This Pasta with Butter and Sage is an elegant and comforting Italian classic. Made with golden butter, fresh sage leaves, and Parmigiano Reggiano, it’s the easiest weeknight dinner that tastes like something from a trattoria in Tuscany.
If you like this recipe, you might like my Creamy Pistachio Pasta and my Creamy Saffron Pasta.
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Hi! I really can’t wait for you to try this one. This pasta with butter and sage is one of those recipes that reminds me why I love Italian cooking so much. Just a few good ingredients, cooked simply, and the result is pure magic.
The butter slowly browns in the pan with fresh sage leaves, turning nutty and aromatic. It is the kind of sauce that fills your kitchen with that warm, buttery fragrance you cannot resist. Toss it with your favorite pasta and finish with a generous sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano.
It is rich, delicate, and ready in minutes. When I say minutes, I mean minutes! It cooks up faster than your pasta cooks up!
I make this often when I want something comforting but unfussy. It is the kind of easy Italian pasta recipe that feels luxurious without needing much effort, perfect for busy nights or a quiet dinner at home with a glass of wine.
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta: I used rigatoni because its ridges catch the browned butter and sage in every bite. You could also use penne. Soft pastas like gnocchi, and ribbon noodles like tagliatelle all work beautifully with a butter and sage sauce.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level of this quick sauce. It browns beautifully and clings to the pasta.
- Sage: Fresh sage leaves infuse the butter with a warm, aromatic flavor. I chose big sage leaves. Keep in mind they do shrink up as they fry.
- Sea Salt: A light sprinkle is all you need to bring the sauce together.
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Adds gentle heat and finishes the dish.
How to Make Butter and Sage Sauce
Gather your ingredients. This sauce is all about timing. So get your water boiling for the pasta. It will be ready in just minutes. Your pasta will still be cooking, which is fine!
- Boil water for pasta: This recipe comes together very quickly, so get your pasta cooking! Before beginning the butter sauce, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Step 1: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. As soon as it begins to sizzle, add the fresh sage leaves and fry them gently for 2–3 minutes until crisp and fragrant.
- Step 2: Add the pasta to the boiling, salted water.
- Step 4: As soon as it begins to sizzle, add the fresh sage leaves and fry them gently for 2–3 minutes until crisp and fragrant.
- Step 5: Let the butter cook, swirling the pan often so it browns evenly. You’ll hear it bubble and see large bubbles form; lower the heat if it moves too quickly.
- Step 6: The bubbling will fade and a soft foam will rise. Keep the pan moving so you can check the color under the foam. This part takes about 5 minutes.
- Watch for the tiny specks on the bottom to turn a warm golden brown (not dark). The butter will continue to cook off the heat, so timing matters.
- Once the specks turn brown, take the pan off the heat and use it right away. Spoon the browned butter over the pasta, then finish with a bit of the foam from the top of the pan for extra flavor. Depending on the pasta timing, the foam may settle into the browned butter if the pasta is still boiling away. It's not important to have the foam on top. What's important is the pasta is freshly cooked and al dente.
- Add a splash of reserved pasta water, if it's needed, to create a silky sauce.
- Serve: Serve immediately, and if you like, serve with a touch of freshly cracked black pepper. ENJOY!
📃 NOTE: Recipe card with detailed instructions are below! Print it out for later!
Pro Tips for Perfect Butter and Sage Pasta
- Finish with plenty of Parmigiano and freshly cracked pepper for a restaurant-quality finish.
- Use fresh sage, not dried, for that signature aroma and crisp texture. You will need more sage than you think you would because the sage does shrink up as it's cooking in the butter.
- Let the butter brown just slightly before adding the pasta. Browned butter is what gives it a nutty flavor.
- Always reserve pasta water to help emulsify the sauce.
- Use high-quality butter since it’s the main flavor here. I prefer to use unsalted so I can regulate the salt myself in the sauce. If all you have is salted butter on hand, no problem. Use it, but you may not need to add any more salt to the sauce.
Storing and Freezing
- To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- To Reheat: Add a splash of warm water or butter to bring back the creamy texture.
- To Freeze: Skip freezing brown butter sage pasta. The sauce separates after thawing and loses its silky texture, so you won’t get the same rich, nutty result.
FAQ'S
Long pasta like tagliatelle or fettuccine is classic, but filled pasta such as pumpkin or ricotta ravioli pairs beautifully with butter and sage.
You can add sautéed shrimp or pancetta, but it is delicious on its own. This sauce was made to shine simply.
This dish is best served fresh, but you can brown the butter and crisp the sage in advance, then reheat gently before adding the pasta.
Yes! Let the butter cook until it’s golden brown before adding the sage for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
The butter will foam, then settle as the milk solids turn golden. When it smells nutty and toasted, remove it from the heat.
Brown butter burns if the heat is too high or the pan is left still. Keep the heat at medium, swirl the pan often, and check under the foam so the milk solids do not scorch.
You can use either, but I prefer unsalted butter because it gives you the most control over seasoning. Just be sure to season the finished sauce to taste.
What to serve with this recipe
- You will need to make my super easy Authentic Focaccia Bread to soak up all the luscious butter sauce.
- My Insalata Mista is a really nice and easy salad to make.
- For dessert, you will love my Italian Apple Cake or my delicious Affogato is the perfect way to end the meal.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
Did you make this and love it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)
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📖 Recipe
Pasta with Butter and Sage (10 Minutes!)
Equipment
- 1 large sauce pan
- 1 Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb of pasta rigatoni, penne or even gnocchi work great
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 15 fresh sage leaves plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Boil the pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
Cook in salted water
- Add the pasta to the boiling, well-salted water so it seasons evenly from the start. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water.
Melt the butter
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and let it warm until it starts to sizzle.
Fry the sage
- Add the fresh sage leaves and fry them gently for 2–3 minutes until crisp and fragrant.
Brown the butter
- Let the butter cook as you swirl the pan so it browns evenly. You’ll hear bubbling and see big bubbles; lower the heat if it moves too fast.
Watch the foam form
- As the bubbling fades, a soft foam rises. Keep the pan moving and check the color underneath. This stage takes about 5 minutes.
Look for golden specks
- Watch the tiny milk solids on the bottom turn warm golden brown. They darken quickly, so timing matters.
Pull it off the heat
- Once the specks are brown, remove the pan. Spoon the browned butter over the pasta and add a little foam for extra flavor. Fresh, al dente pasta makes the sauce shine.
Make it silky
- Add a splash of pasta water to bring the sauce together.
Serve immediately
- Plate right away and finish with freshly cracked black pepper. ENJOY!
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Use a light-colored stainless steel pan. You see the milk solids change color clearly, the heat stays steady, and you control the browning better. Dark pans make it hard to judge the color, and copper heats so fast that it can push the butter past golden before you catch it. I did use copper and I kept an eye on it.
- Use unsalted butter so you can control the seasoning as the sauce cooks.
- Keep the pan moving; swirling helps the butter brown evenly without burning.
- The butter shifts from a soft lemony yellow to a warm golden tan, and finally to that perfect toasty brown that looks just like toasted hazelnuts.
- It takes about 8 minutes, and the aroma tells you you’re close. The butter continues to cook off the heat, so pull it the moment the specks turn golden.
- Fresh sage gives the best aroma and crisps slightly in the hot butter.
- Rigatoni works well, but gnocchi, ravioli, and tagliatelle are also great with this sauce.
- Serve the pasta immediately—brown butter tastes best while warm and fragrant.
Joan says
There is something so sophisticated yet simple about a butter and sage sauce! It’s the perfect way to let the flavor of the pasta really shine. Yours looks perfectly browned and done beautifully!
Elle says
The fresh sage took this over the top! Delicious!
Katy says
I love sage, but it's not that easy to find good recipes that use it. This pasta with butter and sage is perfect!!
Swathi says
This butter sage sauce is so delicious and highly versatile. I am going to keep it in my kitchen menu from now on.