EASY FRESH PASTA WITH SAGE BROWNED BUTTER

Easy Fresh Pasta with Sage Browned Butter image

This sauce sings, despite its simplicity. I love to experience flavor purity in excellent, if easy, food. It's all about the supporting cast -- butter, nutmeg, and balsamic -- working harmoniously to let the sage take center stage in the least diva-driven way.

Provided by Linda Miller Nicholson

Time 30m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 1/8 cups "00" pasta flour, plus more as needed and for rolling out the dough
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon semolina flour, plus more for dusting the pasta before boiling
3 tablespoons butter
7 fresh sage leaves, chopped into chiffonade
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup hot, starchy pasta water (important -- see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for topping plates of pasta

Steps:

For the fresh tagliatelle: Bring a medium stockpot of salted water to a boil.
Combine the pasta flour and eggs in a food processor or the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms. Continue to knead for 3 minutes, either by hand or in the mixer, so that the dough develops elasticity and silkiness. Dust the ball of dough with "00" pasta flour, seal it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling it out, if time allows (see Cook's Note). Alternatively, you can let the dough rest for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. The color sometimes fades after that, although the dough is still usable for up to 3 days.
For sheeting and cutting by hand, use a rolling pin to flatten the pasta sheet into an oval about 1/16-inch thick. Flour it generously with "00" pasta flour and roll it into a cylindrical tube from short end to short end. Use a chef's knife to cut the cylinder into 3/8-inch strips. Unroll and separate the strips into strands of tagliatelle.
For sheeting with a pasta machine, sheet the pasta to about 1/16-inch thick, and cut into strips about 3/8-inch wide. On a pasta machine, this is about the third-thinnest setting on the sheeter and utilizes the tagliatelle cutter.
If time allows, hang the pasta at room temperature for 30 minutes or until it feels leathery. If cooking immediately, generously dust the tagliatelle with plenty of semolina flour to prevent it from becoming gummy.
Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon semolina flour to the large pot of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.
For the sage browned butter: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Continue cooking the butter until it turns a light golden brown, keeping a vigilant eye on it. Add the sage and continue cooking until the butter turns medium golden brown and smells nutty, about 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat for 1 minute.
Add the nutmeg and vinegar and return the pan to medium-high heat, stirring to combine. Immediately add the pasta water and Parmigiano and whisk until the cheese disappears and the sauce starts to thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Drain the pasta, toss the sauce with the pasta and serve immediately, topping each plate with additional cheese, if desired.