Pappardelle with Brown Butter Meat Sauce & Crispy Sage

Recipe Ingredients

– 5 tablespoons of butter
– 24 fresh sage leaves, without stems
– 1 pound of ground veal or pork (or a mix of both)
– 1 finely chopped medium onion
– 3 finely chopped garlic cloves
– Salt and white pepper
– A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (around 1/8 teaspoon)
– 1/2 cup of white wine
– 1 cup of chicken stock
– 1 cup of whole milk
– A piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, and 1 cup of grated cheese
– 1 pound of pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta

Recipe Directions

Step 1
Start by boiling a large pot of water for the pasta.

Step 2
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium to medium-high heat. Once it starts to bubble and foam, add the sage leaves. Cook and stir frequently until the sage becomes crispy and the butter browns, approximately 2 minutes. Use a fork to transfer the sage to a paper towel to drain.

Step 3
Add the ground meat to the butter and cook while breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it browns, which usually takes 3 to 4 minutes. Then, add the chopped onion and garlic. Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Cook while stirring occasionally until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until it evaporates, around 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, milk, and Parmesan rind, then let it simmer until the sauce thickens, usually for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the rind.

Step 4
Salt the boiling water and add the pasta. Cook until it is 1 to 2 minutes away from being fully cooked according to the package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Toss the drained pasta, reserved cooking water, and grated cheese with the sauce until the pasta is well coated, about 1 minute. Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with the crispy sage leaves.