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A bowl of spaghetti with sliced zucchini, crumbled feta cheese, and pine nuts, a perfect Dinner Ideas Recipe Everyone Asks For.

Pasta with Brown Butter, Zucchini, and Goat Cheese

This recipe for pasta with brown butter, zucchini, and goat cheese is a quick and impressive meal that is perfect for busy weeknights or when you want to entertain guests. It uses simple ingredients to create a flavorful and satisfying dish that everyone will love.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Pine nut toasting 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces pasta your favorite kind
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small zucchini squash sliced into rounds
  • 1 small summer squash sliced into rounds
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 4 ounces goat cheese crumbled
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Skillet

Method
 

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts. Toss and stir them until they are golden and fragrant, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately.
  3. Heat another skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Whisk it constantly until brown bits begin to form on the bottom and the butter is golden. When that happens, add the garlic and squash rounds and toss to coat, then cook for 5 minutes until the zucchini softens. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
  4. The pasta should be finished by now, so add it to the skillet with the zucchini. Turn the heat to low. Toss the pasta and squash well, making sure everything is combined and has a bit of butter on it. Crumble in the goat cheese and toss it well. Add in another few cracks of fresh black pepper. Toss in the toasted pine nuts.
  5. Stir in the fresh basil and serve immediately.

Notes

This dish is best served immediately to enjoy the creamy texture of the goat cheese and the crispness of the zucchini. You can substitute other nuts like walnuts or almonds for the pine nuts if desired.

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