Zucchini-Butter Spaghetti

ljrnana5 saw this recipe and couldn’t resist so she sent it in. She hasn’t tried it, but it sure looks good! Zucchini butter coats every bit of this pasta for a luscious and creamy dish. Grated zucchini cooks alongside flavor powerhouses garlic and shallot. When it looks like it can be spread onto bread or a cracker (which they also highly recommend) that’s when you know it’s ready. It takes 20 minutes max. A tiny amount of butter adds just the right amount of richness in this zucchini pasta recipe. Swap regular pasta for a whole-grain option such as kamut, farro, or whole wheat. Or make it gluten-free with brown rice pasta. From realsimple.com.

Zucchini-Butter Spaghetti
Hands-On Time: 30 Mins
Total Time: 30 Mins
Yield: Serves 4


Ingredients:

4 medium zucchini (about 2 pounds), grated (about 5½ cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped (if tolerated)
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
⅛ teaspoon black pepper (if tolerated)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
8 ounces brown rice spaghetti,whole-wheat spaghetti, kamut spaghetti, or farro spaghetti (without problem ingredients)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
fresh basil leaves, torn if large


Directions:

1. Place grated zucchini in a large bowl; squeeze with a paper towel to remove extra moisture. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add shallots and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened and volume reduces by about half, 18 to 20 minutes. (Mixture should be almost spreadable.)

2. Meanwhile, bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil over high. Add pasta; prepare according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water.

3. Transfer pasta and reserved cooking water to zucchini mixture in skillet. Stir in butter and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook over low, tossing occasionally, until mixture is well incorporated and sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Spoon pasta evenly into 4 bowls; garnish with basil leaves.