Brown Butter Zucchini Pasta
with Carrot Top Pesto
Quickly seared zucchini and Summer squash all tossed together with goat cheese, tender gluten free pasta, lots of carrot green pesto and pine nuts. Top it off with fresh Parmesan cheese, if you must.
The pesto is like your typical basil pesto but replaced with carrot greens. I chopped off a large portion from my farmers market carrots, blend it all up with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, pine nuts and chili flakes (optional). It’s that simple!
I love a quick Monday night meal that’s exactly like this. Light and Vegetarian – add in chicken sausage, if you must. It’s delicious either way.
If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that I love using seasonally fresh ingredients.
It’s really simple to me. Use what is in the season that you are in – that means it’s the freshest and at its peak flavor potential.
If you are lucky enough to have a garden or access to an amazing farmers market – take advantage. Many grocery stores now have “local” sections or tags with markers labeling what is from your area. I just love supporting local farmers but also all those products taste so much more amazing.
Check out more sauces I love to make.
Brown Butter Zucchini Pasta with Carrot Top Pesto
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A light Vegetarian pasta dinner using all seasonally fresh zucchini and Summer squash.
Ingredients
- 1 package gluten free pasta, cooked according to package instructions, drained + rinsed with cold water (1/3 pasta water reserved)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 small Summer squash, sliced
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 2 large tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled or sliced
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Carrot Top Pesto
- 1 large handful carrot greens, cleaned + trimmed
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 lemon, zest
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt + pepper
- 1 pinch chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Process the pesto ingredients in a blender until smooth. Set a side until needed.
- Heat a saucepan up over high heat. Melt the butter and add in the sliced zucchini and squash. Toss to coat with the butter. Let cook for 1-2 minutes or until the bottom sides are toasted brown. Flip over. Sprinkle the squash with a pinch of each salt and pepper.
- Continue to cook until the other side is toasted brown. Turn the heat off.
- Add the cooked pasta and the reserved water to the squash pan. Add in 1/2 of the goat cheese and 3/4’s of the pesto. Using tongs, toss to coat everything well with the pesto. Add in more pesto if desired.
- Garnish with pine nuts and the remaining goat cheese. Top with Parmesan cheese (if using) and serve the remaining pesto at the table.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: vegetarian
- Method: stove-top
- Cuisine: pasta
Did you make this recipe? Take a picture and tag me @whitesparrowfoodco or #whitesparrowfoodco I’d love to hear what you thought of the recipe!
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