PASTA WITH BUTTER, SAGE AND PARMESAN

Pasta With Butter, Sage And Parmesan image

Like many simple sauces, this one takes less time to prepare than the pasta itself. Fresh, fragrant sage is my choice of herb here, but substitutions abound. Try parsley, thyme, chervil or other green herbs in its place. Or cook minced shallot or onion in the butter until translucent. You may even toast bread crumbs or chopped nuts in the butter, just until they're lightly browned. In any case, finish the sauce with a sprinkling of Parmesan, which not only adds its distinctive sharpness, but also thickens the mixture even further.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Time 20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cut pasta, like ziti
2 tablespoons butter
30 fresh sage leaves
1 cup or more freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt it. Cook pasta until it is tender, but not quite done.
Meanwhile, place butter in a skillet or saucepan large enough to hold the cooked pasta; turn heat to medium, and add sage. Cook until butter turns nut-brown and sage shrivels, then turn heat to a minimum.
When the pasta is just about done, scoop out a cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta. Immediately add it to the butter-sage mixture, and raise heat to medium. Add 3/4 cup of the water, and stir; the mixture will be loose and a little soupy. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until some of the water is absorbed and the pasta is perfectly done.
Stir in cheese; the sauce will become creamy. Thin it with a little more water if necessary. Season liberally with pepper and salt to taste, and serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table if you like.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 607, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 90 grams, Fat 16 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 26 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 397 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams