did mine. Definitely didn’t want to hand-grate all of that.
This was delicious. Doubled it for my larger family, took longer (naturally) to simmer the zucchini but was really tasty. We were out of fresh basil, so a spoonful of pesto did the trick instead. Loved it as a fast summer meal that used lots of our zucchini and squash!
I can’t get over how good this was! I did 4 tablespoons instead of 6, because 6 seemed like a bit much. I also used Banza chickpea pasta for some added protein. So so yummy!
Deb,
My husband and I left the USA last Monday and moved to Portugal. This recipe was the last thing I saw before boarding the plane to begin a new adventure. My new kitchen is the size of an envelope and the utensils are plastic and few and yet I was able to make this with absolutely no problems. The two of us ate it like we were at an orgy – moaning and groaning with every bite, Thank you for taking a watery ingredient and elevating it to a delicious focal point.
I’ve been making a reverse version of this: that is, when I make spaghetti with pesto, I generally add grated zucchini sautéed in butter to lighten things up. Zucchini with fresh basil was maybe the first way I learned to use fresh herbs. Can’t beat it.
Due to a grocery store mishap, I made this tonight with cucumber instead of zucchini. I was afraid to taste it but it was still very good! I can only imagine how much better it would be with the right ingredients.
This was delicious! The sweetness of the zucchini and butter combine for a flavor reminiscent of Alfredo, but lighter and more interesting due to the basil. I used pecorino because I have a lot on hand. Both of my young kids ate this, and while they are adventurous eaters, they usually push zucchini aside.
We made this with tagliatelle, upped the garlic and red pepper, and it was DIVINE. Thanks for another winner, Deb!
Made this for dinner tonight! Had an abundance of zucchini from the garden and this used up 4 of them. This dish was so delicious! I made some adjustments-used bucatini pasta instead of spaghetti to give it a more substantial mouthfeel, and I added 1 large Italian sausage (casing removed) to the garlic when sautéing. This recipe is definitely keeper!!
Had this tonight, sub. linguine for the spaghetti and italian parsley for basil, because that’s what I had.
Sweet and mellow !
Long time follower, first time commenter.
This was an absolutely stunning recipe! I served this dinner for 5 adults and 5 children and everyone could not stop raving about this incredible meal. Talk about being greater then the sum of its parts!
This will no doubt be a summer staple! Thanks for creating a meal the makes vegetables fun, flirty and the star of the show!
I picked this to be the recipe of the week for my farmer at our local Atlanta farmers market. I hadn’t made it yet, but went out on a limb because it sounded good and your recipes never fail me. Well I just made it and it’s delicious. Glad I went for it! I will be making this a lot this summer. I put garlic butter shrimp on the side and it was all so good.
This was delicious! So flavorful. I found the level of salt to be perfect. Took quite a bit of muscle to mix it properly with the tongs, but it’s worth the effort to have every noodle coated. It really clings when it’s all together! Can’t wait to have leftovers tomorrow.
So tasty! Added some toasted walnuts for crunch…will definitely make again!!
I made this last night with whole wheat spaghetti and the veggie bounty from our CSA– it was Fan-freaking-tastic. Even the little person who “hates” zucchini, and who loudly protested and pouted when her plate was set down, ate every last bit, and scooped the last zucchini strand out of the bowl with her finger.
This instantly reminded me of a pasta I make often from Food52 called Spaghetti alla Nerano. We love that recipe, and this seemed like it would be a simpler version with fewer dishes and steps. It was just that, as well as every bit as delicious, if not more so with the butter and extra garlic. I’m always amazed at how picking up a bundle of zucchini leads to some of the most delicious dinners (including your Summer Squash Pizza!).
As I was cooking this, my boyfriend remarked, “Where’s the meat?” But he declared it very tasty nonetheless and said he would eat it again. And when I said it was a Smitten Kitchen recipe, he said “I am smitten with Smitten!” Thanks for a great recipe. Next time I may try it with a T less butter and see how it turns out (only for caloric reasons).
Made this today with some early zucchini from the farmer’s market, incredible! Rich, delicious, perfect for summer dinners.
One suggestion: I’d definitely err on the generous side with the “handful” of basil. I wasn’t sure how much to add, but wound up skimping and definitely missed that extra hit of freshness.
I saw the recipe, the pictures and description were amazing, I quickly reminded myself that I had some geriatric zucchini sitting around, I made it, I ate it so fast I’m a little embarrassed, It was AMAZING!
I even made extra zucchini butter to store in the fridge for later this week when the question of what’s for lunch comes up!
Doubled this and was a hit! Had a lot of flavor! Thanks for another great recipe.
Can I tell you about a different thing that I do with zucchini butter that I want Deb to try and evangelize the world because its the food that I invented that I’m most proud of? Maybe I love it as much as you love this spaghetti?
ZUCCHINI SANDWICHES.
Do this: make up a nice herby cream cheese. I like to add some lemon peel and garlic too. Schmear it on some ciabatta (preferably grilled first, of course.) Pile on zucchini butter. Maybe even wrap it in tinfoil to take on a picnic.
In my humble opinion, this is the best vegetarian summer sandwich that could ever exist. Everything can be made ahead, and in quantity. It uses up all your extra zucchini. And it surprises everyone with its profoundly satisfying deliciousness.
That sounds amazing. And, uh, I completely forgot I did a Zucchini Grilled Cheese a few years ago (so, so good).
Made this tonight and it was super tasty! Could be topped with grilled shrimp or chicken for those who like that kind of thing.
This pasta shouldn’t even be legal! It is amazing. The flavors make me smile.
I love you Deb ❤️ Made this pasta tonight, Daddy had a sailing club board meeting, the kids snuck out to the pool, I obsessively read and re-read your instructions (…time went by 🥱) people finished said zoom meetings and hungry sub-adults filed in telling me it smelled great, okay 👍🏼 got a few pre-dinner hugs as bonuses too! I told the fam as I served it up in bowls that I hadn’t planned on making dinner alone, it would’ve been more glorious with some steamed vegetables (imho) but no one complained and every strand was devoured! ❤️ Heartfelt gratitude
Made this tonight and my family told me how much they love me! We added pine nuts on top. So good! Thank you.
Made this last night for dinner — wow was this fantastic! My only slight change was to add the zest and juice of 1/2 lemon because chili pepper + garlic + lemon = life. Served some Caesar salad-style green beans alongside and it was an amazing Meatless Monday meal. Thanks for another great recipe to add to my rotation Deb!
I made this a few nights ago and it was delicious! Every recipe of yours I’ve made is always great and I’ve made a lot!!
Oh gosh, oh gosh, I thought I would give this a go after reading it on Monday, as I had all the ingredients on hand. What a winner! So much more delicious than I imagined – thank you!
I am persuaded to give this a try. I am influenced by your videos, which convey your homely and warm personality. Thank you for all the work you have done and the pleasure it has brought over so many years.
I first saw this recipe 3 days ago and have been eager to prepare it. It was delicious as is, but I happened to have some baked chicken breast which I threw on at the end along with a couple of tablespoons of pumpkin seed pest.
Thanks for this recipe. Bon Appetit!
Delicious, quick, and easy dinner! Stirred in some halved cherry tomatoes at the end, cuz I had them, and I didn’t regret it. Thanks for a great recipe!
Wow! This was dead easy and so delicious. My husband took one bite and said, “that’s a keeper!”
I made this last night, and thought it was great. My husband, who doesn’t usually go for even minor changes in an established and predictable recipe, liked it too. Next time I will try a smaller grate on the zucchini, which were slow to become a mush.
Made this last night and even my son who “hates” zucchini loved it! Had leftovers for lunch topped with a poached egg. Yum!
Swooning! Made as written except subbed 2 T olive oil for 2 T of the butter. This is seriously delicious. Maybe my husband would even try it :)
I have very fond memories of growing up eating zucchini + butter + garlic + lots of dill in Turkey. I never thought to cook it down into pasta sauce before, but I’m def trying it this summer!
Wait a sec. . .at the risk of embarrassing myself because I’m still cooking something from, uh, (checks archives) 13 years ago. . .you’ve posted this recipe before! Well, basically this recipe. The only major difference is olive oil vs butter, and the first inspiration was Michael Chiarello instead of Julia Child. :) I’ve made that recipe once a summer or so, ever since you first posted it in 2008, and I still love it! Does that make me an internet dinosaur? Here’s your original, maybe you’ve forgotten about it, and invented the same great recipe twice? Haha! https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/06/zucchini-strand-spaghetti/
I have made a zucchini spaghetti before but that one is different (and so fussy, as my 2008 lifetstyle allowed). First you have to julienne zucchini the long way. Then you have to steam it. Then you make a garlic basil olive oil sauce. You’re also supposed to make a separate basil oil. It’s delicious but so cheffy; I am seriously impressed (and thrilled) you still make it!
This one is butter-based, zoodle-free, no side oils, and has no overarching pesto flavor, just some fresh basil leaves.
This was so good. I had Ronde de Nice squash, so just sliced it really thin. It still got lovely soft, almost dissolving into the spaghetti. Thanks again for an easy, tasty dinner.
So excited to be making this otnight. Do you think this will be as successful doubling the recipe?
Yes!
Is there a step involving a Cuisinart that’s not listed in the recipe? I noticed the picture of one, and wondered if my zucchini butter would’ve gotten more “spreadable” if I’d used mine. Still delicious, just a different texture than described.
No, it softens a lot but it won’t be totally smooth.
Ok Deb. I have made your recipes for years. The burst tomato galette is a family staple. But this is pretty divine. Thank you.
Also – made with bucatini and i thought that was a pretty perfect pasta for the dish.
I would make this again- however I will say that I forgot the basil and added maybe a tad too much pasta water to loosen my noodles, so it didn’t taste to me as great as it could. BUT my 5 yr old ATE IT UP, enjoyably! “Hidden” veggies for the win!
I made this over the weekend for a large group (some who are not zucchini lovers, including my husband who was somewhat skeptical when I told him what i was making) and it was an absolute hit. It tastes just like shrimp scampi but without the shrimp, of course. would actually he great with shrimp, but totally unnecessary. Goes beautifully with a good white or rose. And it heated up wonderfully the next day. I will make this again and again. And again.
This is great!! Our three year old loved it, too!
We had a knob of 4Tbl of butter and I didn’t feel like opening a new package, so that’s all I used abs it seemed like plenty. I’ll definitely be making again!
This is also delicious with halved brussel sprouts , small penne rigate and Asiago. My husband and I cleaned the pan! Sticking this recipe in my back pocket 😋
This was delicious!! The garlic adds such a nice zip! I made mine with a combination of zucchini and yellow squash because I have a plethora I am trying to work through from my CSA box. Thanks for the great recipe, Deb and for all of the inspiration you have given me over the past years!! I’m thankful for how you have encouraged me in the kitchen.
This made a such a nice summery mealI used whole wheat spaghetti and olive oil instead of butter.
This dish does not disappoint! So delicious and a great way to use the abundant zucchini & yellow squash from our summer garden. The only sound heard during dinner: “mmmmmmmmmmmmmm” – will be making this on repeat all summer and might have garden tomatoes on the side when they’re ready. Thanks, Deb!!
Well this is heaven in a pan! I used the zucchini butter as a pizza “sauce” instead and it was bomb! As always, another delicious recipe :)
Check out Deb’s zucchini pizza recipe, if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s one of my zucchini staples and so easy.
I just did the same. It was amazing! We made 4 different pizzas and that one was my absolute favorite! I used a little milk instead of the pasta water.
I’ve never been let down by a SK recipe, but this was amazing. So, so much more than the sum of its parts. One of the best things I’ve made/eaten this whole pandemic/plus.
I didn’t have basil, my garlic cloves were tiny so I used a ton of them, and I may have added a smidge more butter. will absolutely make this again.
I made this tonight! It could easily be called Gribch pasta, it is GREEN! I added patti pans as well as I didn’t have the required amount of zucchinis (hey, if the supermarket sells them together, why not?!).
Delicious. Perfect for 3 hungry humans with no leftovers.
Will deffo make again!
Your comments on this one are my favorite. Love this site so much.
This was a winner with my not-fond-of-zucchini husband — great gateway dish! Thank you!
I made this dish following the recipe faithfully. While good, I think it would be much better with the zucchini being doubled.
Could you use other summer squash varieties? I got a mix in my crop share.
Absolutely.
Just. Wow.
As completely wonderful as it reads.
In total heaven after this fabulous lunch. Many, many thanks.
Hi Deb, this looks wonderful and I can’t wait to try it, but I’m going to hark back with a question that dates to 2015 and your entry on Julia Child’s Zucchini, Rice and Cheese Gratin. The instructions for this pasta say to cook the zucchini until it releases liquid and then the liquid evaporates, and then later to add pasta water. Couldn’t you just stop when the zucchini releases liquid, and skip adding pasta water? I hope this makes sense – I remember the Julia child recipe and how you came up with an alternative method that skipped a few steps and thought that might work here. Thank you
Yes, I was waiting for this question. I don’t think you should. Cooking off the zucchini juices concentrates it and allows the zucchini itself to get tender and really buttery. If you add the pasta at this point, it tastes more like sautéed zucchini strands with no rich concentration. [You can tell I’ve done it!]
This was amazing!! I used a bunch of my CSA haul, and it was a truly blissful dinner.
Made it last night for dinner. Followed recipe exactly. Absolutely delicious! I wanted to lick the bowl. Thanks for including the weight for the zucchini and,yes, great to not have to do the towel wring out like most shredded zucchini recipes!
I made this with yellow summer squash and a shaped pasta rather than spaghetti. It looked and tasted like Mac and cheese! Loved it!
This was, as my husband said, “stupid good”. It was creamy like a carbonara but quite light. I found I needed the full cup of pasta water because I boiled my spaghetti in a shallow pan so it was quite starchy. I might up the chilli flakes to a half teaspoon next time because we like it spicy. Definitely will make again, all summer long.
Why is summer so far away?? This is totally up my alley in terms of tastes and texture – just have to wait 6 months for the zucchini!
This looks lovely and I’m so looking forward to making (eating!) it soon. I’m also *loving* the YouTube videos and am super excited for more! (That one-pan farro dish is SO! GOOD!) Non-food question for you: any chance you’d share what tools/products/process you use to curl your hair in the videos? It looks great and I’ve never been able to figure it out for myself.
Wow, thank you! Depending on the video, I might have had a blow-out but I actually don’t use product, or not 80% of the time. If I do, it’s either heat protector before drying it or something for shine (at the ends, where I have frayed highlights growing out).
I made this and found it was similar to an Italian dish – pasta nerano, without having to fry the zucchini (huge time saver). I liked the simplicity of the dish. I cut the butter to 4 TBL and subbed in 2 TBL of EVOO and still found it a bit rich. I think I will try 50/50 next time. Still worth keeping in the recipe rotation. Thanks.
Wow, wow, wow, this was so good (and easy), but Deb is a much more dainty eater than I. I doubled the recipe, and it served 4 adults for lunch. Awesome side benefit was the steamy zucchini, garlic, butter facial I got when I had to peek into the pan to make sure the zucchini wasn’t browning.
Yum! About a minute after adding the pasta to the zucchini pan, I stirred in an egg, carbonara style, which helped it feel more like a meal to me. Also, it was one of the rare times that using a hand grater felt easier than pulling out the Cuisinart (for those who were wondering). Thanks for another tasty pasta recipe! (Your canned tomatoes and butter sauce recipe is now the only way I want to make tomato sauce, even after living in Italy!)
Having planted too many zucchini this year, I’m oppressed by its damp sliminess. This dish, too, is damp and slimy thanks to the zucchini. But, tastes good.
Just tried this – it was absolutely amazing! Didn’t have red peppers so used a small shake of dried chilli’s instead. Will definitely make again and will make sure I have some Basil next time too. Thanks for sharing.
Do you think this would also work with marrow? I went to the market for zucchini specifically with this recipe in mind and they were out! Fingers crossed because it’s what I really want for dinner tonight…
Update: marrow was also delicious!
This looks absolutely delicious. My brother-in-law has MS and eating spaghetti is difficult for him. Do you think it would work work with a short pasta which would be easier for him to manage? I’m making chicken marsala … what do you think? I need your brain!!!!
Of course! It would be great with orzo, orecchiette, etc.
I made this for myself tonight along as a test run since I plan to make it again over the weekend to share with family. The only thing I might do differently is lessen the amount of butter and substitute olive oil in it’s place (because I love the taste of olive oil). This was ABSOLUTELY FRIGGIN AMAZING DEB! There is NOTHING that compares to the aroma of garlic sautéing in butter or olive oil and I’m a zucchini freak (and a spaghetti freak as well)! I used a box grater and it took no time whatsoever to shred the zucchini by hand. I’ve already sent 7 friends who have copious amounts of zucchini growing in their garden a link to the recipe and one of them made it tonight for his wife and grandson and called to tell me “MIKEY LIKED IT” LOL. GREAT recipe Deb. Thanks for posting it!
Thanks Deb! I picked up orecchiette today. And, I made this tonight as a test run for myself and…OMG woman, you outdid yourself! I’d like to tell you that I didn’t finish the entire 1/2 pound of pasta but….well….let’s just say, there are some leftovers in the fridge but I suspect they’ll call my name at 3:30AM! LOL
Love, love, love!! I’ve made this twice in one week! Thank you for sharing this gem!
I can’t tell you how happy I am you posted this recipe! We are getting 2-3 zucchini a day and this is amazing. Now zucchini quesadillas have a competitor. 😊
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Definitely making it again this summer!
Made this last night doubled for a full pound of pasta, and everyone loved it! Made just as written, with the addition of lemon zest. A really great way to use up garden zucchini!
This was excellent!! I drove an hour away to a farm to pick more fresh zucchini just so I can make it again this week! Extremely easy to
follow and produced super restaurant quality flavor. Thank you!
This was delicious! I was a bit short on basil so I subbed in a bit of fresh mint but was afraid to add too much mint to the flavor profile. I liked the bit of mint, but thought it need more basil/mint than I used. Long story short, don’t skimp on the basil.
Heckin’ YUM! Phew. Made this incredible dish in today’s episode of: waging an edible war on my garden zucchini. I used a nice quality orecchiette and added an ear of fresh sweet corn and a big handful of garden cherry tomatoes sliced in half right before I added the reserved pasta water. Holy moly! The crunch from the sweet corn was an excellent texture and the tomatoes really made it feel like summer. Lots of fresh ground black pepper added a bit of extra lingering warm spice. The whole bowl was amazing to the last drop and I’m so happy to have a new way to keep up with the never ending abundance from our garden!
This is amazing if you also cook spinach balls a la Carluccio’s. You mix squeezed out spinach, breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic clove, an egg and a LITTLE bit of nutmeg into walnut-sized balls and fry them in oil. Scrumptious!
i see what you did there, song ;)
I almost never comment, but I NEED people to know how good this is! I made this for dinner last night and still can’t stop thinking about it. Who knew zucchini could be cooked down into a sauce?? It was a perfect weeknight dinner!
Any ideas for meat to add to this? Maybe meatballs? Suggested recipes?
We’ve had grilled sausage on the side before.
Once again Deb makes a perfect, simple, recipe and I think, hmmm this is amazing but I should definitely add lemon and also this would be great with some crunchy cannellini beans.
Well, only in the Smitten Kitchen is “pasta with green goo” suddenly the only thing I want to eat this summer! (Not yours, Deb. Yours is lovely. Mine is green goo.) I substituted cavatappi and goat cheese for the spaghetti and parmesan and it turned out delicious. Keep a close eye on the zucchini butter for the last few minutes of cooking – at least for me, it seemed like the water would never evaporate and then all of a sudden the bottom was brown. Next time I will probably use a bit less butter and add some olive oil but I have absolutely no complaints about the buttery version!
That was fabulous. I finished it by placing a whole burratta on each serving, Also had heirloom tomatoes marinating in olive oil and basil that we put on top. But the zucchini butter….that is a brilliant idea!
Just what I was hankering for. It’s delicious!! I did add a fair amount of fresh lemon juice as we felt it needed the acidity. Will definitely be making it again.
I’m planning to make this to use up the roughly 40 tons of zucchini we have… question tho, the pic above looks like zoodles zucchini, rather than a course grate. Can anyone clarify?
Nevermind, lol. I read more closely. This is not zucchini as a pasta substitute, it’s pasta with a zucchini sauce. Thank you!
Excellent recipe! We added a ball of room temperature burrata on top and WOW!
We’re entering into the being-overrun-with-zucchini stage of the summer garden, so I made this last night. I doubled the recipe because we have two teenage boys — and good thing I did as they devoured it. Huge hit!
Deb, this is simply a stroke of genius! So simple yet delicious and unique.
Awesome!!
Can I make the zucchini butter today and cook it into the pasta tomorrow?
Yes
I made it tonite….yes the kitchen smelled fantastic. My husband and I ate it and enjoyed every forkful.
This is so flavorful! I didn’t have fresh cheese or basil and used Parmesan/pecorino blend from Kraft and dried basil and it was still great!! Definitely adding to the rotation!
Sooo good. That pile of Zucchini will have another dent taken out. Made it as per directions (except added shrimp) for kids and people who have “texture issues” and they ate it up. For my taste I would have added more red pepper but 4 big garlic cloves were not overpowering. Chenin Blanc was our wine to pair.
Great recipe! I’m signing up for more!
OMG. This was a-mazing. Like, my wife went back for THIRDS amazing.
This was just what I needed for a not-too-complicated meal on a summer night where I’m tired from work. Delicious..
You did it again! This came together delicious, sweet and easy for a summer din at a time when I’m ten hours jet lagged and pregnant with three kids to feed. Super pickiest kiddo even ate a portion which is like Everest. The other kids loved it too. Will def make again and not change a thing. Thank you!!! Keep up the humane, mom friendly, one pan/dish wonders please!!
This is delicious on its own, but you could add grilled sausages, or shrimp, or meatballs if desired. It’s makes a light evening supper without the addition of other proteins. Great way to use summer zucchini!
I added 4 ounces of goat cheese I needed to use to the zucchini and extra pasta water to thin it out a bit. Worked well :)
Terrific and easy dish. Used potato masher to break up grated zucchini. Served with fresh, homemade egg pasta. Delish.
This was delicious and packs a serious garlicky punch! I made it with whole wheat spaghetti and marinated tomatoes on the side. I couldn’t get my pasta to incorporate nicely into the zucchini butter at the end no matter how much I stirred, so my final product didn’t look very pretty, but who cares when it tastes this good. I’m doubling this recipe next time so we have leftovers.
This was AMAZING! I actually made the zucchini butter the night before and refrigerated it. So quick and easy to put together the next day with that part done! I cut thin half moons of zucchini and yellow squash as I prefer cutting to grating and it was perfect. A keeper for sure!!
This was soooooo good! It just bumped zucchini cakes out of my #1 spot!
Yumm, I just finished eating this delicious dish. I highly recommend making it. Really, really good.
Yummy! Everyone loved it.
Made this today and it turned out AMAZING ! Thanks for sharing!
Omg this was so freaking good!! I made it with whole wheat spaghetti soi would feel less guilty 🤣😂. We will make this again for sure
Found this today. Made this today. Loved this today! Thank you!
love!!! We’ve made this as is, we’ve also done it with hearts of palm “noodles” for low carb, and we’ve done it with added sautéed shrimp and crab claw meat. It’s always a hit!!
This was soooooo yummy! Followed the recipe exactly (as I always do the first time I try a new recipe) and, WOW! I absolutely love that there are so few ingredients and it’s so simple. Definitely adding this one to my summertime rotation. Now back to sipping a little chardonnay and licking my plate clean on a lounger in the backyard… Cheers, and thank you for this delicious meal!
Wanted to let anyone else thinking of doing so that I cut the butter in half and it was still plenty buttery. (On the other hand, having now read all these rave reviews, I’m thinking I may need to make the full-fat version one of these days!)
Same for me, it was delicious even with 2T butter. Can’t wait to make it again!
I haven’t tried this yet, but am I the only one who thinks that eating 3 tablespoons of butter in one serving is very unhealthy? Would this receive work with less fat?
Made half the recipe last night for husband and I and enjoyed it very much. I did add some lemon zest and splash of lemon juice just before adding the pasta water. It brightened the dish right up and I do recommend it. Next time I will top the dish off with some crispy bread crumbs to add a bit more texture, too.
It’s high season for both tomatoes and zucchini. Neighborhood gardens are in full swing and the inundation has begun. Recently I found myself waist deep in beautiful, fresh tomatoes and zucchini and yellow squash. I was on the horns of a dilemma – Michael Ruhlman’s Pasta with Tomato Water or Deb’s Zucchini Butter Pasta? What to do? How to choose? Then the simple answer struck me, duh, both. Neither recipe is complex and they combine beautifully leaving me with more good stuff to mix into my pasta. The only modification I made was to omit the garlic from one recipe. Thank you for years of inspiration and great recipes and enjoyment from your beautiful wit and writing.
Added a couple of shredded mushrooms with the zucchini. No garlic, no cheese, just butter, salt and pepper. The umami was out of this world. Put it on top of rice instead of pasta. So, so good!
Wowsa. This is absolutely a keeper. Used chickpea spaghetti which broke more easily than semolina, I presume. Don’t panic when the noodles are stuck together, they come right apart in the pan pulling with two forks. Used 3 clove garlic and romano because it’s what I had. I will definitely make this again. Thank you, Deb! You were not wrong with the garlic to butter aroma.
How much salt?
Finally got some ripe zucchini in my New Hampshire garden and made this tonight. As legitimately delicious as promised. Made exactly as written. Next time I will make even more sauce as we were licking our bowls! What a great “meatless” alternative. Am joining the ranks of those who highly recommend this dish.
My younger daughter hates zucchini intensely and I knew it wouldn’t be worth the inevitable meltdown if I made this and tried to convince her to eat it. Thankfully this week she is with her grandparents out of state so I made this for my husband and me. Delicious!
I am amending my previous comment. I decided to make this for dinner tonight, younger daughter notwithstanding (she could eat leftovers). I made it. She thought it smelled delicious while it was cooking (I mean, duh!). Then she asked for a bite. Then she ATE IT AND BEGGED ME TO MAKE IT AGAIN!
Deb, I could cry I’m so thankful for your recipes—I’ve been in a deep food depression due to long COVID parosmia; garlic, onion, and way too many other staple foods now smell and taste so upsettingly bad, and I’ve been desperately looking for recipes that are not only ‘safe’ parosmia-wise, but that also a.) are veggie-forward and b.) feel like complete meals. Omitting the garlic here made me sad, but even without it this was SO DELICIOUS. Thank you so much for sharing recipes that are so tasty, customizable, and vibrant. I feel like this one gave me a little of my kitchen confidence back.
This is super great. I made extra zucchini stuff and saved it before adding the pasta, park, and basil, and I’ve been eating it on grilled bread, just putting a heavy handful of grated parm on top, sticking it under the boiler for a minute, and then sprinkling (covering) it with chopped basil. Adding it to my “Zucchini recipes from Deb that I have to make all summer” list!
Can this be frozen?
I haven’t tried to, but would expect the zucchini butter sauce to freeze well.
Yes! I make huge batches when the garden gets out of control, and freeze it in meal-sized portion (sauce only, not with the pasta).
I made this last night and it was delicious. I substituted leeks for the garlic because my husband doesn’t eat garlic. I would definitely make it again!
Not as good as I’d hoped, but that’s my fault – I had less zucchini than I realized, and pecorino instead of parmesan (and I’m not the biggest pecorino fan). I’ll definitely make this again, probably with extra zucchini, and a good parm, and I like the previous commenters’ idea for adding lemon.
My toddlers loved it, though!
This was so incredible. So easy and actually pretty fast. With a food processor and garlic press, it was mostly just stirring and boiling water! I sautéed some shrimp in garlic/butter/squeeze of lemon and added to bowl when serving. Will make again!
Yum, yum, yum!!!! I wanted to use up a box of spaghetti so I cooked about 9 ounces. The downside was that there wasn’t as much sauce as I would have liked; upside, is that I’m having a lovely lunch with leftovers. I added poached shrimp which added a protein boost but it would have been fabulous without. Definitely a keeper and a great way to use the bumper crop of zucchini which marks this time of year.
Simply great. Have made it twice already. The second time I used even more garlic and I added Garlic Gold: Toasted Garlic Nuggets toward the end of cooking. My garden is bursting with zucchini and basil. It’s gonna happen again soon.
Sooooo easy and so delicious! I used a summer squash and a fairly large zucchini (thank you for including the weight for the squash, so hard to cook with a notation like 1 zucchini when they vary so much in size). Also I substituted 2 tablespoons of olive oil for some of the butter due to watching cholesterol, but still felt it was luxuriously delicious.
Haing a garden and making my fill of chocolate zucchini cake, zucchini relish, sauted zucchini, I am in love with the Zucchini butter spaghetti. We eat vegetarian 5 out of 7 nights, not a zealot, just that a plant based diet makes sense when you have a big garden, not to mention easy on the pocketbook.
Thanks for the heads up on the recipe. It has become a favorite go to meal.
I am grateful.
Just made this for my family. Everyone – from picky toddler and newish to food infant to hungry husband – LOVED it. I mean, when a toddler asks for more (we’re at thirds), you know you have a winner on your hands. Thanks Deb!!!
This dish was crazy delicious and easy!!!
The first zucchini recipe where my kids went back for seconds! I doubled it and used half zucchini, half summer squash. It was delicious!
Delicious! I followed the recipe just about exactly (and used homegrown zucchini, basil and garlic.) Next time I’d up my zucchini to pasta ratio since the sauce was delicious.
I’m not a huge fan of zucchini but for some reason this recipe called my name (maybe butter? Garlic?)! And I’m so happy it did – I thought it was simple and absolutely lip-smacking delicious! Using the salted pasta water was all the seasoning it needed besides a little pepper to finish. Tomorrow, your raspberry breakfast bars with farmers market berries! Haven’t had a recipe from you I didn’t love.
I saved this a week ago and waited for the right night to make. However, as I went to make it, I realized making the pasta first leaves the pasta to get cold. So I waited. Although I have saved pasta water before, I think I’ve had this problem before: once again, the water in the cup fell over and I lost most of it down the drain. So – despite the dish coming out great, I would recommend: 1: integrating the boiling of the pasta into somewhere after the beginning, and some measure to keep it warm. 2: And assuring the saved pasta water, since the dish needs the extra moisture.
Ok, this was amazing. I was a little skeptical that a pasta made from so much zucchini could be this good, but I’m so glad I tried it. Totally a recipe where the sum is greater than its parts.
So good!! Thank you for the simple and delicious recipe. It will be in my regular rotation during squash season.
I gave my zucchini-hating seven-year-old a small dollop of this, saying, “Just try it, you don’t have to eat it.” He tried some and said, “I actually like this!” and gave himself two more (large) servings (while my eleven-year-old gourmand swooned over how good it was). At bedtime, the little guy asked, “Could you please make that spaghetti again? I just loved it!” This has never happened before, having a request for supper the night before. Three stars from the child Michelin guide.
Made this tonight for my husband and mom. It was DELISH! We did add halved heirloom cherry tomatoes, corn cut off the cob, and some grilled garlic and gruyere chicken sausages (Aidells brand) to make it a full meal for the meat lover in the household. It got RAVE reviews! I doubled the zucchini butter recipe (used 10T butter, 2T olive oil). My mom eats GF so we cooked half GF Jovial pasta and half gluten-filled fresh pasta and just served up the zucchini butter on our own helpings, instead of mixing the pasta into the butter. Used the GF pasta’s water (only needed 1C total for a doubled recipe) to mix in and thin the zucchini butter which worked wonderfully. Would absolutely make this again! To top it all off, when the garlic hit the butter I did indeed get “yum that smells so good” from both the husband and my mom! Winner winner zucchini dinner!
This is a wonderful, delicious way to use up zucchini (currently in explosion mode in all gardens). Deb, do you think this sauce would freeze well? My thought would be to freeze the mix without the pasta water. Thaw, heat, and add pasta water after pasta has cooked. Thoughts?
Yes, I’d freeze it without the pasta water.
This was really good once I realized that I was eating pasta with a garlic zucchini butter sauce rather than crunchy zucchini sitting on top of pasta. I will definitely make it again.
This was outstanding. So easy too. Thanks, Deb.
Hi, loved this! Just checking, when you said it serves two people you meant two,different people and not just me going back and serving mysel pu two times,right? 😜 totally delicious!
Yes! Delicious. For one person, I used about a cup or so of shredded zukes, followed the recipe pretty well with the exception of adding about a quarter cup chunked up cherry tomatoes that were languishing in my kitchen. Added them at the very end so they just got heated. The zucchini turns into this soft saucy thing and with the cheese….. it was amazing. Don’t leave out the red pepper flakes, and add enough salt. You won’t be disappointed.
I had a handful of grape tomatoes that I meant to throw on top, but I forgot!
It was delicious and so easy to throw together from summer ingredients on hand!
Made it last night for a salad/seasonal veggie supper at my home. Served at room temperature. Everyone wanted the recipe.
Oh, my goodness is this so good! I doubled the recipe using yellow and green squash without a problem. I wanted leftovers! This recipe is a great dish to serve as a side with grilled seafood for a crowd!
I made this with angel hair (as it was what I had on hand) and it was delicious! I think spaghetti or a thicker pasta would be better because the cook times (initial and with zucchini) are easier to manage, but would definitely make again as pasta.
In the mean time I made just the sauce to use over grilled vegetables (added of olive oil and lemon to make it a looser sauce) as a way to use tons of zucchini–highly recommend!
We made this recipe today as written except to substitute sachetti (little purses) for the pasta which worked great, by the way. It cannot be exaggerated how delicious this simple recipe is. Will make often.
This dish was amazing! We gobbled it up. We’ll definitely make it again.
This is SO GOOD. I used GF macaroni and ricotta bc that was the only pasta/cheese I had on hand. The zucchini is the star! Between this and the Ultimate Zucchini Bread I am giving to all my neighbors, SK is really helping me out with my insane amount of garden zucchini. Thank you!
This is extraordinarily delicious. We double the recipe but use a total of 8TB butter. I also once used a small onion in place of the garlic (softened in the butter for 3-5 minutes) when there was, alas, no garlic in the house. We found it perfect both ways!
Holy deliciousness! I will be making this constantly throughout zucchini season. I used a full pound of pasta and approximately six medium sized zucchinis but kept everything else the same. Leftovers were delicious and helped along by the addition of a jammy boiled egg.
Has anyone tried this with frozen zucchini? I can only eat zucchini so many times in one week and the garden just keeps providing. I was thinking since the zucchini gets cooked down so much maybe I could shred the zucchini then freeze it and then I could have this pasta this winter.
I think it would work!
I made this last summer with fresh zucchini and loved it so much that I just experimented to see if it would also work with frozen zucchini spirals/noodles. I left the packet of zucchini in the fridge to defrost for ~7 hours, but it probably would have worked even straight from the freezer (might have just taken a little longer). The spirals didn’t melt into the butter quite as seamlessly as fresh grated zucchini, but they still cooked down and mixed quite nicely with the spaghetti.
As many others have mentioned, the perfect way to use up some of that zucchini in your garden! The perfect summer pasta – simple and satisfying without being heavy. I added some sautéed oyster/shitake mushrooms, which added great texture, and finished it off with a few squeezes of lemon. Thanks Deb!
The recipe sounds yummy even though I don’t care for zucchini. I’m a picky person and I do not like parmesan cheese. Is there another cheese that I can substitute. I’m trying to eat better abd change up recipes.
I tried it with carrots instead of zucchini, turned out great! I substituted the parmesan for this really nice cheese I found at a local store, the name escapes me…I think it was in a blue package, there may have been a picture of a sandwich on top? And it was pre-portioned, super convenient!
I love this…definitely my go to recipe when all my zuchis come in… Do you think it will freeze well when I need a taste of summer in February??
Wow!!! Just….wow!!!! I added some scallops which I pan-fried with a little garlic beforehand!!! Sooo good!!!
You saved me with this pasta. I know mine didn’t come out perfectly. But it was still delicious! Even my kid who only likes buttered noodles scarfed it down.
Thank you for saving me from the head hanging that comes from buying a week’s worth of groceries only to order takeout because I’m too tired to cook.
This will definitely be going into our regular rotation!
Just made this without garlic (allergy) and it was so good. I added some lemon zest+juice and dill because of a summer garden situation. Top five pasta dish. The zucchini becomes incredibly buttery. Loved it.
This is scrumptious! I forgot about some TJ’s ravioli that were already in the fridge and used them instead of spaghetti. I’d do it again with whatever pasta I had on hand, and was thinking it would also be delicious to toss in shrimp, clams or even fresh tomatoes at the end. It’s such a versatile recipe, don’t be afraid to experiment. Thanks again, Deb! Your recipes have never steered me wrong. 💗
This was delicious! Everything I hoped it would be. Light, easy and quick, and tastes like summer!
My backyard garden is zucchini heaven. When I saw your recipe I knew this recipe was a must do. And at this moment a local farm near has legendary corn in season. So, I took the liberty of cutting the kernels off a cob of Peaches and Cream corn. I added it in the final minutes to the zucchini sauce. That was a match made in heaven! Thanks for the inspiration.
I made this as directed, but used fusili instead of spaghetti. I didn’t have any parmesan or basil either, so substituted pesto. So yummy. It’s an easy, worknight go-to that uses up an abundant summer vegetable. Thanks for another winner, Deb.
I’d like to try this method of soaking up extra cooking liquid using semi-cooked pasta, but with a seafood base instead of vegetable. That would impart so much flavour.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit. At first the hubs was like ‘where’s the meat’. But it tasted soooo good – and I did use Barilla protein spaghetti – so he didn’t bring it up again. He just happily ate through 2 and a half servings. Excellent recipe, thank you for sharing.
I made a half portion of this and ate it all myself while my husband was out of town. It was incredible and I can’t wait to eat it again!!
I made this on Thursday and sent it to all my friends and family by Saturday. It was absolutely delicious and very easy to make!
I used about 2 lb of zucchini because that’s what I had. Smitten kitchen made it a joy to prepare this dish. I definitely give them and it five stars.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Really a great recipe! Thank you!
Thank you, this was absolutely delicious! So satisfying to use zucchini and basil fresh from the garden.
Do you have any suggestions for an accompanying protein?
I’ve made this 4 times in the last two weeks. I’ve used parsley instead of basil. I’ve thrown in roasted cherry tomatoes (Nigella’s Moon Blush method). I’ve added shredded sugar snaps. One time I couldn’t face shredding, so just chopped the zucchini finely and went with that, It’s made me happy every time. It’s such a great recipe. Thank you, Deb!
Made this last night and liked it very much. Light and summery. I used fresh pasta (from an Italian market—I didn’t make it myself). I cooked the zucchini first and just held on the stovetop, covered, then boiled the pasta and then combined them as indicated in the recipe. I think that sequence is better because the pasta risks getting overcooked or sticking together if it sits for any length of time, whereas the zucchini didn’t suffer from hanging out in the pan off heat. Abundant basil and Parmesan really make the dish, plus a grinding of black pepper. I did omit the red pepper flakes (not a fan of those), so maybe that’s why I found that the black pepper was needed at the end.
This was delicious, thank you for the recipe!
We made this, a little heavy on the zucchini, and topped it off with pine nuts at the end too. The whole family devoured it, definitely a keeper for us!
I just made this for dinner, my hubs ate half and then asked if there was any more. Success!
I was in a very CBA mood, so other than making the effort of grating zucchini I used garlic powder instead of mincing cloves and left out the cheese entirely as I was dealing with a toddler at the same time!
I might dial back the butter to 4tbsp next time, but I think that is just down to personal preference! Great recipe! Thanks Deb!
Omg it was sooooo good. I made it for myself and my one year old, but ended up inviting neighbors to eat too. Everyone loved it!
Yum!
I added a can of cannellini beans, drained and sauteed in a bit of olive oil for protein. Everyone loved it.
No joke, when I added the garlic to the butter, my teen’s head popped up and they said, “smells good! what’s for dinner?” just like in your article. too funny.
Delicious. I actually read the recipe wrong and used 750 grams of zucchini (!) but the final product was no worse for the wear. Also, I skipped the basil because I didn’t have any. I plan to put the leftovers into a pasta frittata!!
Just made this for lunch today (added a bit of onion) and oh my is it super delicious!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was incredibly delicious! Thanks so much for this recipe! Very happy to have another use for the abundance of zucchini this time of year.
I just made this for dinner after finding yet another surprise zucchini hiding amongst its neighboring plants, and oh my goodness, I never want to eat anything else again. This will be my go-to recipe for zucchini from now on! Thank you so much.
Delicious
How best to heat leftovers? Microwave or low slow on the stove? It was delicious!
I did it in the microwave.
I am recovering from an injury to my chopping hand, so I had to take a few shortcuts: pre-minced garlic and pre-grated parmesan. I grated the zucchini in the food processor, and I used whole wheat spaghetti because that’s what I had on hand. And it was divine. The perfect blend of rich and healthy, green and earthy. I will make this over and over again!
I made this this past weekend for a dinner party with friends. It is absolutely fantasticly delicious. Everyone loved it.
My kids ate every last scrap of this dish!!! They are zucchini haters unless it’s in bread form, so this was a huge success. I accidentally made the whole (16 oz) package of noodles. So next time (oh yes, there will be a next time), I’ll follow the recipe. I’m looking forward to a higher zucchini : noodle ratio.
oh my goodness, this is sooooo good!!! Thank youuuuuuu!!!!!
Will this work if the zucchini is on the larger side? I have two that got big while I was out of town!
Yes
I tried it and it worked out perfectly! Thank you so much, I’ll be making this all summer.
this was delicious.
Here’s how I scaled up: about 11-12 oz of whole wheat spaghetti, doubled the zucchini, used 1 stick butter, about a teaspoon or slightly more of red chilli flakes. I dumped all zucchini at one go and ended up using all the pasta water.
this will be made again and again each time the summer squash are us season arrives!
Fantastic! I will make this again and again! I did make a couple of adjustments such as using half butter and half evoo (in an effort to make it a smidge healthier). Also, it was pouring raining and I didn’t want to go outside to clip my basil so I used some homemade pesto I had in the fridge.
My 7yo avowed zucchini hater renamed this “The Delicious Spaghetti” and ate with gusto (rather than the usual gagging after being cajoled into a bite of zucchini anything)! I used whole wheat capellini, 4 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and added 1 Tbsp basil pesto and leftover grilled chicken breast. My zucchini were a bit under 1.25 lbs so I sautéed about 1/4 cup sliced leeks with the zucchini and they melted into the sauce beautifully. Thank you Deb for another genius recipe – easy, healthy, quick, delicious and adaptable. (p.s. I just had the leftovers for lunch and it reheats beautifully at 50% power in the microwave)
What a tribute to zucchini!, i served this with rotini and the stuffs fills the crevices wonderfully.
oh wow i lost my recipe and made this with grated shallot and onions, which changes the flavor considerably, making this sweeter. your recipe was great as it was. i even turned roasted, salted pistachio nuts into dust, which added nothing either! so glad i found this again.
simple, great as is!
This was amazing! The manly “must have meat with every meal” eater added shrimp to his portion but it really didn’t need it. So simple and so delicious.
This sums up everything I love about Deb’s recipes – simple, unfussy ingredients and methods that transform into something sensational. This dish will go into my summer favorites forevermore. Thanks Deb!
Yum! Every plate was clean. I think I had too much spaghetti so the sauce felt a bit light but the flavor was delicious and it was delicious with grilled chicken. I added extra chili flakes for my Mum and in honor of Deb who sometimes reins it in for a&j. Thanks for another delicious dinner, Deb!!
I love this recipe! Thank you!! Fast and so delicious. The whole family loves this. Perfect for all the produce coming out of the garden
I thought it was a little on the salty side and that there wasn’t enough zucchini so next time I will double the amount of zucchini and cut back on the salt by about half.
Otherwise, this was super tasty and super easy to make! I really liked the creaminess of the dish, too.
Oh my goodnesss-literally! We made this last night, with yellow summer squash cuz that’s what we had and it was fabulous! We’ll be making it often since we seem to have over planted the summer squash!
This recipe is/was EXCELLENT!!! I used Asiago and Parmesan cheese and it gave the flavor a bit of extra “zing”. I will be making this recipe and sharing it with my friends when they want to include more veges in their diet. Simple, easy and tasty.
Wow, THIS PASTA IS OUTRAGEOUS. Another amazing recipe to add into the rotation! I doubled the amount and was so glad I did, because my husband shoveled it in like it was his last meal on Earth. There was a small amount of the sauce left behind in the pan when we were done, and we used it to slather on some toasted baguette and it was out-of-this-world. Could make a great base for a bruschetta appetizer. Thanks Deb!
I made this tonight and it was fabulous. It got rave reviews from all at the table. We will for sure be making this again.
I just made this for lunch, and was gloating because I would get it all to myself. My zucchini-hating husband came down from his office, asked what it was, tried it, and took a plate for himself!!! Deb got him to eat tofu, and now zucchini. I guess I will break out more of Deb’s veggie recipes from the cookbooks. Thanks for another great one!
I added a bit of lemon zest and topped this with toasted bread crumbs and loved the end result. Imagine there are a million simple modifications to this recipe that personalize it.
I made this tonight. Delicious! Even the vegetacle-hating husband liked it!
This is fabulous. The store was out of parmesan so I bought pecorino. Fabulous.
I am SO delighted to find a recipe that specifies the weight of zucchini rather than saying something like “two medium zucchini.” Does medium mean the size of your arm when you’ve just found one hiding in your garden that is the size of your leg? Thank you Deb – I appreciate your accuracy!
So. Flippin’. Good!
I just finished eating this for dinner and it was so good I felt compelled to leave a comment! It was fabulous, my new favorite summer meal and definitely one of the best zucchini dishes I’ve cooked. I served it with a wedge of lemon for a sprinkle of lemon juice but without the lemon it was still amazing.
Sooooo delicious!
Chickened out and used half olive oil and half butter. Just me eating it! Addictive!
This gave me a wave of nostalgia because looks so much like a favorite recipe from Emma Lee Chapman’s long-out-of-print Fifteen Minute Meals, which was my cooking bible when I was in college in the ’80s.
Her version uses all olive oil (have to admit, butter sounds better) and no red pepper flakes.She starts with strips of fresh red peppers warmed in the pan before adding the zucchini, but since I hate red peppers, I never tried that.
To quote my husband: “Mmmm…it smells garlicky.”
Big hit with the 12-year-old, too (and the 14-year-old who doesn’t love pasta).
This dish is so simple and delicious! I know it is going to be a regular! What a great way to use the bounty of zucchini! Hard to believe there is a huge zucchini in this dish. I made a little tomato and onion salad to go with it. So perfect! So summery! Thank you for a great recipe!
Another winner by Deb! I’m a recent new mom and this was easy to throw together, esp using the food processor for the zucchini. I didn’t taste much basil so if you dont have it, I wouldnt fret too much.
Made this today for the third time. Halving the recipe and finally got the salt almost under control. For this version, I used all the ingredients, plus an envelope of olive oil packed tuna added off heat, and squeezed half a lemon over the whole thing. Delicious.
I added a squeeze of lemon at the end and mixed in some roasted tomatoes for a pop of flavor. Delicious!
Making this tonight and I am stoked! Looking thru all the great comments to see if anyone else thought of melting a few anchovies in the butter…if so, how was it?
This is so delicious and easy! Even my kids, who usually dislike zucchini, asked for seconds :). Thank you!!
Mine, too! Such a pleasant surprise!
I hate zucchini and I loved this!!! It worked even with some squash that was quasi frozen from my poorly calibrated fridge. And worked with all sorts of summer squash. Will make again and again.
This was…. insanely good. Followed the instructions to a T and used grass-fed butter. Paired it with a NY strip steak to make a complete meal.
If you’re on the fence about making this, JUST DO IT!
Wow! So good. I made minor mods…I also did a 50/50 split with butter and really good EVOO. I threw on a couple of anchovy fillets and about a TBS of tomato paste into the butter and oil. At the end I squeezed in half a lemon. We devoured it. It’s in the regular summer rotation!
I just made this tasty, fragrant pasta. The only change I made was to add a couple of handfuls of baby spinach with the half cup of pasta water to up the veggie content. This recipe goes into my favorites file!
Both of my kiddos (ages 6 and 2) asked for seconds, which basically ranks this up there with pizza and hamburgers. 😆 Excellent recipe for my zucchini pile, too! Thank you!
This is just to say that my 2 (who won’t eat anything green) & 4 year old ate three servings of this last night abs asked to have it again this evening. It’s really good!
Cut back to 6 oz pasta, still a good size 2 servings for us. Reduced butter to 3 Tlb but added a small slosh of cream left over from another recipe in the finishing so no healthy points for me on that! After weeks of zoodles this was a nice switch up,
This is such a good recipe! It is such a winner. I could just eat it alone for dinner, but want to have a protein and salad with it for guests one day. I am not sure what sort of protein/meat would go well, besides meatballs. Any idea?
Thanks
I would think that sauteed shrimp would be delicious in this recipe.
My toddler ate vegetables! Green vegetables! High fives all around. This was delicious. Also, a great way to use zucchini. It did take an extra 10 minutes of cooking to get properly smearable. Lots of depth of flavor, but next time I might add some grated gruyere and maybe breadcrumbs, and even increase the zucchini. Great recipe!
Made this tonight with 1 lb of bucatini and 1 lb of green beans and it was a hit! Stretching the sauce over more bulk helped get the zucchini-shy kids on board. I was going to add lemon zest because lemon+basil+garlic is my happy place but I forgot and I didn’t even miss it. Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow 😋
This is the first of your recipes I’ve made. It is wonderful yet easy to make. The garlic sauteed in butter is such a fragrant start to a recipe. And this is a great way to use that prolific summer vegetable, zucchini! Thank you!
This is one of those dishes that is so good that it could be on the menu at Lilia or Misi or Via Carota or one of my other favorite restaurants. I am absolutely astonished that I made it myself! Truth be told, I am rather meh about zucchini, so it’s really a testament to Deb and her recipe developing skills that I loved this so much.
I used fresh malfadine (a long, ruffle-edged noodle) from Eataly and it was out of this world.
This is a definite keeper! Hubs + I devoured this so quickly that we forgot to post a picture of the delicious results! So easy and soooooo tasty! Thinking we can make a fall/winter version with broccoli or cauliflower🤔
This is the most delicious use of zucchini! I have used zucchini in so many recipes (all good), but this is the the absolute best! So easy and quick to make – we could eat it every week! Prepared the recipe as written, with the exception of using 1/8 tsp of cayenne instead of the pepper flakes.
This was DELICIOUS. I added shallot because I didn’t have much garlic, and added sauteed broccoli stems because I needed to use them up. I also used maybe 4 tablespoons of butter and extra oil to lighten it up a little. It was SO good. This recipe makes me want to buy up more farmers market squash (instead of looking for ways to use up what I get in my farm share). 10/10 will make again!
This is incredible! Do yourself a favor and try it. My husband was skeptical, but loved it so much he asked me to make it once a week.
This is preposterously delicious. I doubled this for a family dinner tonight, and it was devoured. It’s a running joke in my family that if my dad has two servings of something, it’s “a keeper.” He had four helpings. FOUR.
Outstanding as always, Deb! Thank you!
This was delicious! I made it Greek by using dill in place of the basil and feta instead of Parm. YUM!
This was absolutely fabulous! So quick, so delicious, and a great way to use up those giant zucchinis!!!
Oh my goodness
Made this tonight, just delicious. Only had dried basil, still great.
Paired it with fish, made a nice meal
And it came together so quickly. I will be making this again
I made this exactly as written and it was great. I took a bite from the pan after dinner was over and it was even better. Sitting there for a few minutes in the pan seemed to make the sauce silkier.
Honestly, I think what I love best about the veggie-heavy recipes on this site is that there’s always a core technique, which is amazing, and then you can build/iterate on that. I made this today and the core technique of sauteing the grated zucchini in butter until the moisture cooks out – so good! I threw in a few diced garden tomatoes that had split in the rain alongside the zucchini, tossed in a few cups of brown lentils right at the end to make it a more well-rounded meal, and (I confess) used almost twice as much zucchini as the recipe called for, because it’s zucchini season in my garden and you know what that means. It turned out AMAZING. (I would say that the lentils make it slightly worse than it would be without them so I can’t recommend that move, per se, but they’re cheap protein and it’s not a huge detraction from the dish so I’ll probably do it again.) I free-styled on the seasoning quantities a bit to compensate for the extra volume (it also took longer to simmer off the liquid, which made sense) but otherwise stuck more or less to the recipe from there. I love recipes like this with room to play around!
I’ve made this twice. First time I forgot to save a cup of pasta water so used chicken bone broth. It was delicious. I made it for dinner tonight and topped it with roasted cherry tomatoes. It’s an incredible recipe! I’m smitten!
Long time reader, first time commenter – you inspired me big time for dinner tonight! I used this recipe AND your tried-and-true “beans as pasta” approach and made the zucchini butter with Rancho Gordo cassoulet beans tonight! It was delish – kids & grownups gobbled it up :) definitely recommend!!!
I just made this and it was seriously delicious. Very summery and I was surprised how much flavor the zucchini had at the end. Yum!
This is amazing! I made exactly as written and loved it, as did my family. Thank you for another delicious recipe, Deb!
So easy to make and really delicious. My husband, who is not a huge fan of zucchini, cleaned his plate and went back for more. WIN!
Made this tonight for dinner and possibly leftovers for lunch tomorrow- delicious!!! Sweaty over the stove in Hawaii with no tradewinds – perfect summer dish!
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I just tried this tonight but only had 2 small zucchini, so I added in three grated carrots too. The carrots didn’t break down quite as well as the zucchini so I had to cook it a little longer, but it was delicious nonetheless! I’m looking forward to repeating with more squash. My 3 yo and I both thank you for this one!
I made this exactly according to the recipe and it is wonderful! Thank you for another great dish. I have never been disappointed with your recipes.
I made this for the second time the other night, and this time dialed back the butter to 4tbsp, which to me made it perfect, but this is probably personal preference!
This recipe is so good, although I can’t get my kids to try anything green!
About 20 years ago I came across a recipe very close to this one (used spaghettini, but no basil because it was hard to get locally). This was my go-to summer dish any time I was too tired to make something fancier — and it’s so delicious! For me it’s also full of memories, summers lit with warm breezes and love. I will make your basil-y version tonight. Thank you!
This recipe is soooo good, thank you, Deb! We pimped IT with som pinenuts, it was great!
Made this and it was lovely. We got 4 hefty portions plus two dainty. It reminded me of watching Tucci’s segment about Capri and the fried sliced zucchini with pasta. They “forgot” to tell him about the butter …
This is a brilliant recipe – simple, elegant and it tastes sooo good! My hubby hates basil and he did not mind it in this at all. I can see myself making it on a regular rotation.
We just made this tonight and it was phenomenal!! We added some crispy prosciutto on top and maybe a bit too much red pepper flakes, but holy moly. 10/10 would make again.
I have made this recipe weekly since it was published. I rarely have leftovers but just happened to have a little bit leftover from yesterday’s dinner. I toasted a thick slice of bread, smeared it with the warmed zucchini, sprinkled on some shredded asiago and topped it with a poached egg. Showered the whole thing with fresh black pepper and a bit more salt. Breakfast nirvana!
Deb does it again!! This was mighty tasty!! Will absolutely work it into our rotation. I grated the zucchini the night before and they were perfect in the fridge for 24 hours. Also added some toasted bread crumbs for crunch. Not necessary, but we’re also tasty. Would highly recommend!!!
Fantastic recipe. I love getting a jammy situation going with vegetables, and this was great to do with zucchini. I subbed 6 T of olive oil instead of butter – worked beautiful and resulted in a creamy, green sauce. Thank you, Deb!
Finally made this, delicious! Recipe is a keeper for zucchini season.
This was freaking amazing! My picky kids asked for 2nds and 3rds. I should have doubled the recipe, and will next time. But I didn’t expect it to be such a hit. The only reason I made is that I had a caveman club sized zucchini on had. What a delicious surprise!
A perfect way to put all that garden zucchini into a delicious meal. Thanks, Deb!
Perfect, delicious, and healthy meal for my whole family!
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Is this best served hot or will it work chilled? Thinking of making it ahead for a Labor Day picnic…
I have made this a few times this summer and we love it! I didn’t have enough zucchini today so I threw in a can of white kidney beans and it was delicious! A good easy cottage recipe that can adapt to what’s in the cupboard!
This is a good recipe except mine came out WAY too salty. I would reduce salt by about half next time. I did use salted butter, which I’m sure contributed, but I think even with unsalted butter this would’ve been too salty. (I typically sub in salted butter in recipes and don’t have a problem, but I should’ve thought about the fact that this recipe uses a lot of butter.) Anyway, we doused with some lemon juice to cut the salt and it was still good. Will make again with less salt.
oh wow this looks delicious, great way to get extra veggies in the kids too
This was great. I only used about half the butter and subbed olive oil and didn’t miss the butter. Definitely a flavorful and easy way to use up zucchini.
I made this with a few changes, based on what I had on hand: whole wheat spaghetti, asiago instead of parmesan, no fresh basil. I added more garlic because I always add more garlic. It is easy and very satisfying, and I will definitely make it again.
This is so good! I have made it several times in the last few weeks
Does the color hold decently well? Do we know?
I do some cooking for a vegetarian family and am always looking for foods (or sauces) that will transport well, that she can reheat a day or two later.
Alternatively, I could make it and take it over hot–I do that too, but it still needs to be able to hold for 15+ minutes if I go that route.
Yes, the color does hold well. I’ve been making it often and occasionally refrigerating leftovers for a day or two.
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This is easily one of the tastiest and relatively easiest/fastest recipes I’ve made all summer. My only regret is that I didn’t try it sooner. I love how it features ingredients that I’m pretty likely to have at any point in the summer. Thanks for such a great recipe, Deb!
This was a hit for us! I made it pretty much as suggested, but dialed back the butter from 6 tbsp to enough to generously coat the pan, maybe around 4 tbsp, and still found it fantastic. One thing I want to point out is that I don’t think it’s worth using a food processor here–it took me just about a minute to shred all my zucchini on a box grater since it’s so soft. For me there’s just no way that saves enough time to justify getting out the food processor :)
I have made this several times this summer- truly a genius way to use zucchini! I had a huge bunch of baby zucchini from the farmers market to use up and this was the perfect way! My family loved it and this is definitely going into the pasta rotation. I used fusilli instead of spaghetti and loved the way the sauce clung to the noodles. THANK YOU for this wonderful recipe.
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I love the idea of this dish for a summer dinner, but it came out extremely salty. (And yes, I use Diamond Crystal – no Morton’s allowed in this house!) I feel like I MUST have made a mistake along the way for it to come out this salty, but I measured the salt and definitely used unsalted butter. If I were to make it again I’d salt my pasta water as normal but cut back on the salt in the “sauce” itself. Don’t skip the parm or red pepper!
Zucchini butter is magic. I make tons of it and freeze it in smaller containers. If you season it with just a little salt, pepper and lemon zest, it is endlessly adaptable.
I’m hoping to freeze it as well, and glad to see that works for you!
Wow, I love how simple and fresh this is! I will substitute with a gluten free spaghetti and try it. Can’t wait, thank you!!
My mom used to make a version of this when we were little and I’d forgotten all about it until I saw this photo hit Facebook. Thanks for the reminder of this old favorite — it’s a new favorite again! Making it for the 3rd time tonight and might finally be able to convince my spouse we should grow zucchini next year!
Reporting yet another convert to this magic dish! I’ve been making it regularly for my toddler boys, with brown rice spaghetti and no pepper flakes. They love it. I recently had my 13-year-old sister over for the afternoon. She’s always been a bit of a fussy eater. After having lunch with us, she said, “Well, I’ve always said zucchini was only good for one thing: zucchini bread. It’s also good for zucchini butter pasta.”
Do you think this could also work with eggplant?
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Wow. Tee-totally amazing. This is a keeper for sure. Great for Meatless Mondays.
I just made this for the fourth or fifth (or sixth?) time since you posted it. I thought while I wait for my spouse, who’s so kindly changing my brake pads and rotors in the garage, I should come here and tell you how much I LOVE this dish!
We’re in a bit of survival mode, both working full-time with a 3-year-old and 5-month-old in the house, so I’ve started prepping as much as possible on the weekend for weeknight cooking. For this one, I now run the zukes through the food processor, as well as the parmesan, and store them in containers in the fridge. Oh yeah, and once the fresh basil disappeared from our CSA’s farm stand, I started using the squeezy tube of basil from the grocery store. A little less gourmet feeling? Yes, but I want to shove this meal into my face as many times as possible before the farmer’s market is done for the season, and my life requires major shortcuts wherever I can find them these days.
Thank you for another winner dinner!
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Just popping in to report that I made this again today (skipping the pasta part) and for dinner tonight I’m putting it on top of a goat cheese spread, sourdough pizza and I am very excited.
Thank you for this AMAZING idea.
Saw this an hour ago and am eating it for an amazing solo dinner now! Had a huge late courgette to use up (more than the amount above) and have never cooked it this way before – SO tasty! Thank you Deb :)
I made this about six times this summer; we grew so many zucchini! My especial twist was to roast whole cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil and salt and to throw cooked shrimp on top. Perfection.
This was my absolute favorite meal to cook during the summer of 2021!
I made it more than 3 times in 3 months and my family loved it each and every time!
love this recipe so much and make it often! i can attest that it’s also delicious with a can of chickpeas tossed in at the end if anyone’s looking for a little extra protein.
I made this last night and I would like to be included in the zucchini butter spaghetti fan club. There is one, right? I did not have unsalted butter, so I used regular butter and adjusted the kosher salt down a tad. It was easy and I will definitely keep this recipe.
Upon serving up a huge bowl for myself, my initial thought was that it needed additional seasoning for my tastes, so I added a touch of salt, more Parmesan, and a few more red pepper flakes. As the hot pasta started to cool down, the flavors came through and with each bite I became a bigger fan. Leftovers reheated in the microwave today were even better than last night. The moisture in the zucchini helped make it a slippery pile of pasta heaven.
Phenomenal. A hit with the whole family, although we skip the red pepper for the 3 year old’s sake.
I finally got my toddler to eat a vegetable using this recipe! Thank you!!!
Has anyone tried this with grated winter squash, like butternut? I’ve made this numerous times and loved it. I’m wondering if it will translate to fall produce. Thanks!!
Phenomenal. I just used the 2 zukes I had on hand and feel like I probably needed more. Next time. This zuke spread would also be an amazing layer in lasagna. I didn’t have fresh basil so added a small dollop of pesto. Although this was good, it definitely overtook the natural flavor of the zukes and butter. I wouldn’t add pesto again. Served with a bit of burrata. Thank you for this recipe :)
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Has anyone tried using this zucchini butter as a filling for a savory galette? I want make mini galettes for a holiday appetizer party this weekend. Do you think it would work? Maybe on top of a goat cheese or ricotta base? Thanks!!!
I have already commented but I’m returning to say that not only is this in our regular rotation, it’s possibly my favorite thing to make ever. Most recently I used dried bucatini instead of fresh malfadine and it was still incredible. I also topped it with toasted chopped walnuts for some crunch and that was a wonderful addition.
You should call this recipe Magic Zucchini Spaghetti! Made this last night and OMG…MAGIC! So delicious.
It was like comfort food. Soft and creamy. Truly delicious. I’m so glad everybody else voted to make it a favorite. They were so right.
I’ve made this a few times and love it. Tonight I was a bit short on the amount of zucchini so I added some spinach I had in the freezer – worked great! I love it enough that I will let my husband plant zucchini in the garden this spring.
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This is delicious, easy, and fast. I would highly recommend trying it with a roasted head of garlic : )
We’ve made this (like many other Smitten Kitchen recipes) many times. It’s quick and easy and delicious.
We like to make it with Ronzoni’s Super Greens thin spaghetti. It’s still made of wheat (plus five dried vegetables), but it’s dark green and goes very well with the zucchini in this recipe.
Sometimes we make baby lima beans (just steamed in the microwave with pepper and butter) and eat them either with the pasta or on the side.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Deb, I received two porno comments with this recipe this morning. Occasionally, some crank will post something inappropriate but these were over the top. And I’m not a prude!
You do such good work and your writing is the best. It’s disgusting that nasty people are abusing your generosity.
Yikes. I usually go through and delete any garbage that’s come through once a day, but I’m a couple days behind. I’ll hopefully catch them now, thanks.
A big hit at my house. Made as directed!
Made this the other night with gluten-free spaghetti and it was SO GOOD. I didn’t have basil but will totally make this again with it. I kind of want to experiment with making it vegan by using nutritional yeast instead of parm–if I do I will report back with results!
Over abundance of zucchini = make everything SK has posted! Thank you for simplifying! When I saw the pic of the food processor I was bummed. Then realized it wasn’t used.
My husband is not a fan of spaghetti noodles and he said this could go in rotation.
I roasted crimini mushrooms and added those at the end. I think Oyster would have been even better. I agree it definitely needs something extra but if this is a side I think it’s fine as is. Used some cooking sherry at the end but next time will use white wine and more salt/pepper. In one of your mushroom pasta recipes you add a cream and I think I may try a variation of that as well.
I used spiral cut butternut squash because I had that on hand, & it turned out wonderful! I grow fresh lemon basil in my garden so that is a game changer for all recipes calling for basil
I made this all last summer and plan to do the same this year— great way to use up summer squash! I never use the parmesan or basil and it’s delicious anyway. If you skip the pasta this is great piled into a sub roll, especially if you let the juices soak in for a while.
I tried this twice. The first time, I admit, I forgot the salt mentioned in the beginning, and I thought it was nice, if a little bland. I added more red pepper than called for, because i like it.
So i tried making it again, this time using the recommended amount of salt. It was way too salty, and for some reason the saltiness emphasized the butter, so it just tasted greasy and salty. I felt like I was eating buttered popcorn-flavored pasta, which sounds good but isn’t. A very good idea, but if you make it, I would salt to taste and not the full 1 1/2 teaspoons!
I’ve made this several times and it is just delicious. A+ As it is zucchini season now, I’ve passed it on to everyone I know!!
My family loved this. I used a little less salt and I cooked a couple of chicken breasts and added at the end to make it a full dinner for my guys. The chicken worked really well in this pasta. I served it with sliced tomatoes on the side. I will definitely make this again.
I made this last year, and while it was delicious I felt that it needed *something* extra. I’ve made it three times already this summer with different add-ins, and can report that slow roasted cherry tomatoes really took this to a whole new level. Thanks for the innumerable dinners, Deb. I don’t think a full week ever goes by without a recipe from you on our table.
This was just as delicious as I remembered it from last summer!
I have lots of zucchini growing in my No. California garden, so tonight I gave this recipe a try. It is delicious!! Thank you.
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If you matchstick thin slices of zucchini, add to food processor and give it a few on /off bursts with regular cutting blade, will this method produce the right texture for the recipe?
The question is, will this method work versus using a box grater or the processor with its shredding disc? Recipe sounds like a bomb of deliciousness!
I made this tonight by the book. Spectacular! It will be part of my repertoire from now on.
This was great! I probably started with more zucchini than recommended, and added lemon zest (a full lemon’s worth) right at the end at it made it AMAZING. Highly recommend.
This was ridiculously delish! I zushed it up a tiny bit with extra veggies like red bells, leftover asparagus and extra fresh basil. Because my pasta was cooked previously, I didn’t have the pasta water to thicken. I cooked up some vegetable Better Than Bouillon, thickened it with a bit of arrowroot and voila, what a perfect meal! Make it, you won’t be disappointed-❤️
Well this sounds exactly what I would love. My three main ingredients for a quick summer dinner tonight are: zucchini pasta and shrimp. So I’m adding the shrimp to this wonderful- sounding recipe. I can tell already even though I haven’t tasted it that it’s going to be a winner!
This is insanely delicious and easy to make.
Made this last night, and WOW, it was delicious! Even my picky 10 year old ate it and liked it. Definitely a keeper. I used pecorino cheese, and made the rest as is.
Delicious but wayyyyy to salty and I cut back! Half the salt at least!
If you wanted to use spaghetti squash instead of zucchini, would you just reduce the amount of time that you cooked it with the butter? Seems like you would bake the spaghetti squash; pull the innards out with a fork; then cook in the pan in garlic and butter, but maybe for little less time because it was already cooked in the oven. Does that sound right?
Absolutely delicious, we’re having it for the 3rd time in 2 weeks! The family actually requested it again.
This recipe was delicious and incredibly easy! Perfect for summer squash season
This was delicious! Thanks for the great recipe.
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Can you freeze the zucchini etc part of the recipe to use later with spaghetti?
I’ve been meaning to try this for ages, and finally did tonight. I followed the recipe as written, with the exception of not adding the second half of the parm before serving (I tasted it and didn’t feel it was needed). It’s completely delicious. Spaghetti isn’t generally my favorite pasta shape; of the long stringy varieties I tend to reach for the linguine first. But it shines here. A keeper for sure.
I’ve made this weekly and still can’t get enough! No tweaks to the recipe other than doubling it to make some killer leftovers and use up the massive baseball bat sized zucchinis in my garden. Sometimes I serve it with chicken cutlets (ambitious days) or chicken sausage (less ambitious days) for some protein. Totally not necessary, but have also enjoyed roasting up a whole ton of cherry tomatoes smothered in olive oil and herbs (again, trying to use up garden bounty) and throwing those on top. Thanks Deb for another winning recipe that will become a summer staple for many years to come!
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This is possibly the best summer pasta dish I’ve made. It’s a bonus that it is SO easy! I’ll probably cut back on butter next time by adding in EVOO, as it is A LOT of butter as written. That said, the flavor is off the charts! Thanks, Deb
This was so delicious and easy. A great way to use up zucchini and basil. Elevated max and cheese bit healthier.
Made this again for dinner. It’s so delicious and inexpensive! Changed nothing!
I love the sauce, but always have a problem getting it properly mixed with the spaghetti. The last two times, I’ve served the sauce with wholewheat macaroni instead, and it was perfect and so much easier to eat!
I made this exactly as written and it was magic. I’m always faced with an abundance of zucchini during the summer and I can already think of 5 or 6 other ways to use the zucchini butter.
This is so delicious!!! Thank you Deb, this recipe revived us after some serious jet-lag and the special moments that come with a three and a half year old who refuses to eat but changes their mind because of the aroma of this dish!
Delicious. I might cut the pasta to 6 ounces and we added sauteed mushrooms.
Love your recipe collections..first visit and will be trying Zucchini Butter Spaghetti..am visiting Italy w/ my daughter in September so this is a good intro recipe🤗
This is wonderful! I like to make it with a small pasta such as small shells and add a couple of ears of fresh corn cut from the cob. Delicious!
This was a huge hit with my family! I took it to a pot luck and my pot came home empty-always a good sign.
This is again in regular rotation on our summer dinner list.
Lesson learned: I once had an extra large amount of zucchini so decided to just add more to this dish without adjusting anything else. I figured it would be like garlic in many recipes; if a little is good, more is better.
As it turned out, it just made the entire dish taste like zucchini and only zucchini which was too “squashy”. So I went back to following the proportions in the recipe and have been happy ever since.
Last night, corn butter farro. Tonight, zucchini butter spaghetti. So freaking good I could cry.
Deb, you have become a household name around here because whenever I make a successful recipe everyone knows it’s from Smitten Kitchen. Thank you so much. I was skeptical about this one, but given your track record and the comments I decided to use the last of our garden zucchini on this. Of course, it was well worth it. Eating the leftovers now. Delicious!
Made the zucchini in a cast iron skillet, then added six eggs shakshuka style, covered with basil and parm. So. Good.
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Well, this was easy and amazingly wonderful and I can’t stop thinking about it.
I’ve been making this recipe every summer for the past few years now, using zucchini from my garden. I have made so many zucchini pasta dishes, because I always end up with way too much zucchini and this is my absolute favorite one. We make it often. If you’ve tried Stanley Tucci’s famous zucchini pasta recipe – this one tastes similar, but WAY easier to make. I’ve made it with all types of pasta and spaghetti is definitely my favorite. I didn’t think to make and freeze the zucchini butter until I read all the comments — will definitely do that too.
Just wanted to say thank you for this incredible recipe! It’s zucchini magic!
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I just made this the other week as I still have plenty of zucchini from my garden and it is insanely good. Wow. I also made the ultimate zucchini bread at least three times.
Wow! This was so much more than just zucchini and pasta…of course!
This was delicious! So flavorful.
I used sharp white cheddar (all I had on hand!) and it was absolutely delicious.
This. Is. Amazing. Thank you! I made just as written (unusual for me). Big hit at my house!
This is AMAZING! I doubled the batch for our family, which left me with enough to take leftovers for lunch. Needless to say, I can’t wait for lunch time today.
I cut back on the salt, just 1 tsp (2 tsp. if doubling), and found it to be perfectly seasoned for our tastes.
Just make it! You won’t regret it!
So delicious! Fresh lemon juice to finish makes it perfect!
This cooked dish of yours looks very delicious. I would really like to try this dish for once. It tastes like noodle soup.
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Man I am obsessed with this recipe. I added white wine each time I made it which was great. For non-kosher folks it pairs really well with crab, shrimp, scallops… add some crusty bread and it’s heavenly. Definitely one of my go to recipes now.
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I am trying this tonight…a friend (and very good cook) made this with casarecce pasta and it was absolutely wonderful, so that’s what I will use as well. I can only hope it will turn out as well… I fell in love with casarecce pasta..it has such a wonderful texture, and holds sauce beautifully!
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Dear picky eaters and/or those with tummy troubles:
Last year I tried zucchini for the first time because this recipe looked so damn good. It was — and I had terrible gas pains the next day. (Thanks, colitis!)
Yesterday I made this again and added a couple of teaspoons of baking soda to the zucchini as it was melting. Was just as delicious as I remembered and minimal pain today! 🏆
I use the baking soda trick with Deb’s chickpea pasta recipe so thought it might work here, too. Not Health Canada approved, but HG will continue to use.
If you are on the fence about making this recipe, MAKE IT. My two-year-old loves it so much she has incorporated it into a bedtime routine where she lists her favorite foods (long story!). She calls it “green pasta,” and it NEVER disappoints. She has even told me she likes green pasta more than dessert.
Vegan? I’m nursing a dairy and soy intolerant 7-month old rn, so I’ve modified the recipe with Earth Balance Dairy/Soy Free Butter and Follow Your Heart Dairy Free Grated Parmesan. Is it as good as the dairyful original? Obviously not, but in this rough, cheese-deprived time, I can close my eyes and almost trick myself. Thanks for yet another repeatable recipe, Deb.
I just got back from a visit to Amalfi where I consumed SO much spaghetti alle zucchine. Dreaming of that, I made the Stanley Tucci version where you fry zucchini rounds a day in advance and then let them rest in the fridge overnight. It was …. ok – not as luscious as that Amalfi pasta, and more advance work than I would usually undertake. But this recipe seems to be easier and much more what I was looking to recreate.
Lovely! But… you can do the whole thing lazy sheet pan style. Prep the spaghetti. Then layer a olive oil-butter sheet pan with the grated zucchini, (or courgettes as they call them in my Wales neck of the woods), add any heat, garlic or shallots you like. 190,… till it reduces and makes a lovey paste. Mix with the reserved pasta water if necessary… add parm, eat until you can’t move. Nice sorbet, Netflix, bed.
Made this tonight, fabulous and simple. This one is worth it. I’ll be making it again.
My favorite pasta in the whole wide world is the simple zucchini pasta I had at a restaurant on the beach in Positano (Le Tre Sorelle.) Stanley Tucci got the recipe from Lo Scligio, and it’s almost good at home as it was with a view of the sea. This recipe scratches the same itch without my having to deep fry the zucchini and let it rest in the fridge overnight. This is going to be my “treat” dinner as I am supposed to limit gluten and dairy to help manage an autoimmune disorder; otherwise I’d be making it weekly. Thank you Deb!
So true about the garlic. Everyone starts getting up, washing hands and offering to help in the kitchen. Even the kids are setting the table without being asked. Happens every single time I make this. Miracle of miracles.
Made this recipient with my first Zucchini of the season!
Absolutely fabulous!
Made this tonight and it was amazing! Only change is that I used 3T. Butter, 3T. EVOO. Also used whole wheat thin spaghetti. Topped with grilled shrimp. This is definitely going into the summer rotation!!!
Omg delicious!
Easy and absolutely delicious. I’ve made it twice. The first time exactly as written. The second time I had a few more zucchini that I really wanted to use up so I upped the quantity of zucchini from 1 1/4 pounds to almost 2 pounds. I didn’t change any other ingredient quantities. It was still delicious. This recipe is clearly a keeper. One more thing – I used Jovial brown rice spaghetti and did the add cooking water thing per the recipe. Perfect!
This looks so good! What a great dish to make in the summer for lunch or dinner!
I’m not a huge zucchini fan so I never buy it. Mostly I don’t love the texture of cooked zucchini. So when my grocery delivery sent me zucchini instead of the eggplant I requested I knew this was the recipe to try and it did not disappoint. Absolutely delicious!!
This is divine, especially the texture. I did not have any red pepper flakes, so substituted ras el hanout. It was good, but overpowered the basil. Won’t use it again, but will definitely make the dish again.
Delicious and addictive!
I don’t know what took me so long to make this, but, to put it mildly, the family approves. When a recipe with green things in it actually causes my 7 and 3 year old grandchildren to beg for seconds, that’s something. The adults in the room loved it too.
Drowning in zucchini! This was a WINNER!! I have been on the hunt for “different” zucchini recipes. THANK YOU.
This recipe is fabulous! It is likely my new favorite pasta recipe. I followed the instructions exactly–did not change a thing. Instead of tweaking the butter, I just had a smaller portion–maybe 4 servings altogether. I served it with cannellini beans and artichoke hearts.
Moderator!
I loved this! Agree with other makers that it took me a while to realize that I’m making zucchini sauce but this was great because I don’t really love spaghetti with tomato sauce.
Mine was a little too salty because I used salted butter (it was already in the fridge) and with the salted pasta water it was a little too much.
This dish was fantastic. It did take a bit of time to get the zucchini to the proper consistency but well worth it. Definitely a dish to make again and again!
Followed the recipe exactly except had to reduce salt per the doctor. And oh how this recipe needed salt. My goodness, it smelled so good while cooking, and we added a ton of fresh basil and freshly grated cheese, but still bland. I can’t have a lot of salt, so if that is the secret for this one, we won’t try again. That said, by cooking down the zucchini to make this “sauce”, you can add more vegetables to a normal spaghetti dinner, and certainly any other pasta sauce would add the flavor needed. So, the technique is great, even though the flavor wasn’t good for us.
I have a plethora of summer squash so that’s what I used. Also, I doubled the amount of garlic and used lemon basil. WOW!! That was tasty! I like the idea of a little white wine added in as well. Just made a note.
I had some zucchini to use up and came across this recipe. This was really easy and tasty. I did find it a bit rich. I would definitely make this again with maybe some grated lemon zest at the end to brighten it up a bit.
This was delicious and easy to make. I would cut down the salt to start as I found it a tad too salty for my taste and I love salt. I also doubled it for a pound of pasta and used a different shape pasta to great success.
We so love this recipe: it is “Pygmalion” for an under appreciated (in some cases, maligned) summer squash. I use yellow pattypan and little striped bush marrow (picked young before it gets seedy and spongy, The Veal of Summer Squash). I make batches up through the second paragraph (the “spreadable consistency” step), then cool and put into vacuum sealed bags for the freezer and we get to look forward to easy, delightful dinners well into the next season.
That is such a great idea! I have a boxcar load of zucchini at the moment, but later this winter I would certainly be thrilled to find some of this thawing for a winter’s summer-rerun.
How many cups of the zucchini equals the 1.25 pounds?
Wow, this is surprisngly delicious for such a simple set of ingredients. I was slightly distracted and my zucchini darkened up while cooking down – moreso than what’s pictured in this post. But it had such great savory, umami flavors and velvety texture. I will make this again and again!
Probably one of the best spaghetti I have ever had (and prepared!) :-) The butter gives them such a smooth taste!
Seriously the best. My go to when my garden zucchini explode. Yummy!
I just found this recipe. It’s now cooking for dinner😊. One small change I’ll be making is the addition of some fresh, sweet corn kernels. Happy end of summer!
Hi Deb, I follow your recipes all the time and many of them are on our family’s rotation! This one was a hit with everyone, including my two small kida. Do you think you may ever start including nutrition info for the recipes? Obviously, one can calculate everything by long hand, but thought it was worth asking!
Good day Ms. Deb you beautiful genius you!
First I’d like to thank you for bringing so many incredible recipes to my attention – my squad and I are all huge fans and have not once been led astray by you :)
Anyway I just wanted to tell you that your zucchini butter recipe is so good AND it freezes very well once the zucchini/garlic/chilis/butter are cooked down and before adding the pasta water and cheese. It is a really great way to save zucchini for long periods. I have also been super lazy and simply frozen grated zucchini and then made this recipe with it – still excellent. I hate wasting food, especially when it’s home grown.
Anyway I just wanted to pass that along in case you ever crave it mid-winter and have some frozen zucchini in your freezer.
Yours in awe and respect :)
Louise
Yum!! Where has this been all my life. Such a simple way to prepare and cook zucchini. I’m in love! Added in some lemon zest and parsley instead of basil (had fresh parsley I had to use), but came out great. Many thanks for a new favorite.
I could eat this every day. It is unbelievably simple and yet it has so much flavor. One of my top 10 favorite SK recipes. Usually I’m too hungry (too lazy, really) to go get basil, and I never miss it; the dish is fine without it! This is such a winner.