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The combination of garlic, spinach, tomato, hazelnuts and brown butter sauce in this Brown Butter Pasta is unforgettable. The perfect meatless dinner option.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
I fell in love with this Brown Butter Pasta at a local restaurant here in Portland and it quickly became my favorite pasta recipe. When they took it off the menu I knew I had to figure out how to make it at home. Brown Butter gives this pasta dish amazing nutty flavor along with the combination of garlic, tomato, spinach and hazelnuts.
Ingredients Needed
- Pasta. I usually use a spaghetti noodle. We prefer a thin spaghetti but you could use a regular spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccini or linguine noodle.
- Butter. I use salted butter but unsalted will also work.
- Vegetables. Tomatoes and Spinach. Use chopped roma tomato or cherry tomatoes cut in half. I like baby spinach and I remove the stems from the spinach leaves.
- Garlic. Use fresh, minced or chopped garlic cloves.
- Nuts. The original recipe called for hazelnuts but you could also use walnuts.
- Cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan or a Parmesan Romano Cheese is delicious.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper.
How to Make Brown Butter Pasta
- Boil pasta to al dente stage in a large pot of water.
- Place butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.
- Stir it constantly until it starts to turn golden brown and then remove it from the heat. I have a full tutorial on how to make brown butter if you need more tips.
- Pour brown butter imto a bown to prevent it from burning.
- Sauté garlic in olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Add spinach and cook until it begins to wilt, then add in chopped tomato.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add cooked pasta, nuts and brown butter to the pan. Toss to coat pasta.
- Top pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Tips
- Precook the pasta the night before or morning of so it is ready to go. Just cook it al dente (still a little firm) and then put it in a strainer and run water over it to remove the starch. Put it into a zip loc bag and refrigerate it. When you are ready to use it, put it back in the strainer and run some warm water over it and it’s ready to eat! Just add it into your browned butter sauce.
- To add some protein to it, top with grilled or shredded chicken or shrimp.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is brown butter?
Brown butter is butter that’s been cooked until the water evaporates and the milk solids brown. The result is a golden brown butter with a deep, rich, nutty taste.
What kind of pasta noodle should I use?
Our favorite is thin spaghetti but you could use bucatini, linguine, fettuccini, angel hair or regular spaghetti.
For more delicious recipes easy dinner ideas try these:
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Brown Butter Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts toasted and chopped
- 8 oz. pasta cooked
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente, drain and rinse and set aside.
- Brown the butter in a pan, watch closely so it doesn’t burn. Should be golden and smell wonderful. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add olive oil to pan and saute garlic.
- Add spinach. Cook just until it starts to wilt.
- Add in tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add cooked pasta and and browned butter to pan. Toss to distribute evenly.
- Sprinkle with hazelnuts and cheese.
- Salt and pepper to taste
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
Becky @ Babes in Hairland says
Wow … my throw together meals are usually pancakes or french toast! I just love hazelnuts so I’m sure I’d love this yummy dish. The pictures make me hungry!
Leigh Anne says
We totally do pancakes and french toast too as a throw together meal. I love breakfast for dinner the best.
Leslie says
This sounds delicious! I love brown butter recipes and I love that it is so simple.
Karen says
This recipe looks like the perfect dinner to me. I also brown my butter in the microwave. I use a large glass measuring cup and set a piece of wax paper on top.
Sandra says
Sounds very yummy! I used browned butter to make caramel icing and it’s a breeze when you brown the butter in the microwave on HIGH for 3 mins and 50 seconds. I use a clear glass bowl and cover it with a paper plate. This method might work for your recipe and prevent that moment of sadness when your butter burns!
Leigh Anne says
Thanks for the great tip on browning butter in the microwave. Will definitely try it next time. I love using browned butter in frosting too.
Elizabeth says
Recipe looks delicious, but what really caught my eye was the fork in the last picture….simply gorgeous!
Leigh Anne says
Elizabeth – picked that up at an estate sale last week. I love it!
Mariel says
Mmmmm…love those ingredients! I’ll have to try this, along with 5 zillion of your other recipes! Thanks!