Brown Butter with Sage

Serves 4.

Sage, savoury and bold, is tamed by a pool of butter and gentle heat. Instead of grassy assertion, fried sage brings mellow herbaceousness.

Ingredients

1/3 cup Emerald Grasslands unsalted butter

8 sage leaves leaves, cleaned of their stems

Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste

1 lemon or 2 tsp Giuseppe Cremonini Aceto Balsamico

Method

Set a large pot of water to boil over high heat. When it comes to a boil, season generously with sea salt -- a palmful, not a teaspoon. Cook pasta as directed, removing from boiling water with tongs or a slotted spoon. Do not discard pasta water.

Set a saucepan over medium low heat. It's best to use a pan with a light coloured bottom so you can watch the progression of your browning butter. Add butter and picked sage leaves. Swirl your pan occasionally to ensure the butter is cooking evenly. The butter will begin to foam and its colour will progress from yellow to hazelnut brown. Simultaneously, your sage leaves will be crisping nicely.

When you are happy with your butter and sage, carefully remove the sage leaves. Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to your saucepan to stop the butter cooking. Remove from heat.

Toss pasta with brown butter, season to taste with salt, top with fried sage and a generous grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or balsamic to add brightness.

Buon appetito!

Pasta Suggestions

Fresh stuffed pasta filled with cheese and/or seasonal vegetables like greens or squash.