Cooking zucchini on the stovetop can be tricky. Crowd it in the pan or keep it on the heat too long and you end up with with a bland, watery mess. That’s how I used to cook it until I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen that recommended just barely heating it.
Aha! That is the trick, my friends. Cook it for a few minutes until it’s warmed through. After trying this recipe, I became a total convert. And I came up with lots of adaptations–fresh herbs from the garden, a drizzle of flavored olive oil or a squeeze of lemon juice, and this version made with brown butter.
You can cut the zucchini any way you like–rounds, half-moons, or even spiralized–but doing a lengthwise julienne fancies things up. It kind of reminds me of the type of vegetable dish you’d find at a restaurant that does small plates.
With only 5 simple ingredients (including the salt!), this keto brown butter zucchini recipe is proof that you don’t need a long list of exotic ingredients to make something delicious.
Photos by Stephanie Pollard
Warm Zucchini Salad with Brown Butter and Pine Nuts
Brown butter takes zucchini to another level. Bonus: it's low-carb and keto-friendly.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 large zucchini julienned
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
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Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the pine nuts and heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is browned and fragrant and the pine nuts are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.
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Stir in the zucchini and remove from heat; toss to coat, then salt to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan, if using.
