Go Back
finished-dish-with-grated-cheese-on-top

10-Minute Sage Butter Sauce Recipe

The 10-minute sage butter sauce recipe is an easy sauce with a nutty flavor. Top a pasta dish with parmesan cheese and a big batch of crispy sage leaves, and it’s a meal that feels fancy without the fuss. Don’t forget to pin or print the recipe card so you can come back to it anytime.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people
Calories 800 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 sauce pan or large skillet
  • 1 large pot boil pasta
  • 1 rubber spatula or wooden spoon
  • 3 sheets plastic wrap sage compound butter
  • 1 knife to chop sage for sage flavored butter
  • 1 fork to mix butter and sage for sage flavored butter
  • 1 bowl sage flavored butter
  • 1 airtight container sage flavored butter to freeze or store in the refrigerator

Ingredients
  

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 bunch fresh sage
  • grated parmesan cheese to taste
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 or 2 sticks softened butter or container of butter olive oil combination for sage flavored butter
  • 2-3 tbsp. sage roughly chopped for sage flavored butter
  • 1/4 tsp. salt & pepper optional for sage flavored butter

Instructions
 

  • Step 1: How to Make Sage Brown Butter Sauce - Melt butter
    Place your unsalted butter in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. If your butter is straight from the fridge, let it come to room temperature for 15 minutes, so it melts evenly.
    Cindy’s Note: My mom never cut the butter for this sauce; I don’t either. I see others do, but it’s really your choice.
  • Step 2: Browning Butter for a Rich Browned Butter Sauce
    As the butter melts over medium heat, the milk solids will drop to the bottom of the pan. The butter will begin to foam. Swirl the pan and keep a close eye on it when the butter foams. After 3-5 minutes, the butter will start to turn golden brown and release a nutty aroma. Swirl the pan until brown bits are in the bottom of the pan. This is when you have achieved brown butter for your sage sauce.
  • Step 3: Add Sage for Rich, Savory Flavor
    Drop in your fresh sage leaves and fry until they become crispy sage leaves. This deepens the flavor and makes a great addition to your pasta dish.
    Cindy’s Note: I first used a wooden spoon to mix the sage and butter, just like I watched my mom do in the kitchen. It’s a small memory that makes this recipe even more special.
  • Step 4: Season and Serve Your Perfect Pasta Dish
    Remove from the heat and add the black pepper. Gently mix the black pepper with a rubber spatula. Reserve some pasta water before draining your al dente pasta. Toss with the drained in bowls. This is an easy way to ensure the brown sage butter sauce binds to pasta. Use a rubber spatula to add the crispy sage leaves. Grated parmesan cheese on top, which makes this the perfect pasta dish.
    That’s it, you’ve got the perfect sauce in under 10 minutes! 
    Cindy’s Note: Don’t skip the fresh bread. I always dip some into the leftover sauce, and it’s delicious.
  • Instructions Sage Flavored Butter
    Scoop room temperature butter into a small bowl in three sections.Add roughly chopped fresh sage leaves.Mix with a fork until incorporated.Shape into flattened round portions and wrap in plastic wrap.Store in an airtight container in the fridge (1 month) or freezer (3 months).

Notes

 
 

10-Minute Sage Butter Recipe

 

Equipment:

  • Saucepan
  • Large pot (for pasta)
  • Rubber Spatula or wooden spoon
  • Plastic wrap (for sage flavored butter)

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
  • Fresh sage 
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Black pepper
  • ¼ tsp. salt (optional)

ingredients

Step 1: Melt butter

Place your unsalted butter in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. If your butter is straight from the fridge, let it come to room temperature for 15 minutes, so it melts evenly.
Cindy’s Note: My mom never cut the butter for this sauce; I don’t either. I see others do, but it’s really your choice.
10-minute-sage-butter-sauce-recipe-me-adding-butter-to-pan

me-adding-salt-to-saucepan-for-the-sauce

me-adding-pepper-to-pan-for-sauce
 

Step 2: Browning Butter

As the butter melts over medium heat, the milk solids will drop to the bottom of the pan. The butter will begin to foam. Swirl the pan and keep a close eye on it when the butter foams. After 3-5 minutes, the butter will start to turn golden brown and release a nutty aroma. Swirl the pan until brown bits are in the bottom of the pan. This is when you have achieved brown butter for your sage sauce.

10-minute-sage-butter-sauce-recipe-butter-foaming-and-beginning-to-brown

10-minute-sage-butter-sauce-recipe-sage-and-butter-foaming-to-get-crispy-sage

Step 3: Add Sage

Drop in your fresh sage leaves and fry until they become crispy sage leaves. This deepens the flavor and makes a great addition to your pasta dish.
Cindy’s Note: I first used a wooden spoon to mix the sage and butter, just like I watched my mom do in the kitchen. It’s a small memory that makes this recipe even more special.

Step 4: Season and Serve

Remove from the heat and add the black pepper. Gently mix the black pepper with a rubber spatula. Reserve some pasta water before draining your al dente pasta. Toss with the drained in bowls. This is an easy way to ensure the brown sage butter sauce binds to pasta. Use a rubber spatula to add the crispy sage leaves. Grated parmesan cheese on top, which makes this the perfect pasta dish.
That’s it, you’ve got the perfect sauce in under 10 minutes! 
Cindy’s Note: Don’t skip the fresh bread. I always dip some into the leftover sauce, and it’s delicious.
butter-dipped-in-leftover-sauce
finished-dish-with-grated-cheese-on-top

Sage Flavored Butter

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick butter or 2 (soft temperature) – I use Kerrygold
  • 2–3 tablespoons sage leaves, roughly chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
  • ¼ pepper (optional)

Equipment:

  • Small bowl
  • Fork
  • “Sticky” wrap
  • Airtight container
ingredients-flavored-butter
Scoop softened butter into a small bowl in three sections.
Add roughly chopped fresh sage leaves.
Mix with a fork until incorporated.
Shape into flattened round portions and wrap in plastic wrap.Store in an airtight container in the fridge (1 month) or freezer (3 months).
sage-roughly-chopped-for-flavored-butter
10-minute-sage-butter-sauce-recipe-spoon-with-soft-butter-for-flavored-butter
me-adding-chopped-sage-for-flavored-butter
10-minute-sage-butter-sauce-recipe-butter-and-sage-me-combing-for-flavored-butter
me-adding-flavored-butter-to-wrap-and-store
me-showing-flavored-butter-wrapped-in-plastic
me-showing-flavored-butter-in-a-container-to-stay-fresh
10-minute-sage-butter-sauce-recipe-finished-dish-with-grated-cheese-on-top-featured-image
Keyword baked potatoes, black pepper, brown sage butter, browned butter sauce, compound butter, crispy sage leaves, earthy flavor, easy sauce, fresh sage leaves, garlic bread, golden brown, medium heat, nutty aroma, parmesan cheesew, pasta dish, plastic wrap, room temperature, sage brown butter sauce, sage butter sauce, sage flavor, sage sauce, savory flavor, simple sauce, unsalted butter