Brown Butter Sage Sauce
A silky, nutty brown butter sage sauce made in 6 minutes with four ingredients — the most elegant pasta sauce you can make at home.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon 85g unsalted butter
- 12 –15 fresh sage leaves
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Grated parmesan to finish
- Pinch of nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in light-colored pan over medium heat. Cook swirling gently until foam subsides and milk solids turn golden and smell nutty — 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
- Return to low heat. Add fresh sage leaves, swirl to coat, crisp 20–30 seconds until bright and slightly darker at edges.
- Add reserved pasta water carefully — it will bubble. Swirl and stir to emulsify into glossy unified sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add freshly cooked ravioli directly to pan, toss gently to coat. Finish with freshly grated parmesan and pinch of nutmeg. Serve immediately on warm plates.
Notes
- Use a light-colored pan — you must see the butter color change to avoid burning.
- Have everything ready before starting — brown butter moves fast.
- Serve immediately on warm plates — the sauce solidifies quickly as it cools.
- Have everything ready before starting — brown butter moves fast.
- Serve immediately on warm plates — the sauce solidifies quickly as it cools.