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    Home / Recipes / Course / Dinner

    31 Oct 2, 2015 Dinner  |   Jump to Recipe

    Garlic Butter Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles

    Good morning and Happy Friday friends!!

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Zucchini Garlic Butter Spaghetti

    I’ve been playing catch up all week long after my recent adventures in Tuscany.  Particularly: Halloween and Holiday preparations at the mall, laundry at the house, dinner celebrating Jordan & Jocelyn’s latest cookbook last night, and detailed meal prep each morning to keep me from eating fast food throughout the week (something I’m guilty of each time I come back from a trip).  Dinners have mainly been simple preparations of pizza and pasta plus one evening of homemade, from-scratch green chilaquiles wHipped up by the boyfriend (his mother’s recipe).

    One of my go-to pasta dishes that I made this week is my Garlic Butter Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles.  Two-toned curls of fresh zucchini are sautéed in garlic butter, then tossed with cooked spaghetti, herbs, Parmesan cheese and black pepper.  A final squeeze of lemon sets off flavors.  What I love most about this recipe is that it comes together in about 15 minutes.  The prep work, sauce and zucchini can all be done while the pasta is cooking.  Everything gets tossed together at the end, and dinner is ready on the table in a matter of moments.  Exactly the recipe I need this week when energy is low and I crash at 8PM because of jet lag 😛  Continue reading for the recipe.

    Spaghetti

    Zucchini Noodles

    First, let’s talk zucchini noodles.  Spiralizing is a popular technique right now, because you can easily prepare vegetables in fun, noodle-like shapes to be used in entrees, side dishes, salads or stand-alone.  Spiralized vegetables do resemble noodles or pasta, so they can be a healthy substitution for wheat noodles or pasta.  When making a dish like this one, I prefer to use a mix of wheat pasta and zucchini noodles.  This cuts out some of the carbs, while still maintaining good structure and substance for the sauce.  This is the spiralizer that I like to use.

    Sizzling Garlic

    Spaghetti with Garlic and Zucchini Noodles

    Spaghetti with Herbs

    I always have spaghetti, garlic, Parmesan cheese and black pepper at my house, so when I want to make this dish, I just pick up a couple of zucchini, some herbs and a lemon on my way home from work.  During the summer months, we’ve got zucchini and herbs growing in our back yard, and we can also reach across the neighbors fence to pick lemons when needed (shhhhhh, don’t tell), so this dish gets made more frequently.  Although I haven’t tested this recipe with other vegetables, I’m sure you could switch up the green element with sliced swiss chard, shredded kale, baby spinach leaves or even arugula.  They all pair well with butter, garlic and Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

    Garlic Butter Spaghetti

    Zucchini Garlic Butter Spaghetti

    Garlic Butter Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles

    by Brandon Matzek
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 3/4 pound spaghetti
    • Kosher salt
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • 1 pound zucchini, ends trimmed and spiralized (I used this spiralizer)
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, you could also use a mix of parsley and basil
    • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

    Lemon wedges, for serving

    Additional Parmesan cheese, black pepper and chopped parsley, for serving

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Drop in spaghetti and a few big pinches of kosher salt, stirring to combine. Once the water comes back to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook spaghetti according to the package instructions. Before you drain the spaghetti, scoop out a cup of starching cooking water, and set aside.
    • Meanwhile, warm butter and garlic in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until the garlic is soft and fragrant (but not brown, 3 - 5 minutes). Add the spiralized zucchini, a big pinch of salt and several turns of black pepper, and toss in the garlic butter. Cook just until the zucchini starts to soften (about 2 minutes).
    • Drop heat to low and add drained spaghetti, chopped herbs, Parmesan cheese and a splash of starchy cooking liquid to the skillet, tossing to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. If the pasta is looking a little dry, add more starchy cooking liquid. You want to add just enough to make the butter sauce creamy, but not so much that it starts pooling in the bottom of the pan. Take the pan off the heat once you're done making adjustments.

    To serve, pile spaghetti on a plate, and top with additional grated Parm, black pepper and chopped herbs. A squeeze of lemon will provide a nice sharp contrast to the rich, buttery sauce.

      Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!

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      31
      Brandon and Federico
      Brandon

      I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

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      Categories: Dinner Tags: basil, black pepper, butter, garlic, kosher salt, lemon, parmesan cheese, parsley, spaghetti, zucchini

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

        October 2, 2015 at 9:59 am

        These are the most gorgeous zucchini noodles ever! I love my spiralizer 🙂 Seeing those ribbons come out the other end is my big thrill of the day…ha!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 2, 2015 at 4:20 pm

          I totally agree with you Averie. The machine is magic :). Thanks!

          Reply
      2. Brian @ A Thought For Food says

        October 2, 2015 at 11:21 am

        It’s cold and rainy here in Boston… so I’m totally craving big bowls of pasta, butter, and healthy glasses of red wine. Beautifully crafted, my friend! And I’m still so jealous of your trip. Sounds amazing.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 2, 2015 at 4:18 pm

          Thanks Brian!! Oh yeah, wine would be perfect here. It hasn’t quite cooled down in SD yet. Hopefully soon :)!

          Reply
      3. Katrina says

        October 2, 2015 at 12:06 pm

        I love how you mixed in real spaghetti too!! Definitely trying this recipe!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 2, 2015 at 4:16 pm

          Thanks Katrina! I’m part Italian, so I can’t give up all the spaghetti 🙂

          Reply
      4. Sippitysup says

        October 2, 2015 at 4:47 pm

        Spaghetti is fun food whether its veg or wheat. GREG

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 2, 2015 at 4:51 pm

          It truly is. Fun to play with (style) and eat :)!

          Reply
      5. beau ciolino says

        October 3, 2015 at 8:30 am

        Holy hell this looks so good! I love the idea of combining spiralized zucchini with traditional spaghetti, I bet the textural contrast is amazing and also v v v refreshing. Great post, Brandon!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 9:54 am

          Thanks Beau! That contrast is where it’s at! Well and all the butter and garlic.

          Reply
      6. Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says

        October 4, 2015 at 2:10 am

        Sometimes simple flavour combinations are what you need, especially when life catches up and days are busy! I am also a fan of mixing my zucchini noodles with regular spaghetti – I love pasta way too much to replace all of it with vegetables, as good as zucchini are. Love the octagonal skillet too! 🙂

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 9:55 am

          Agreed! You can’t go wrong with butter and garlic 🙂 Thanks Claudia! The skillet is from Finex.

          Reply
      7. Bella B says

        October 4, 2015 at 10:47 pm

        Yum! I have been crazing carbs all day and this isn’t helping one bit! 🙂

        xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 9:56 am

          Haha thanks Bella!

          Reply
      8. Justin @ Salt Pepper Skillet says

        October 7, 2015 at 11:39 am

        This looks so simple and delicious, Brandon! I love how quick it is and that you combine pasta with zucchini noodles. I’ve never done that and will definitely have to.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 9:58 am

          Thanks Justin! It’s definitely a simple and satisfying meal on a weeknight after work.

          Reply
      9. Adr says

        October 8, 2015 at 7:07 pm

        What a terrific dish, and your photos are superb. Bravo!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 9:59 am

          Thanks Adri!

          Reply
      10. Patty K says

        October 9, 2015 at 12:15 am

        I hear ya about playing catch up after a vacation. Ever feel like you need a vacation from your vacation? 15 minute pasta dishes are definitely my go to meal after a vacation when the pantry has yet to be stocked too!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 9:59 am

          Haha that’s so true!! I could have used another week off 🙂

          Reply
      11. Mandy @Mandy's Recipe Box says

        October 13, 2015 at 8:32 am

        Such great flavors! I love that you used noodles as well as zucchini. I love the pasta texture.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:00 am

          Thanks Mandy!!

          Reply
      12. Melissa says

        October 13, 2015 at 5:53 pm

        I can’t even remember how I found this recipe but I just made it and it is so good! I even used whole grain pasta because my family needs more fiber in their diets and you can’t even tell because of all of the amazing flavor put in it! Thanks for an easy but great recipe

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:01 am

          Excellent!! So glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing Melissa!

          Reply
      13. Annie @ Annie's Noms says

        October 14, 2015 at 12:28 am

        Oh my goodness, I need a Spiralizer! It looks so fun, I’d be spiralizing EVERYTHING haha!! This looks awesome, I do love simple pasta dishes. They really hit the spot!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:06 am

          You do!! It’s such a fun kitchen gadget. Thanks Annie!

          Reply
      14. cynthia says

        October 15, 2015 at 8:49 am

        I am SO into the fact that you used both zucchini noodles and regular in this!!! I love the idea of zoodles but I’m also so sad at the thought of forsaking my good old carb-y goodness — this is so perfectly the best of both worlds. And with that garlic butter and Parmesan, HEAVEN.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:36 am

          Thanks Cynthia! Yeah, I could never fully give up regular pasta 🙂

          Reply
      15. Brandy M says

        October 15, 2015 at 6:35 pm

        Now that is a creative way to make spaghetti! I need to do this! I am so sick of the regular way of making pasta this would be SO different and delicious!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:36 am

          Thanks Brandy! This is a great way to switch things up. I want to try sweet potato noodles next.

          Reply
      16. fabiola@notjustbaked says

        October 16, 2015 at 10:21 am

        My kind of simple pasta. It’s beautiful.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:37 am

          Thanks Fabiola!

          Reply
      17. Ginny McMeans says

        October 17, 2015 at 9:50 am

        You are amazing. I want to twirl and twirl on that spaghetti. Love the added zuke!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:38 am

          Aww, thanks so much Ginny! It twirls up real nice 🙂

          Reply
      18. Steph @ Steph in Thyme says

        October 17, 2015 at 6:52 pm

        5 stars
        This is my kind of weeknight meal. Quick, but full of flavor. I adore zuc chini noodles, but let’s be real…they are no full substiture for carb-y goodness pasta. Combining the two together is brilliant!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:39 am

          Hahaha yes! I’ve tried 100% zucchini noodle dishes, and I always feel like it’s missing something. This recipe solves that problem. Thanks!!

          Reply
      19. Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

        October 18, 2015 at 9:23 am

        This is absolutely gorgeous! Love the combo of the spaghetti noodles and the spiralized zucchini. Such a wholesome, delicious dish!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:40 am

          Thanks Kimberly!!

          Reply
      20. Aly ~ Aloha Flavor says

        October 18, 2015 at 11:57 am

        This is perfect for dinner this week with the last of the late summer zucchini! It looks amazing!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:40 am

          For sure!! Give it a try. Thanks Aly.

          Reply
      21. Susan says

        October 18, 2015 at 5:02 pm

        I really like that this a mix of real and vegetable noodles. Definitely gives it the perfect heft for a filling meal. Also I kind of love that you can (shhh) steal some lemons over your fence.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 20, 2015 at 10:41 am

          Haha thanks Susan! The neighbor’s lemon tree is definitely a bonus! At least until our lemon tree starts producing.

          Reply
      22. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says

        October 22, 2015 at 5:31 am

        I might be the last person on Earth who doesn’t have a spiralizer. Must. Remedy. That.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 23, 2015 at 11:04 am

          It’s a fun gadget! I would recommend it 🙂

          Reply
      23. fabiola@notjustbaked says

        October 22, 2015 at 11:58 am

        Gorgeous photos, recipe, and I love Finex! I just visited where they make them and got my first one. They are beautiful pans.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 23, 2015 at 11:07 am

          Thanks Fabiola! I looooove my Finex. Enjoy! I hope to tour the Finex facility one day.

          Reply
      24. cristina says

        October 24, 2015 at 8:00 am

        Really gorgeous and delicious looking dish, Brandon. I need to dust off my spiralizer and start using it – you’ve inspired me with your garlic butter spaghetti and zucchini noodles. Your images are just beautiful…I think and ebook or cookbook should be in the works with your lovely recipes and photography!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 25, 2015 at 7:58 am

          Awww thanks so much Cristina! I’ve been considering it. Just need to make some time.

          Reply
      25. Christiane ~ Taking On Magazines says

        October 24, 2015 at 7:58 pm

        I’ve held off on getting one of those veggie noodle makers, but after seeing this, I might just have to break down and get one. That dish looks spectacular.

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 25, 2015 at 8:05 am

          It’s a fun addition to the kitchen. I’d recommend getting one 🙂

          Reply
      26. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says

        October 24, 2015 at 10:31 pm

        I love zucchini noodles. Mixing them with pasta is a great way to lighten the carb load too!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 25, 2015 at 8:05 am

          Agreed! Thanks Cynthia.

          Reply
      27. Julie Wood says

        October 30, 2015 at 5:35 am

        5 stars
        These are some amazing recipes! I really like garlic in my pasta and the Garlic Butter Spaghetti with Zucchini noodles is one that I am going to try! Thanks for these awesome recipes!

        Reply
        • Brandon Matzek says

          October 30, 2015 at 9:28 am

          Thanks Julie!! Glad you like the recipe.

          Reply
      4.67 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


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