Sage Butter Pasta

Try browning the butter if you want to bring a more nutty, noticeable, and complex flavour to the dish. It goes well with the sage, but if you want a sweeter and more subtle flavour, stop the butter from browning when it is simmering.

Another tip is to add a bit of the pasta water. It helps the sauce to the coat the pasta, and thickens the sauce, making the butter feel more like a sauce. So, save a bit of the pasta water and try it.

Sage is an herb that is popularly used in Italy. Its aroma is quite pungent, and the taste is strong and a bit minty. As it is full of flavour, it is ideal for simple pasta dishes, and at the same time, it is a great pairing with rich foods, which is why it also goes so well with this pasta in butter sauce.

Our recipe for pasta in butter sauce is easy and simple, but you can also experiment a bit to occasionally shake it up.

For example, try using different pasta types. We use rigatoni pasta, which resembles penne, and if this is what you have at home or it is what you prefer, you can use penne instead. If you choose to use penne, make sure that you are using the type with ridges – they will hold just as much sauce as the rigatoni pasta.

You can also use ravioli with a filling of spinach and cheese, add different herbs, or even add garlic to burst out the flavour. Pasta in butter sauce goes well with almost every pasta shape, so as long as you keep it simple, it is easy to vary the recipe and make it your own.

Pasta in butter sauce is one of the easiest dishes to make. You need few ingredients, and the preparation time is short. The butter makes it creamy and rich, and it adds a sweet taste that you can easily spice up with salt, black pepper, and herbs such as sage, thyme, parsley, and the like.

Another perfect flavour combination for butter where few ingredients are needed is cod like we do in this recipe for cod cooked in butter.

If you are into recipes with few ingredients, our vegetarian carbonara may also be interesting to you.

The secret to making a good pasta with butter sauce is to cook the pasta perfectly. Make sure that it is cooked al dente, so it has a bite to it. This is especially important if you do not add other ingredients with different textures to your dish.

Remember to taste the butter sauce before mixing it with the pasta – use as much salt and black pepper as necessary to make the flavour burst together with the sage.

There is no wrong way to put butter on pasta. But we like to melt the butter and simmer it with herbs and spices in a saucepan and then add the boiled pasta to the pan. Mix thoroughly until the pasta is completely covered in butter and serve immediately.

Yes, you can freeze butter pasta though it is better enjoyed immediately. Cool your pasta with butter sauce to room temperature and freeze it in an airtight container. When you are ready to eat your leftovers, you get the best result if you let the dish defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it in a saucepan or the microwave.

Sage is very good in any pasta dish. It is quite savoury and has notes of mint and you can even get a hint of pepper and citrus. The strong taste is perfect for pasta in butter sauce but also other kinds of pasta sauces like tomato, beef, etc.

If you use it in a simple butter sauce, the sage gets to dominate the dish with its strong flavour. If you use it with meat or other ingredients, the sage is balanced out, so it is less dominant.

You can reheat pasta with butter if you have leftovers. This can be done in the oven, in a saucepan, or in the microwave. In the oven, place the pasta in an oven proof bowl and cover it tightly with aluminium foil before baking it for about 20 minutes at 180C.

In a saucepan you simply heat the pasta with butter sauce over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes – add a bit more butter if needed.

To reheat pasta with butter in the microwave, place the dish in a microwave proof bowl, splash a bit of water over the pasta and heat it for a minute. Stir the pasta and heat again for a minute – continue until warm. You can also add a bit of butter.

Since there is no meat in this pasta in butter dish, you can keep it in the fridge for longer than you would otherwise. It will keep for about three to five days. Remember to store in an airtight container.