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The quickest (BEST!) 25 min dinner. With a nutty garlicky brown butter sauce, crispy sage & toasted pecans!
Fall is in full swing and sage brown butter takes all of the glory here. And I really do mean, ALL OF THE GLORY. With the help of some ravioli, of course.
SO WHAT IS BROWN BUTTER?
In a nutshell, brown butter is magical liquid gold, made by gently heating unsalted butter until caramelized into deep golden brown color. The end result is silky, nutty, toasted goodness. Its rich flavors can be used to enhance so many recipes, from both savory to sweet dishes.
But we use it here to cook our sage leaves, swimming and crisping in all of that toasted brown butter heaven. It’s the perfect marriage of autumn, fall flavors into one cozy dish. Tossed in pillowy, quick cooking cheese ravioli alongside perfectly toasted pecans (or walnuts) and a healthy sprinkle of shaved Parmesan.
tips and tricks for success
- Use unsalted butter. Unsalted butter allows you to add as much salt (or as little) salt in your dish. It allows for more control and consistency. You can replace unsalted butter with salted butter in a pinch, reducing the amount of salt indicated in the recipe, and adding to taste.
- Start with cubed butter. Cut the butter into similar-sized cubes. This will allow the butter to brown evenly.
- Use medium heat. Medium heat is ideal, ensuring the butter will cook evenly. If the butter is browning too quickly, turn down the heat as needed.
- Use a light-colored pan. This is best to visualize the butter changing colors from light to dark golden brown. When using a black bottom pan, sometimes you are left guessing the color change, and possibly burning the butter.
- Mix it up. Swap out the ravioli for tortellini, agnolotti or gnocchi, adding roasted butternut squash or crispy pancetta.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH RAVIOLI
Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce: Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend using refrigerated ravioli for convenience and quick cooking. But any ravioli should be great here! Choose your favorite filling such as cheese, spinach and ricotta, or butternut squash. Brown butter goes well with everything!
Unsalted butter allows you to add as much salt (or as little) salt in your dish. It allows for more control and consistency.
You can replace unsalted butter with salted butter in a pinch, reducing the amount of salt indicated in the recipe, and adding to taste.
Brown butter, also known as beurre noisette in French, is made by gently cooking unsalted butter until caramelized into deep golden brown color with silky, nutty and toasted flavors.
Walnuts would be a great substitute for the pecans.
- 2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated ravioli
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- ⅓ cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- ⅓ cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan
Prevent your screen from going dark
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In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook ravioli according to package instructions; drain well.
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Add garlic, lemon zest, thyme and pecans. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and butter is deep golden brown in color, about 2 minutes.
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Stir in ravioli until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
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Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
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Serve immediately with Parmesan and sage.
