Come summer, ourherb gardensare overflowing even more than our favorite fully-loadedcheese and charcuterie boardsand our refrigerator’s Costco-sizedsparkling waterstock. The only thing more prolific in our home gardens (or at our local farmers markets and grocery stores), it seems? Zucchini.
You have more options than porch-dropping squash all around town when you’ve had your fill ofzoodlesandzucchini bread, though. And just like with her brilliantno-cook entertaining appetizer hackand helpfulhard-boiled egg advice, Julia Child is once again saving the day. This time, it’s with her simmered-down sauce/condiment concept that’s been recreated dozens of ways since: Zucchini butter.
One of our favorite renditions is fromSmitten Kitchenblogger andcookbook authorDeb Perelman, who tossed together a dreamy summer dinner with the sauce:
“Made this tonight with a yellow squash- what a perfect and delicious recipe, Deb! Looking forward to eating it all summer long,” one fan raves. Another adds: “This might be yummy for this weekend’s brunch with a crispyfried eggon top! 💡” (We love your style, Smitten Kitchen fan!)
In the blog post about her 25-minuteZucchini Butter Spaghetti, Perelman says she first noticed the idea on Food52, then traced back to Julia Child’sGrated 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,” she says.
Our 35 Best Zucchini Recipes of All Time
Getty Images / Elena Komonina / ABC Photo Archives
So while Child’s recipe is more of azucchini side dishandFood52’s is a spreadable butter, Perelman’s rendition is a squash sauce. Any and all of the ways, this garlicky, quick-cooking creation is a treat—and a terrific way to put 1 ¼ pounds to 2 pounds of zucchini to use in 25 minutes or less.
The process for making zucchini butter is no sweat: Melt a bit of butter in a large skillet, add minced garlic and cook until it’s fragrant. Then add copious amounts of grated zucchini, allow that to simmer down until it releases the water inside and that water evaporates. The result is jammy, slightly nutty (from the browned butter) and a bit sweet and caramelized in flair (thanks to the concentrated zucchini).
If you’re making this as a pasta sauce, simply boil up some noodles. Just before straining, reserve some of the starchy pasta cooking water to toss with the zucchini butter, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce, if desired, and toss with the pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and grated Parmesan, and your dinner is done!
We’ll be making this zucchini butter any which way all summer long. Still have a squash surplus, even after giving this a go? Sample your way throughour 13 best new zucchini recipes to make this summer.
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