Zucchini Fettuccine with Rosemary Butternut Creme Sauce
Try this Zucchini Fettuccine with Rosemary Butternut Creme Sauce recipe
Try this Zucchini Fettuccine with Rosemary Butternut Creme Sauce recipe
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- freshly-ground black pepper to taste
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil divided
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary crushed (to release flavor)
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 pound shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 3 pounds zucchini spiralized into fettuccine
- Carbohydrate 40.6429685 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 10.643285 g
- Fiber 7.06390000729561 g
- Protein 3.60683 g
- Saturated Fat 8.94877365 g
- Serving Size 1 1 - 6 (840g)
- Sodium 567.8611 mg
- Sugar 33.5790684927044 g
- Trans Fat 0.721630499999998 g
- Calories 247 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Slice butternut squash in half lengthwise.
- Grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and then lay butternut squash (cut side down) on sheet pan.
- Roast for 30 - 45 minutes, until squash is tender and flesh can easily be pierced with a fork.
- Once cooked, allow squash to cool, then scoop out the flesh (this should yield about 5 cups of flesh) and discard the skin.
- Add the flesh to a blender.
- Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a pan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and garlic and saute for 3 - 5 minutes, until onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Next, add the sauteed garlic & onions, rosemary, coconut milk, broth, and salt to a blender with the butternut squash flesh.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil to a large pan.
- Add the mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes, until they are just starting to brown.
- Then add the zucchini fettuccine and cook for about 3 minutes, until zucchini is almost tender.
- Add the sauce to the pan and continue to cook until sauce is hot and zucchini is tender.
- Garnish with freshly-ground black pepper and serve hot.
Standard heavy cream pastas rely on dairy fats to coat the palate, but this plant-based iteration achieves richness through the natural starches of roasted winter squash. Roasting the butternut squash at 375 degrees F caramelizes its internal sugars, developing deep nutty undertones that balance the herbaceous pungency of crushed dried rosemary. Crushing those dried needles beforehand ruptures the essential oil glands, releasing volatile compounds that would otherwise remain trapped during blending.
Combining the warm squash flesh with canned full-fat coconut milk and broth creates an emulsion where lauric acid acts as a natural binding agent, mimicking the mouthfeel of dairy without heavy cream. Slicing the shiitake mushrooms thinly and searing them for precisely two minutes in coconut oil drives off surface moisture, encouraging Maillard browning before the mushrooms turn rubbery. Spiralized zucchini noodles present a unique structural challenge because they contain roughly ninety-five percent water. Adding the blended sauce to the pan only after the zucchini has cooked for three minutes prevents excess moisture release, keeping the vegetable strands firm rather than soggy. Chicken broth can replace the vegetable broth at a one-to-one ratio if a savory umami depth is preferred over a lighter flavor profile.
