Sandra Ina Garten Brown Butter Sage Sauce Recipe is a French-style finishing sauce featuring fresh sage leaves and unsalted butter. This 12-minute condiment creates a nutty topping for butternut squash ravioli or pan-seared chicken.
The first time I made this, I walked away from the hob for thirty seconds and ended up with black, bitter fat. Now I always stay right next to the pan and use a light-coloured skillet. You need to see the sediment turn from pale gold to a deep amber to know exactly when to pull it off the heat.
The sage leaves are doing more work than you’d think. Without that brief fry in the hot fat, they stay chewy and pungent rather than becoming crisp and earthy. I’ve tried a few versions of this sauce and this one from Ina is the one I keep going back to because the lemon juice cuts right through the heavy grease.
Ina Garten Brown Butter Sage Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- 115g (4oz) unsalted butter
- 10 fresh sage leaves, whole
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
How To Make Ina Garten Brown Butter Sage Sauce Recipe
- Melt the butter: Place the butter in a medium-sized, light-coloured skillet over a medium heat on the hob. Swirl the pan occasionally as the block turns to liquid to keep the heat even.
- Brown the butter: Keep cooking the liquid for about 4 to 5 minutes until it stops bubbling and starts to foam. Look for tiny brown specks at the bottom of the pan and a smell like toasted hazelnuts.
- Add sage and garlic: Drop the whole sage leaves into the hot fat and let them sizzle for 1 to 2 minutes until they look crisp. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until the aroma fills the kitchen.
- Season the sauce: Take the pan off the heat immediately so the residual heat does not burn the butter solids. Stir in the sea salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.
- Serve immediately: Drizzle the hot sauce directly over your prepared pasta or vegetables whilst it is still foaming. Top the dish with a grating of Parmesan if you want extra saltiness.
Recipe Tips
Use a silver or white pan. Dark non-stick coatings make it impossible to see the colour of the butter solids, which is your only way to judge when the sauce is ready. A light surface helps you catch the exact moment the butter turns amber.
Watch the foam closely. Butter goes through a stage of heavy bubbling before it foams up; the browning happens quickly right after the foam appears. If the foam makes it hard to see the bottom, lift the pan and swirl it to clear the bubbles.
Wait for the sage to crisp. The leaves should feel rigid and break easily when touched with a spoon. If they are still soft, they will feel hairy and unpleasant when eaten.
Keep the garlic pieces small. Mince the garlic as finely as possible so it softens in the thirty seconds it spends in the pan. Large chunks will stay raw and overpower the delicate scent of the sage.
Prepare your pasta first. This sauce takes very little time and needs to be served the second it is finished. Have your ravioli or gnocchi drained and waiting in a warm bowl before you start melting the butter.
Add the lemon at the end. Pouring the juice into the pan whilst it is still on the heat causes violent splattering. Wait until the pan is on a cool surface to add the acidity safely.
What To Serve With Brown Butter Sage Sauce
This sauce is the traditional partner for butternut squash ravioli or pumpkin tortellini. It adds a savoury depth to roasted sweet potatoes and keeps pan-seared chicken breasts from feeling dry.
Try it over potato gnocchi or a simple plate of fettuccine with plenty of black pepper. It also works as a dip for crusty sourdough bread or a dressing for charred autumn vegetables like parsnips and carrots.
How To Store Brown Butter Sage Sauce
Fridge
Store the sauce in a small glass jar for up to 4 days. The butter will solidify into a pale brown block, but the flavour remains intact.
Reheat
Place the hardened butter back into a small pan over a low heat. Melt it slowly until the sage leaves become crisp again, taking care not to let the butter solids darken further.
Freeze
Pour the cooled sauce into an ice cube tray to create individual portions that last for 2 months. Drop a frozen cube directly into hot pasta and toss until it melts and coats the noodles.
Ina Garten Brown Butter Sage Sauce Recipe Nutrition Facts
Per serving (1 of 4):
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Protein: 1g
- Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 60mg
Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.
FAQs
Yes, you can make the sauce and keep it in the fridge, but you must reheat it gently in a pan to crisp the sage leaves back up.
The butter has likely gone past the amber stage and burnt; the black specks at the bottom of the pan will taste acrid if they cook too long.
No, dried sage will not crisp up in the fat and usually has a dusty texture that ruins the smoothness of the sauce.
Ina Garten Brown Butter Sage Sauce Recipe
Description
A golden amber sauce with toasted nutty notes and crackling sage leaves that adds a sophisticated finish to pasta.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a light-coloured skillet over a medium heat.
- Cook for 5 minutes until the butter foams and turns a deep amber colour.
- Drop in the sage leaves and fry for 2 minutes until they are crisp.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before removing from the heat.
- Mix in the salt, pepper, and lemon juice until combined.
- Pour immediately over hot pasta or roasted vegetables.
