Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

Mike’s review of Frankies Spuntino inspired me to make some ravioli with brown butter and sage. This is my go-to preparation when I have stuffed pasta that is too good to be overshadowed by tomato sauce or pesto, such as the spinach and ricotta ravioli I recently purchased at Astoria’s Cassinelli Food Products (down the block from Mediterranean Foods, where you can find hilopites pasta and other Greek specialties). The sauce adds great flavor to the ravioli but does not overpower it, letting the pasta be the star.

Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage
Serves 2

1/2 pound fresh ravioli
3 tablespoons butter
12-15 sage leaves
Juice from 1/4 to 1/2 lemon

1.  Bring a pot of water to boil. Dry the sage leaves thoroughly and prepare the lemon.

2.  Heat a pan large enough to hold the ravioli and add the butter. Cook over medium-low heat until the butter starts to brown. Do not let it turn black.  Salt the boiling water and add the ravioli.

3.  When the butter has turned brown, turn the heat to low and add the sage. It may splatter, so have a cover ready. After a minute, squeeze in the lemon and add a ladleful of pasta water. When the ravioli are nearly done, transfer them to the saute pan and finish cooking them in the sauce. Serve immediately.

For more ideas, try our other weeknight pasta dishes: Pasta with Mushrooms and Marsala and Homemade Tomato Sauce.

A shopping note: If you don’t have time to get out to Cassinelli in Astoria, and especially if you have infinite money, Eataly is a nice option for fresh pasta. They make the pasta right in front of you and they do it right, with a good deal of variety. Truly fresh pasta that has not been frozen makes a big difference. Plus, you can pick up the sage right there and there’s a pasta restaurant (among others) for inspiration.