This Brown Butter Sage Sauce with dried sage is a delicious and easy-to-make sauce that adds a rich and nutty flavor to pastas, poultry, meat, and fish dishes.
This sauce is savory and aromatic, made by melting butter in a pan until it turns a deep golden color, then adding dried sage leaves to infuse the butter with a fragrant, earthy, herbaceous flavor.
I love this rich, buttery sauce tossed with linguine, and topped with parmesan, for a simple, yet pleasantly light pasta meal with a ton of flavor.
The great thing about this butter-based herb sauce is that you can combine it with other pasta sauces to create another layer of flavor without interfering with the main ingredients.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for brown butter sage sauce
Butter: I used a brand of butter with a particularly high fat content, so the result was quite frothy, which I love. You could skim off the creamy layer if you want a clearer brown butter sauce base.
Dried sage: You may need to use less of the dried herb than you think. Even in small quantities, the taste of sage is unmistakeable, so you may need to test the potency of your dried sage by tasting and adjusting the butter sauce.
Salt: I added too much salt to mine, because I forgot that I used salted butter this time. If you’re using unsalted, just add salt to taste.
Black pepper (optional): I can’t do without coarse black pepper in most of my homemade sauces, but you can skip it if you want.
How to make Sage Brown Butter Sauce
Step 1: Brown The Butter
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir occasionally to ensure even melting.
Once the butter is melted, continue cooking it over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it turns a deep golden brown color and smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes.
Be careful not to burn the butter.
Step 2: Add Dried Sage
Add the dried sage to the browned butter and stir to combine.
Cook the sauce for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sage is fragrant.
Step 3: Season and Serve
Remove the pan from the heat and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the sauce immediately over pasta, roasted vegetables, chicken, or pork. Garnish with additional chopped sage.
Recipe Tips to make Sage Butter Sauce
Take care not to burn the butter, as it will ruin the flavor of the sauce.
Also, don’t allow the dried sage to burn, so you’ll need to watch the sauce closely as it cooks.
Storing Dried sage Pasta sauce
Allow the sauce cool completely before storing it. Let it sit at room temperature for a bit or place it in the refrigerator to cool down faster.
Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.
To reheat brown butter sage sauce with dried sage, heat it in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until it’s fully heated through. Just be careful not to overheat the sauce, as this can cause it to separate or become greasy.
Give this sage butter sauce recipe a try and let me know how you prefer to serve it!
Brown Butter Sage Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 stick 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1-2 tsp dried sage
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally to ensure even melting.
- Once the butter is melted, continue cooking it over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it turns a deep golden brown color and smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to burn the butter.
- Add the dried sage to the browned butter and stir to combine.
- Cook the sauce for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sage is fragrant.
- Remove the pan from the heat and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the sauce immediately over pasta, roasted vegetables, chicken, or pork. Garnish with additional chopped sage.
