Skip to main content
Epicurious

Butter, Fresh Sage, and Walnut Sauce

Recipe information

  • Yield

    for 1 pound of pasta

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, or more to taste!
6 fresh sage leaves
1 cup chopped walnuts, 1/8- to-1/4-inch bits
Hot water from pasta-cooking pot
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Melt the butter over medium-high heat in the skillet, and scatter the sage leaves around the pan.

    Step 2

    When the butter begins to sizzle, drop the chopped walnuts in a hot spot. Toast them, stirring them in the butter for a minute or so, until they start to turn light brown.

    Step 3

    Ladle in 1 cup of pasta-cooking water. Cook at an active simmer for about 3 minutes, to develop flavor and thicken the sauce.

    Step 4

    Finish sauce with cooked pasta, tossing and cooking together over low heat (for details, see page 105). Off the heat, toss pasta with the freshly grated cheese just before serving.

  2. Good With . . .

    Step 5

    My favorite—fresh Buckwheat Pasta with Walnuts (page 173), cut in lacce (shoestrings). Also, whole-wheat, flaxseed, cornmeal, and barley pasta. Yes, and dry spaghetti is good when no fresh pasta is around.

From Lidia's Family table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright (c) 2004 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Published by Knopf. Lidia Bastianich hosts the hugely popular PBS show, "Lidia's Italian-American kitchen" and owns restaurants in New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh. Also the author of Lidia's Italian Table and Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, she lives in Douglaston, New York. Jay Jacob's journalism has appeared in many national magazines. From the Trade Paperback edition.
TagsSauceItalianEuropeanSageHerbs & SpicesParmesanCheeseDairyWalnutNutVegetarianQuickEasy5 Ingredients or FewerSimmerCookbooks
Read More
Mango Sticky Rice
Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.
Soy-Glazed Salmon Bowls
Saucy, soy-honey salmon—cut into cubes to speed up the cooking process—makes a savory topping for a quick weeknight bowl.
Grasshopper Brownies
These decadent brownies feature a sweet, minty topping complemented by a rich dark chocolate ganache and mini chocolate chips for added texture.
Easy Egg Custard
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
Sheet-Pan Sausage With Corn, Peach, and Cucumber Salad
This summery sheet-pan dinner celebrates the bounty of the season and couldn't be simpler to make. Chorizo plays nicely with the salad, thanks to its spice.
Tomato Aguachile
Juicy peak-season tomatoes make the perfect plant-based swap for aguachile.
Simple Hot Cocoa for One
With rich chocolate flavor and easy customization, this hot cocoa recipe is just the one you want to get you through winter.
Minty Chicken Meatballs
Who says ground chicken is boring? Two whole bunches of mint and some aromatics give these chicken meatballs their bracingly herby flavor.