These Vegan Brown Butter Butternut Squash Noodles are the perfect Gluten Free Plant Based Zoodles recipe for an easy weeknight meal.
Cold weather calls for comfort food and there is nothing more comforting to me than pasta. And if there was ever a menu descriptor to catch my eye in these winter months it’s brown butter. GAH. Is there anything more luxurious than BUTTER that is caramelized to yield a SWEET and NUTTY flavour? I didn’t think so. But I am all about balance. Sure, I have no qualms about tucking into a big bowl of fresh noods soaking in the OG liquid gold, but for days I want to lighten things up, I go spiralize up some veg and call it a day. Today I wanted to celebrate the natural sweetness of some of my favourite veg by making this dish completely vegan and gluten free. If you’re trying to incorporate more plant based meals into your regime this year, let me make it real easy with these Vegan Brown Butter Butternut Squash Noodles.
key ingredients to make these butternut squash zoodles with brown butter
Sage Leaves – brown butter sauce is quite simply not the same without sage leaves.
Kale – I like to mix some kale into this recipe. But you can certainly use whatever green you have on hand like spinach or arugula.
Hazelnuts – I love the unique flavour of hazelnuts and the lovely crunch that they add to this recipe. But hazelnuts can sometimes be hard to come by so feel free to experiment with other crunchy and nutritious nuts or seeds! Almonds and/or pumpkin seeds in particular would be great in this recipe.
Tip Tips to make these Brown Butter Noodles
Browning butter requires that the milk solids caramelize over a low heat. Its finnicky stuff as butter can go from clear to burnt in the time it takes you to answer a text. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work when trying to brown vegan butter, but with the same level of patience, it can happen!
The key really comes down to the type of vegan butter you use. Most margarine-like butters won’t brown, but if you find a vegan butter made of soy, cashew, almond or another nut, it will caramelize up beautifully.
I recommend browning your vegan butter in a pan with a light coloured bottom since nonstick or cast iron skillets with black bottoms can be hard to read. It’s impossible to see when the colour changes, and by the time you DO see something, it’s likely too late. Let’s not waste that gold!
faq about this recipe
Here are some commonly asked questions that I get for this recipe.
what else can i pair the vegan brown butter sauce with?
I love pairing these vegan brown butter sauce with butternut squash noodles (or zoodles) but you can totally splurge and serve with a regular or gluten free pasta! It’s delicious with gnocchi, or a squash-filled ravioli too!
what can i use instead of butternut squash noodles?
If you can’t find butternut squash noodles at your local supermarket or you’re not in the mood to spiralize them yourself, you can totally use any other vegetable noodle like zucchini. Otherwise, you can simply use a pasta noodle of choice!
is this recipe gluten free?
It is! However, if you choose to substitute a regular pasta noodle be sure to use a gluten free variety if this is a concern for you.
how long will this recipe last in the fridge?
These butternut squash noodles will last in the fridge for about 3 days.
do you have any other zoodle recipes?
Oh absolutely I do! Here are some of my favourites on the blog.
VEGAN AVOCADO ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH PESTO
VEGAN CHOW MEIN WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES
Now I would love to hear your thoughts – Are you obsessed with brown butter like I am?
Vegan Brown Butter Butternut Squash Noodles
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 1 1/2 lb butternut squash spiralized
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 sage leaves
- 2 cups kale leaves finely shredded
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts chopped and toasted
- Fleur de sel and fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- To a pan with a light coloured bottom, heat the vegan butter over medium heat. Swirl the pan frequently and allow it to foam slightly and turn a toasted brown colour. Pour into a small ramekin and set aside.
- Wipe out the pan, then add a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the sage leaves until crispy and drain on a piece of paper towel.
- Add the spiralized squash and saute until lightly softened, then add in the kale leaves and toss until wilted.
- Pour in the browned butter and season with salt and pepper.
- To serve, top with the crushed hazelnuts and enjoy.
Nutrition
Updated on October 4th, 2021
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Farrah says
I haven’t had zoodles for the longest time, but this looks awesome! I’m all for comfort food this time of year! :]!
Abbey Sharp says
Right! You’ll love this recipe
Janice Price says
I made this tonight and got rave reviews!
I must admit that I used grass fed unsalted cow dairy butter from Thornloe Ontario instead of vegan butter. I also substituted arugula and spinach for the kale as I that’s what was in the fridge.
My butternut squash came from a small farm in QC ( Roots and Shoots) , just north of Ottawa.
So good, will make again.
Abbey Sharp says
Amazing! So glad
Natalie says
Oh wow, I absolutely love this. It’s super easy, highly nutritious and so healthy. Perfect dinner for my family and me. Saving and making.
Abbey Sharp says
Yay, thanks Natalie