• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Baked Bree

Pretty pictures and delicious family recipes

  • pasta
  • salad
  • desserts
  • cookies
  • dinner

Brown Butter Sage Sauce

No ratings yet
Amalena CaldwellBy Amalena Caldwell
Amalena Caldwell
Amalena Caldwell Food Writer

I'm a multi award-winning fiction novelist, mother of amazing kids who love to help out in the kitchen, and lover of elaborate Friday night dinners.

Expertise: Ashkenazi and Korean cuisine as well as gluten-free cooking and baking View all posts →
Jump to Recipe

This aromatic Brown Butter Sage Sauce will infuse your dishes with vibrant and rich flavors.

Pasta with sage and butter sauce on a white plate, side of Parmesan cheese, rustic table setting.

Sage is one of those herbs that smells wonderful. It’s great to grow in your backyard and it’s quite versatile in cooking. But then, what do you do with all that sage? You need recipes! And I’ve got you covered. A good way to use a good bundle of sage is to elevate your butter to something amazing and full of herbtastic flavor.

In France, brown butter is known as beurre noisette. In Italy, sage is added, and it is called burro e salvia. Whatever you call it, browning butter and adding sage results in a beautiful sauce that you can use in a wide variety of dishes. It goes with pasta, gnocchi, steak, pork, chicken, vegetables—the sky’s the limit!

The sauce’s delicate scent and rich taste are, of course, unbeatable, but it’s also so easy to make. Once you try it, we guarantee it will become a regular in your rotation.

Fresh sage leaves on a white plate with lemon, butter, and salt and pepper shakers on a light textured surface.

Sage advice

Sage is a wonderfully aromatic herb that you can easily find at most grocery stores—or even grow yourself at home. It’s a versatile addition to any herb garden and will thrive abundantly in well-drained soil with plenty of sunlight.

When cooking with sage, it’s important not to substitute dried sage for fresh unless absolutely necessary. While it’s technically possible (and you should use only half the amount of dried sage, as it’s more concentrated), the flavor profile will not be as bright and delicately earthy. Bear in mind that fresh herbs will always deliver a more vibrant and complex flavor than dried.

Sage isn’t just a classic in our Thanksgiving Day stuffing; it also goes great with poultry, pork, sausages, roasted vegetables, and butters (as in this recipe). It can even be steeped into fragrant teas.

Creamy lemon basil pasta with fresh sage and Parmesan cheese on a white speckled plate.

How do I store leftovers?

Let your sauce cool and transfer it to a glass container. You can keep it in your refrigerator for about 1 week. The sauce can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container or ice cube tray for 2 or 3 months. Reheat the sauce gently on the stove, making sure it does not boil.

Warm holiday marshmallow hot cocoa with mint and whipped cream. Perfect cozy drink for festive winter gatherings.

Serving suggestions

This sauce goes with all sorts of different dishes! You can add it to meat like Baked Chicken Breast or Steak And Potatoes, but there are also lots of meat-free options to use it with. Try adding it to freshly cooked pasta, dishes with pumpkin, Stovetop Corn On The Cob, Air-Fryer Zucchini, or Air-Fryer Green Beans. Of course, it’s also a match made in heaven with gnocchi. I especially love it with this delicious Cauliflower Gnocchi.

Pasta with sage and butter sauce on a white plate, side of Parmesan cheese, rustic table setting.

Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Elegant woman with purple headscarf looking out window, soft natural light, stylish accessories, indoor portrait.Amalena Caldwell
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 8 minutes mins
Course sauce
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 205 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 18 fresh sage leaves
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional

Instructions
 

  • Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the unsalted butter. Allow the butter to melt slowly, stirring occasionally.
    Butter melting in a white skillet on stovetop, early stage of cooking or baking process.
  • Once the butter is melted and starts to foam, add the fresh sage leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns a golden brown color and emits a nutty aroma.
    Savory sage butter sauce cooking in a skillet with fresh sage leaves.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in lemon juice if using.
    Comforting homemade chicken and wild rice soup with herbs in a white bowl.
  • Serve the brown butter sage sauce immediately over your choice of pasta, vegetables, or proteins.

Nutrition

Calories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 0.3gProtein: 0.3gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 15gSodium: 3mgFiber: 0.03g
Keyword Brown Butter Sage Sauce
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Elegant woman with purple headscarf looking out window, soft natural light, stylish accessories, indoor portrait.

About Amalena Caldwell

I'm a multi award-winning fiction novelist, mother of amazing kids who love to help out in the kitchen, and lover of elaborate Friday night dinners.

Reader Interactions

Published: Aug 4, 2025 | Updated: Nov 18, 2025

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!

Recipe Rating




Roasted vegetable lasagna with cheese in a glass baking dish.
Previous Post
Baked Gnocchi
Fresh gnocchi with cherry tomatoes, spinach, and herbs in a baking dish inspired by Baked Bree.
Next Post
Sheet Pan Gnocchi

Primary Sidebar

Let's Connect

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Baked Bree is part of Waywith.

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required