Few pasta dishes show off their ingredients as well as this Garlic Butter Pasta with sage, ricotta and lemon. And oh, what ingredients they are. Glorious garlic gently fried in butter with freshly cracked black pepper and sage leaves, tossed through hot pasta to absorb the flavour and crumbled with fresh, pot set ricotta, lemon juice and shaved parmesan. Tell me if it gets better than this - I'm waiting!

Why you should add butter to your pasta sauce
Okay, so if you're here, reading this page, it's because (I take it) you like butter. But apart from the obvious reasons, there is a scientific reason why you should add butter to your pasta sauce. Butter acts as an emulsifier, which adds creaminess to your sauce, even a non-dairy sauce like a tomato-based one. So go on. Add zee butter!
What is this Garlic Butter Pasta made with?
The beauty of this recipe is that it's so simple. It has just 9 ingredients, and I'll guess you already have a few of these at home.
Garlic - Of course, in Garlic and Sage pasta, garlic is a hero. We're going to use eight generous cloves to really infuse that flavour.
Sage - you'll need about half a small bunch.
Fettuccini - I love the texture Fettuccini brings to this dish, but of course you can also use a thinner pasta like spaghetti.
What to serve Garlic Butter Pasta with?
You can serve this Garlic Butter Pasta as it is as a main, or if you're having a larger dinner party or are asked to bring a side dish, it's a perfect option. If you want to add some greens a simple salad will go well along side it, but I like it just as it is.
What to make with the rest of your sage?
As this recipe calls for half a bunch of sage, you may have some left over. Don't worry, there is plenty you can do with half a bunch of sage. My favourite at the moment is this Prosciutto and Sage wrapped chicken breast.
Top tip when making this Garlic Sage Pasta
When you buy ricotta, always try to get the pot set ricotta, it has a far superior texture. You can either buy small pots at around 500 g, or if you just need what this recipe calls for, then ask at the Deli section and they'll slice you off some from their large pot set tub.
Substitutions
- For Gluten Free, use a gluten free long pasta.
- For Dairy Free, swap both ricotta and parmesan for Dairy free shredded parmesan, and butter for a dairy free butter like Nuttellex.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- This is a really simple dinner that most kids will like just as it is. You may want to reserve the cracked black pepper to the end, just to the adult's dishes if you prefer.
Equipment
You will need a pot, a stovetop, a deep frying pan.
More Creamy Pasta Recipes
Spaghetti Carbonara with Sweet Potato
Recipe
Equipment
- Pot
- Stovetop
- Deep frying pan
Ingredients
- 8 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ½ bunch sage
- 500 g fettuccini
- 60 g butter salted
- 1 cup pasta water
- 200 g ricotta
- 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
- 60 g parmesan cheese block
Instructions
- Place a pot of water onto boil.
- Mince garlic. Crack pepper (tip - if your pepper grinder has a lid, keep it on while you grind to make it easier to measure). Pick leaves from sage.8 clove garlic, 2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, ½ bunch sage
- Place pasta in boiling water and cook according to packet instructions. Once cooked up, reserve a cup of pasta water, then drain.500 g fettuccini
- Dice the butter into cubes.60 g butter
- Once you've drained the pasta, place a large deep pan on the stove over medium heat. Once hot, add butter and let it sizzle.60 g butter
- Add garlic, pepper and sage and cook, stirring, for 1-2 mins. We're trying to crisp up the sage, but if it looks like it might burn, turn down the heat.8 clove garlic, 2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, ½ bunch sage
- Add cooked pasta to the pan with pasta water. Toss to coat in the buttery sauce, then add spoonfuls of ricotta and toss gently (you want to retain chunks). Squeeze over the lemon.500 g fettuccini, 200 g ricotta, 1 lemon, 1 cup pasta water
- Plate up the pasta, season with salt and pepper and grate over parmesan.½ teaspoon salt and pepper, 60 g parmesan cheese
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