Equipment
Ingredients
The Aromatic Base
- 135 g unsalted butter, chilled, cubed
- 14 fresh sage leaves
- 270 g frozen petite peas, thawed
Pasta and Finishing
- 500 g fresh fettuccine, room temperature
- 100 g parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated
- 10 g sea salt
- 2 g black peppercorns, freshly cracked
- 70 ml filtered water
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 449 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 34 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1196 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 17 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 72 mg
- Potassium
- 124 mg
- Calcium
- 279 mg
- Iron
- 2.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 26 mg
- Phosphorus
- 187 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 283 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 16 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.16 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.13 mg
- Niacin
- 0.9 mg
- Folate
- 34 mcg
- Water
- 67 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F) to prepare for the final glaze. Set a large stockpot of water to boil with 10g of sea salt.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 70g of the butter. Once foaming, add sage leaves and fry until the leaves are translucent and crisp, and the butter solids turn a deep hazelnut brown (beurre noisette).
Introduce the peas to the browned butter, stirring for 60 seconds to coat. Pour in 70ml of water (or pasta water), cover tightly, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes until peas are tender and the liquid has slightly reduced.
Submerge the fresh fettuccine in the boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until just al dente—the pasta should still have a slight 'bite' as it will continue cooking in the oven.
Drain the pasta, reserving a small amount of water. In the large pot, toss the hot fettuccine with the remaining 65g of butter, 70g of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and the pea-sage mixture. Stir vigorously to emulsify the fats into a creamy sauce.
Transfer the emulsified pasta to an ovenproof dish. Top with the remaining 30g of Parmigiano-Reggiano and bake at 160°C (325°F) for 5 minutes to set the cheese and meld the flavors.
Chef's Notes
- Fresh pasta absorbs liquid much faster than dried; if the dish looks dry before hitting the oven, add an extra splash of pasta water.
- Use a light-colored saucepan to properly monitor the color of the butter solids.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container; the butter will solidify and requires gentle reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or cream to restore the emulsion.
Troubleshooting
The sauce is greasy and separating.
Cause: The pasta was too cold or there wasn't enough starchy water to bind the butter and cheese.
Fix: Add 15ml of hot pasta water and whisk vigorously over very low heat to re-emulsify.
Prevention: Ensure pasta is piping hot and add a splash of starchy pasta water during the mixing phase.
Sage leaves are chewy rather than crisp.
Cause: The butter temperature was too low when adding the leaves.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once mixed; remove and flash-fry new leaves in a separate pan if necessary.
Prevention: Wait until the butter is foaming and silent before adding the sage.
Cultural Context
This dish is a refined take on 'Pasta al Burro e Salvia', a northern Italian staple that celebrates the simplicity of high-quality dairy and garden herbs.
