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Low-Carb Pumpkin, Sage & Browned Butter Zoodles

4.8 stars, average of 58 ratings

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A really hard thing for me over the years has been finding meat-free recipes that both myself and my whole family can enjoy. As a self-confessed bacon lover, our family occasionally liked to eat “meat-lite” meals. Vegetarian keto… but with bacon added.

But I really wanted to nail some delicious meat-free dinners and saw a chef on tv using pumpkin, sage and browned butter in something else. My mouth started to water and I found myself thinking “Hmmmmm…” I can report back that no bacon was required.

This meal is not ultra low in carbs although it can still be included in a keto diet. Just keep that in mind if your carb limit is very low. Enjoy!

Hands-on Overall

Allergy information for Low-Carb Pumpkin, Sage & Browned Butter Zoodles

✔  Gluten free
✔  Nut free
✔  Nightshade free
✔  Pork free
✔  Avocado free
✔  Coconut free
✔  Fish free
✔  Shellfish free
✔  Beef free
Pescatarian
Vegetarian

Nutritional values (per serving)

Net carbs13.1 grams
Protein6.1 grams
Fat31.3 grams
Calories352 kcal
Calories from carbs 15%, protein 7%, fat 78%
Total carbs16.3 gramsFiber3.2 gramsSugars8.8 gramsSaturated fat12.7 gramsSodium492 mg(21% RDA)Magnesium81 mg(20% RDA)Potassium900 mg(45% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

  • 1/2 medium pumpkin such as delicata or Hokkaido (800 g/ 1.8 lb)
  • 1 stick butter (113 g/ 4 oz)
  • 3 tbsp fresh sage or 2-3 tsp dried sage
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
  • 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
  • 4 medium zucchini (800 g/ 1.8 lb)
  • 6 tbsp shaved or grated Parmesan or cheese of choice (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (90 ml/ 3 fl oz)

Instructions

  1. Wash and pat dry the squash, sage and zucchini.
    Low-Carb Pumpkin, Sage & Browned Butter Zoodles
  2. Pull the larger leaves off the sage and sit aside. Finely chop the remaining sage.
  3. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sage. Wait until the sage crisps up and then remove the whole leaves (leaving the chopped sage in the saucepan) and drain on a paper towel.
  4. Stir the butter over med-high heat until it foams. Continue stirring, watching the colour of the butter beneath the foam until it turns a rich, dark brown.
    Low-Carb Pumpkin, Sage & Browned Butter Zoodles
  5. Remove from the heat and add the finely diced onion and the garlic. Let them sit in the hot butter while you prepare the pumpkin.
  6. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut into cubes. Some types of winter squash like Hokkaido do not require peeling.
    Low-Carb Pumpkin, Sage & Browned Butter Zoodles
  7. Place pumpkin in the pot with the browned butter, along with the broth. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes or until pumpkin is soft.
  8. Using a hand blender, blitz the mixture until it forms a smooth sauce.
    Low-Carb Pumpkin, Sage & Browned Butter Zoodles
  9. Prepare your zoodles in the way that you prefer (use a julienne peeler or a spiralizer). Toss them through the sauce. You can either serve them raw or cook them in the sauce for 2-5 minutes.
  10. Serve topped with the fried sage leaves and some shaved Parmesan. Drizzle with olive oil.
    Low-Carb Pumpkin, Sage & Browned Butter Zoodles
  11. Store sauce in a covered container, for up to five days.
    Low-Carb Pumpkin, Sage & Browned Butter Zoodles

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Squash, delicata, raw
9.3 g1.6 g0 g40 kcal
Butter, unsalted, grass-fed
0 g0.2 g15.3 g135 kcal
Sage, fresh
0 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Onion, brown (yellow), raw
0.7 g0.1 g0 g4 kcal
Chicken stock (broth), chicken only, homemade
0 g0.8 g0.8 g10 kcal
Zucchini (summer squash, courgette)
2.8 g1.6 g0.4 g23 kcal
Parmesan cheese
0.2 g1.8 g1.3 g20 kcal
Olive oil, extra virgin
0 g0 g13.5 g119 kcal
Salt, sea salt
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Total per serving
13.1 g6.1 g31.3 g352 kcal

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Naomi Sherman
Creator of NaomiShermanFoodCreative.com

Naomi Sherman

Naomi is the force behind Naomi Sherman, Food Creative. She is passionate about recipe development, food photography and styling.

An accomplished home cook who was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease eight years ago, Naomi started to explore the connection between healthy, whole food and her symptoms, and a new love was born.

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Comments (6)

Looks yummy. I’m a sucker for browned butter anything. What happens to the browned butter, onions and garlic after step 5?  Is it mixed with the pumpkin broth when you blend it?

Thank you Mary, it is in step 7 (the "pot" refers to the pot with the browned butter). I'll add this to clarify.

This sounds like a wonderful recipe, but I’m curious about the chopped sage, when is it added to the recipe? I only see the sautéed sage added to the finished recipe. Thanks, can’t wait to try this,  YUMMM!

Thank you Mary! You are going to use both whole and chopped in step 2 and 3 - I just added clarification 😊

This looks delicious and healthy!

Thank you Rose!