Brown Butter Za’atar Pasta

The spice cabinet is always a good place to start when you’re looking for dinner inspiration. When it comes to pasta, you might automatically turn to Italian-leaning spices like oregano and red pepper flakes, but why limit yourself? Middle Eastern za’atar is arguably more herby, fragrant, and interesting than your run-of-the-mill Italian seasoning, and it’s a flavor-packed, albeit untraditional, match-up with pasta. Letting it mingle with nutty brown butter, lemon juice, fresh herbs, and Parmesan cheese delivers a humble dinner that’s anything but average.

While no two jars of za’atar are the same, most contain a mixture of dried thyme or oregano (or both), sumac, and sesame seeds. Traditionally, za’atar is made with the crumbled dried leaves of the za’atar plant, which is a relative of oregano found in the Middle East, rather than dried thyme or oregano, but many jars you’ll find stateside use them as a replacement. New York Shuk’s za’atar is my favorite because it does use the traditional za’atar leaves. Regardless of the brand you use, the spice blend is herbaceous and nutty with a certain lemony brightness, thanks to sumac. 

Tossing pasta with a za’atar-infused brown butter is enough to transform it, but I like to stir in lemon juice and a mix of chopped fresh herbs like parsley, oregano, thyme, and/or mint for extra vibrancy, turning it into a truly comforting dinner that doesn’t feel heavy.

Pantry Pasta is Sheela Prakash‘s monthly column of easy, accessible pasta recipes. You’ll discover a new, inspired recipe each month that takes advantage of grocery staples and highlights one pantry hero. Follow along and grab all the recipes here.