Would you believe me if I told you this pasta dish takes just 15 minutes from start to finish?
Well, you better believe it.
It’s literally pasta + a 3-ingredient sauce (butter, sage, & lemon).
That’s the beauty of simple, classic recipes.
Brown butter sauces have been around for ages….
(Probably because they are so freaking easy and delicious.)
I mean… what DOESN’T taste better with butter??
Take some beautifully al dente pasta, toss it with some golden butter, sizzled sage, and fresh lemon juice, and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, and flaky sea salt.
It’s like a fancified adult version of those cheesy buttered noodles that kids go crazy over.
Just, you know, do the adult thing and brown the butter and toss in some sage, then you can totally have this for dinner 😉
We like to serve it with a giant salad or simply prepared veggies like Sauteed Greens and Mushrooms, Simple Kale Salad with Golden Raisins, or a Simple Baby Greens Side Salad.
Now go ahead and make yourself some gourmet noodles!
- 8 ounces dried pappardelle pasta
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 20 fresh sage leaves
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Maldon sea salt
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
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Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
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Add the pappardelle and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually 6-7 minutes).
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Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Let it cook for a minute or two until the butter is just lightly golden colored (don't let it go too long, or the butter will burn!). Immediately add the sage to skillet and let it sizzle for a second, then turn off the heat. Squeeze the lemon juice into the skillet and swirl to combine. Set the pan aside off of the heat.
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When the pasta is done cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta in a colander.
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Put the drained pasta back in the pot and place it on the stove over medium-low heat. Pour roughly 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid over the pasta, and then pour the brown butter sage sauce over the top. Stir gently to combine, and let it cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, until the sauce nicely coats all noodles.
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Divide the pasta up into two serving bowls and top each one with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, and Maldon sea salt. Serve right away.
I just tried this recipe and it is definitely going into the rotation. It is simple, quick, delicious, and very elegant. I was looking for easy recipes for entertaining and this one definitely fits the bill. Thank you for posting!
I changed a few things and added some extra spices to this recipe. I would not recommend using 20 sage leaves since it was too overpowering. I would use half of that or even fewer sage leaves. I also added garlic powder, red chili flakes, and black pepper at the end after tossing the pasta with the sauce.
DO NOT USE 20 SAGE LEAVES PLEASE!! It was way too overpowering. I remade it with about half of that amount, maybe even fewer, and added some garlic powder, red chili flakes, black pepper, and parmesan cheese after tossing the pasta in the sauce. It was delicious