With only 5 ingredients, this pasta with browned butter, sage, and parmesan is an easy weeknight dinner!
Such a simple pasta recipe, but so good!
I was admiring my sage in the herb bed and thinking about what a shame it was that I don't use sage often enough. It's a flavor I typically associate with Thanksgiving, but really why save it for the holidays?
I found this recipe for pasta with sage simmered in a brown butter sauce right here on this blog! It was posted back in 2010 with a recipe from a Mark Bittman cookbook and didn't have a photo or a recipe card. I had raved about it and then apparently never made it again.
People. People. This was so good. So easy. Only 5 ingredients and it tasted like something from a restaurant.
It was so good, that I immediately went out and froze some of my sage, so I could make this even in the winter.
Ingredients.
- Parmesan cheese - I go through a lot of Parmesan cheese, so I buy the big wedges from Costco. Whole Foods also has a nice Parmesan. Whatever you do, don't use the pre-grated stuff in the green can! You want fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
- Butter - I like to use Irish butter. I think it has a richer flavor.
- Pasta - you can use any type of pasta. I found this organic linguine. It was good, but I think next time I'll look for a bronze-cut pasta. I like the rougher edges of a bronze cut, the sauce seems to cling to them better.
- Sage - lucky you if you are growing sage in your herb garden, otherwise the fresh packages from the grocery store will be fine. It also turns out that sage has some health benefits!
Instructions.
Begin by heating the butter over low heat. When it is melted, add the sage leaves, salt, and pepper.
Continue cooking the sage in the butter until the butter turns a light brown. This should take about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta per the package directions. Save 2-3 tablespoons of the hot cooking water and place it in the large bowl in which you're going to toss the pasta.
Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl. Pour over the sage brown butter pasta sauce and half of the parmesan cheese.
Toss and taste to adjust seasonings. Serve with the rest of the parmesan cheese.
Such a simple pasta recipe and yet so good! The combination of the browned butter, the crispy, earthy sage, and the salty tang of the parmesan cheese is perfect!
More recipes using sage.
Recipe.
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Brown Butter Sage Pasta with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 20 sage leaves fresh
- 1 pound dried pasta
- 1 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it once it comes to a boil.
- Over low heat, melt the butter. Add the sage and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until the butter turns a light brown, about 10 minutes.
- Cook the pasta according to the directions. Scoop out 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and add it to a large bowl.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl. Top with the butter sage sauce and half of the parmesan cheese. Toss and taste to adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve topped with the rest of the parmesan cheese.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2010 and has been updated for 2023.
Abundance Yeah says
Hi I'm following you from the blog hop today.
Couscous & Consciousness says
Oh, there are few things in life better than pasta with sage, butter & parmesan - perfect!
Sue
Claudia says
I'm growing those herbs as well, and pasta is such a great way to showcase them. They can each have their day on center stage.
Chris says
Our sage has been a "Fertile Myrtle" this year and I don't use it enough. This makes nice use of it.
tigerfish says
That looks like simple classic pasta 🙂
The Food Hunter says
I'm a huge fan of pasta with butter sage.
Debinhawaii says
Leftover pasta is an awesome lunch. 😉 I just added a sage plant to my herb garden so will definitely try this one--it looks amazing. I need to find Max a catnip plant too!
Natashya KitchenPuppies says
Great idea! My sage has totally exploded too - must have loved this incredibly hot summer.
And who counts calories..?
Kim says
Why oh why didn't I plant sage this year? Thanks for pointing out this recipe. Looks like one I would enjoy greatly!
the clark clan says
Pammy! I love that you combined SAGE in this simple recipe! Everyone else uses either oregano or basil and you went out there on a limb with sage! Very cool! I also think pasta is good for lunch and I love bittman baby!
a good yarn says
Aren't the leaves of sage pretty - so soft and grey green yet aromatic.
Butterpoweredbike says
I didn't grow any sage over the summer, but I just put some in an herb pot that I intend to bring inside for the winter. I hope it takes hold because I love the taste of sage in the autumn. Thanks for linking up with Two for Tuesday. Gotta say, the catnip is most popular at my home, as well.
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
Perfect -- I have lots of sage in the garden right now.
girlichef says
I think sage is gorgeous...and honestly, it's become my favorite herb this year! I love the sound of your pasta...right up my alley right now! I love making cleansing sage bundles at the end of the season, too. Thanks so much for sharing this with Two for Tuesdays and IHCC this week, Pam!! =)
Julie says
I just picked some of my sage yesterday for a butternut squash pasta recipe. It's my most under used herb. This looks delicious. Bookmarking it to try.
Reeni says
I love simple pastas like this! So rich and delicious. My sage is running wild right now too.
maybelle's mom says
too much basil, coriander, chervil, marjoram, fennel, dill, rosemary thyme (at scarborough fair.) I find sage one of the ones I have a hard time cooking with. I basically only grow it b/c i love the three colored look. Though with butter and cheese (and sage), my shoe would be good.
Chanel11 says
I actually get a good run with my sage - I use it on pork or pasta, as you have, frequently - fresh rosemary get the least amount of attention
grace says
want to know what's in my herb bed? my cats, and lots of trampled herb-like greenery. 🙂
From the Kitchen says
I have some sage just begging to show off in a dish and this sounds like the perfect "stage" for it. Thanks. I can't wait to try it.Best,Bonnie
Farmgirl Susan says
This morning while I was out watering in the greenhouse I noticed that the sage was finally taking off, and I started wondering what I should do with it. This recipe looks perfect. Thanks for the delicious inspiration! 🙂
5 Star Foodie says
The sage goes so wonderfully with pasta - very yummy!
Carolina says
I do almost the same thing, with the addition of some lemon juice, with gnocchi. Tastes heavenly.Calories? Never heard of those things! ;-)Fresh green salad with a light dressing to go with it and my conscious is clear again.
Antoinette says
I sure do like the flavor of sage, but for some reason I only think of it at Thanksgiving time! Wonder why...? This sounds like a nice transition-to-fall dish.
inanoyster.com says
sounds heavenly!
Patricia Scarpin says
My sage died and I can't wait to get another vase - this is a delicious pasta dish, Pam!
Marjie says
I don't think your students would mind the faint aroma of garlic wafting about their favorite teacher! And it would keep the vampires amongst them at bay. I love penne, and this looks wonderful, calorie count notwithstanding.
June says
Perfect Pam - butter and cheese. Can't go wrong with that!
Amy says
Butter and cream make most pasta dishes better, and there is nothing like fresh herbs.
So glad I'll see you over at my place this week for PPN!
Cathy says
Sage is growing in my herb pot and I don't use it as often as I should. I prefer pasta with a light dressing instead of heavy sauces I make in the winter. I'm looking forward to trying this, Pam.
Joanne says
Oh does this look tasty. I'm so sick of synthetically flavored cruise food and want something with fresh herbs!
leilani says
The nice thing about sage is that it's a beautiful ornamental plant too.
I love to saute sage leaves in olive oil until nice and crispy and add them to scrambled eggs or an omelet. To my mind, sage and eggs were made to go together.
Mags says
For some reason, the only herb that really thrived in my garden was my sage so I'm delighted to find another way to use it. This pasta looks fabulous.
Big Dude says
It's hard to beat a simple pasta dish, especially in a cheese and butter sauce. I don't believe I've ever put sage in pasta though and ours is same as yours - rarely used and very big.
My Carolina Kitchen says
What a lovely pasta Pam. I have fresh sage growing in my herb garden along with two kinds of basil, several kinds of thyme, oregano and of course a huge rosemary bush.
I have the original How to Cook Everything and use it all of the time. I wonder if there are a lot of new recipes in the revised edition. Hard to believe that wonderful book is 10 years old.
Sam