Zucchini with Butter and Garlic

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Cooking zucchini with butter and garlic is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to serve this lovely vegetable. This recipe is not only simple, but it can easily accommodate a wide range of dishes or cuisines. You can have this wonderful side dish ready to go in less than 20 minutes!

Using Zucchini with Butter

You’ll notice on our site that there aren’t too many zucchini recipes that use butter, but rather olive oil. Such as my recipe for sauteed zucchini and garlic. That’s because both sides of my family are from the southern regions of Italy.

However, for this recipe, I wanted to do something different and go with a more northern-Italian variation by replacing the olive oil with butter.

Typically northern regions of Italy use more butter and creams with their dishes, while southern Italy all the way to Sicily, uses olive oil. This is due to what they are able to grow agriculturally in the various regions.

Using the zucchini with butter provides a richer flavor and combined with the garlic, is like adding a cherry on top!

Sautéing the Zucchini with the Butter and Garlic

What makes this recipe so easy is how we cook it all together. We don’t bake or fry the zucchini but saute it in a sauce pan over medium heat.

We first saute the butter and garlic together and then add in the zucchini after a few minutes. It really is that simple as you’ll see in my images below.

Using Basil with the Zucchini

Although you don’t have to, adding in basil is another way to enhance this recipe. I often use basil as my preferred herb when cooking with zucchini. Not only do I have it on hand year round by growing basil without soil, but I really love the combination of zucchini and basil together, especially with pasta.

Use fresh basil, not dried. If you saved your basil from the summer by freezing the basil leaves in ice cube trays or some other method, this is a great recipe to use them in.

Simply take your fresh basil leaves and stack them. Then roll them like a cigar and slice them lengthwise so you end up with a bunch of ribbons. If they seem too long, slice them crosswise to make them shorter.

Ingredients

The ingredients you’ll need for making this side dish are exactly what the recipe name implies, plus the basil.

Zucchini

We’ll use two medium size zucchini which will make enough for 4 to 6 servings.

Butter

You’ll only need one Tablespoon of butter. A little goes a long way.

Garlic

This recipe calls for two cloves of garlic which should be chopped finely. For a more subtle garlic flavor, slice the garlic instead.

Basil (optional)

Use a small handful of fresh or frozen basil leaves, but do not use dried basil for this recipe.

Can You Use Frozen Zucchini?

You can substitute approximately 1 and ½  cups frozen zucchini for the fresh zucchini, but the result will be a softer, mushier zucchini side dish.

I’ve done this on numerous occasions for different recipes with Italian squash. It still tastes great and is often more economical when your budget is tight, or you don’t grow your own zucchini.

Zucchini with Butter and Garlic

To make zucchini with butter and garlic, follow these steps below. You can also see my detailed recipe card below.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the tablespoon of butter over low-medium heat.

While the butter is melting, chop two cloves of garlic. If you aren’t sure about two cloves being too much, you can use just one, or slice the garlic lengthwise into thin strips.  

Add the garlic to the melted butter and spread it around so the garlic is covered with the butter. Make sure the garlic does not burn by giving it a frequent stir and keeping the heat to a low-medium level.

Meanwhile, take your zucchini and cut it into half-moons. Do this by slicing the zucchini lengthwise and then slicing them crosswise into slices. Since the zucchini is cut lengthwise to start with, this creates the half moon. See my images below.

Add the zucchini to the butter and garlic mixture and stir so that the zucchini is adequately coated with the melted butter.

While that is cooking, grab a handful of basil leaves. Layer them on top of each other and roll them up..

Then slice them so they create thin strips that look like ribbons. If they appear too long, just cut them to be shorter.

Add the basil when the zucchini is almost ready to be served. The basil doesn’t need to be cooked down for a long time, otherwise it can lose some of its flavor.

Serve warm as a perfect side dish.

Recipe Variations and Ideas

This recipe is very adaptable to different variations. Sometimes you may find an ingredient may not go well with your main dish, perhaps overpowering it. So you can modify it based on your own preferences.

Here are some ideas that might help you out when the need arises. Knowing how to make the basics of this recipe can be just the start, opening the option for more recipes to add to your collection down the road!

• Add a drop of fresh lemon or lemon concentrate for a brighter flavor.
• Use Italian parsley or even thyme instead of basil if you prefer those herbs.
• Add some red pepper flakes for some extra heat.
• Switch the butter with olive oil.
• Add in some scallions or shallots.

This Side Dish Goes Well With…

Zucchini with butter and garlic always goes well with chicken recipes such as fried chicken cutlets, baked chicken breasts, rosemary whole chicken. It also pairs well with other vegetables such as eggplant dishes, or light pastas such as pasta with asparagus and lemon or pasta with alfredo sauce and mushrooms.

Serve with some artisan bread or a baguette. You don’t have use homemade Italian bread, but if you do, it will taste amazing!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, please let me know how it goes for you and if you made your own unique modifications!