Brown Butter Sauce

Name: Brown Butter Sauce
Yield: makes 1/2 cup; serves 4 over a pound of pasta as a first course
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; 6 fresh sage leaves (torn into pieces) or 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves; 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste; Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg; 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

December 9, 2011

This is the easiest sauce you will ever make and a very tasty one, but then what doesn’t taste good when it’s drenched in butter? This is the perfect topping for stuffed pastas like ravioli, tortellini, and agnolloti.

Cooks' Note

The sage leaves are more traditional in this sauce, but I love the basil also. If neither of these herbs works for you, feel free to substitute your favorite herb.

Recipe notes

Classic French Bouillabaisse With Rouille

This flexible recipe is all you need to bring this iconic Provençal seafood stew to your table.

Salmon With Sizzled Nut Salsa

A savory-hot salsa made with mixed nuts (like the kind dubbed cocktail nuts meant for snacking) gives roast salmon a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

One-Pot Chicken Thighs With Cilantro Rice and Beans

This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.

Key Lime Pie Thumbprint Cookies

The classic dessert reimagined as a soft and chewy cookie with a buttery, brown-sugar-sweetened graham cracker dough and a silky lime custard filling.