This easy recipe for buttered sage pasta is like a lightened up pasta Alfredo, brimming with buttery herb flavor!

Oh, this pasta! It ranks right up there with my beloved Cacio de Pepe (otherwise known as pasta with butter and parmesan and pepper) as the ultimate in easy pasta comfort food!
And in this case, it’s the summertime version with the addition of aromatic fresh sage.
Between the butter and the sage and the magic of pasta water (more on that later!) it’s kinda like a lighter version of fettuccine Alfredo. And we KNOW how we all love THAT!
Speaking of summertime, I had my first introduction to a couple of North Carolina summertime items.
First up, there was this guy.
Any ideas? He was on the outside of the screen and I was on the inside, and there way NO WAY I was going outside to check him out further, so this picture is all I know about him.
That and a bunch of folks on my Instagram saying “Welcome to the South.” So I assume he was just part of the welcome committee?
Next up, my first Southern hurricane. And honestly, I am so grateful because we really just got a whole lot of rain, and our power held on.
Which was not the case for my sweet state of New Jersey (and Connecticut, and New York) and I am sending all my love and comfort to my sweet folks up there.
As I write this, pretty much all of them are still dealing with no electricity. And I’m wishing I could make them a great big pot of this comfort food!
Here’s how you make buttered sage pasta!
Cook the pasta according to package directions in heavily salted water, scooping out a cup of pasta water before you drain it.
(This is the magical pasta water I was talking about – it’s full of salty, starchy goodness!)
While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce: melt some butter in a large deep skillet over medium high heat.
Add some chopped fresh sage leaves and stir until the leaves are wilted.
Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss. Add some Parmesan cheese and toss again.
Last but definitely not least, drizzle in some of that reserved pasta water until you have a light sauce. It’s going to mix with the butter and the cheese and taste like heaven on a pasta plate.
Divide among a couple of plates, garnish with a few more sage leaves and a little more Parmesan, grind on some fresh pepper and serve it up!
Whatever you are needing comfort for, I’m hoping this plate of pasta makes things just a little bit better.
Love, Kate xo
Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Here’s what we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to cook this up! Click on the picture to get the link.
Buttered Sage Pasta
This easy recipe for buttered sage pasta is like a lightened up pasta Alfredo, brimming with buttery herb flavor!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 6 ounces linguine
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup fresh sage leaves (whole if they are small, chopped if they are large) plus extra for garnish
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, scooping out a cup of pasta water before you drain it. Set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce: melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the sage leaves and stir until the leaves are wilted.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss. Add the cheese and toss again. Last but definitely not least, drizzle in some of that reserved pasta water until you have a light sauce.
- Divide among plates, garnish with sage leaves and a little more Parmesan, grind on some fresh pepper and serve!
Martha in KS says
I’ve seen those bugs here in KS. They look like something prehistoric. I think it’s a Calosoma http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/BENEFICIAL/BEETLES/Calosoma_scrutator.htm
Prehistoric is exactly the right word! Glad he was on the other side of the screen from me, for sure!
Theresa Murphy says
Glad to hear you guys are OK after the weather situation. How about the earthquake? Sorry, can’t help you with the bug. That pasta looks heavenly! And I love sage! I may take this just a bit further and brown the butter for some Browned Butter Sage Pasta.
Honestly, I slept right through that earthquake – I was kinda disappointed! And yes!! Brown butter!! :)