Browned Butter Sage Sauce over Ravioli
A semi-homemade, simple and satisfying dish. Four cheese ravioli is drench in an easy to make sauce that includes nutty browned butter, earthy sage, and crunchy pecans, and it's finished with crisp toasted panko plus finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese on top. Maximum flavor in every bite!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- Salt and black pepper
- 8 Tbsp* butter, cut into 1 Tbsp pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts
- 1/4 cup (10g) fresh sage leaves, cut into ribbons
- 2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 20 oz cheese ravioli or butternut squash ravioli
- 1/4 cup pasta water (from cooking ravioli)
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Melt 1/2 Tbsp butter in a 10 or 12-inch stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook, tossing occasionally until evenly golden brown. Remove from heat and pour into a small heat proof bowl. Carefully wipe skillet fully clean with balled up paper towels using tongs.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook ravioli.
- While water heats make the browned butter sauce. Melt butter in now empty skillet over medium heat.
- Cook and stir the butter until it's just slightly beginning to deepen in color to a deeper yellow, about 4 to 5 minutes (be careful and stand back as the butter tends to splatter).
- Add nuts and sage and continue to cook and stir until butter is slightly foamy and nearly browned, about 2 minutes (note that the time will vary depending on the pan and your stovetop just monitor the color as you stir).
- Add garlic and cook butter until it has a nutty aroma and the milk solids at the bottom have nicely browned (careful not to burn it shouldn't be turning a dark brown, just a rich amber brown), about 1 minute.
- Pour browned butter mixture into a heat proof dish add set aside.
- Cook ravioli according to time listed on package just to al dente.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then drain ravioli.
- Return pasta to now empty pot off heat, or a large bowl. Pour browned butter sage sauce over ravioli, along with 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 2 Tbsp of the pasta water. Gently toss to coat while adding a little more pasta water as needed to thin the sauce.
- Serve right away garnished with browned panko bread crumbs and Romano cheese.
Notes
*Salted or unsalted butter can be used here. Salted butter is just a little trickier to brown and not burn since it will foam more than unsalted, making it a little harder to see it's shade underneath.