Tagliatelle with Sage, Brown Butter and Parmesan

from Anne Halsted

serves 8 as a small starter or 4 as a main course

20 large sage leaves

10 ounces unsalted butter (8 ounces for browning and frying sage,

   and 2 ounces more to go on pasta)

1 pound tagliatelle

2 teaspoons salt for frying sage

1 tablespoon salt for pasta

1/2 cup grated good parmesan cheese

Slice sage leaves into 1-inch strips, 1/4 inch across.

Fill large pasta pot with water, add 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil. When it reaches a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile heat 8 ounces of butter in a saucepan. When the butter begins to foam, add the salt to the foam and fry the sage slivers in the butter till the butter becomes golden and sage become crisp. Remove the sage slivers to a paper towel to drain, and add 2 ounces more butter to heat with the brown butter.

When the butter is hot and the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta into a bowl, and pour the browned butter over it, mixing well. Then add the browned sage leaves and parmesan and mix in. Serve!

If you don't care about frying the sage, just sauté it in the butter and then pour the butter and sage together over the drained pasta.

One of my favorite pastas because it is so simple and tastes so good!