Creamy Macaroni With Sage Recipes

SAGE BUTTER MACARONI AND FOUR CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat oven to broil and arrange rack in top. Butter a flameproof 9 by 9-inch baking dish and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter and mix in a medium bowl with 1 cup of the Parmigiano and all the bread crumbs until thoroughly moistened; set aside.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for half the time indicated on package.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it starts to foam, add sage and cook until crisp and butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside until pasta is ready. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta.
• Return pasta to pot and place over low heat. Stir in sage butter, reserved pasta water, remaining 3 cups Parmigiano, Gruyere, Cheddar, mascarpone, and salt, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Stir constantly until cheeses are evenly melted and the pasta looks well coated. Turn pasta into baking dish and evenly top with bread crumb mixture. Place under broiler until mixture bubbles and top is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

CREAMY MACARONI WITH SAGE

Steps:

• Fill a 4-quart kettle three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil for macaroni. Cook macaroni in boiling water until al dente and drain in a colander.
• While macaroni is cooking, in a non-stick skillet heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and add bread crumbs, sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook bread crumb mixture, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. In a large bowl stir together mascarpone and Parmesan. Add macaroni and salt and pepper to taste, tossing to combine.
• Divide macaroni between 2 bowls and sprinkle with seasoned bread crumbs.

FETTUCCINE WITH CREAMY SAGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add about 1 Tbs. salt.
• In a large skillet, combine the butter and sage. Stir over low heat until the butter has melted.
• Add the cream and stock and bring to a boil; cook until the mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minute
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the sauce from the heat but keep it warm.
• Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine until al dente, 10 to 12 minute
• With tongs, lift the pasta from the pot, let it drain for a moment over the boiling water, and then add it to the sauce in the skillet. (Alternatively, drain the pasta in a colander and add it to the sauce.)
• Cook gently on low for a few minutes for the pasta to absorb the sauce.
• Remove the pasta from the heat and stir in the grated cheese, and season amply with pepper.
• Serve in warmed bowls topped with the shaved ricotta.

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a big skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
• Whisk the flour in gradually until the mixture is smooth.
• Cook and whisk continually for 2 minutes.
• Add in salt, pepper, cayenne, and garlic; stir to combine.
• Gradually whisk in half-and-half and milk.
• Cook and whisk continually for 8-10 minutes or until mixture is thickened.
• Add in half of the sharp cheddar cheese; stir.
• Add in all of the extra-sharp cheddar cheese; stir until smooth.
• Take skillet off stove burner.
• Mix together the cooked macaroni and cheese mixture; transfer to a greased 13x9 inch casserole dish.
• Sprinkle with the remaining sharp cheddar cheese.
• Bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes (may need to bake longer for a crispy top).

PASTA WITH BUTTER, SAGE AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt it. Cook pasta until it is tender, but not quite done.
• Meanwhile, place butter in a skillet or saucepan large enough to hold the cooked pasta; turn heat to medium, and add sage. Cook until butter turns nut-brown and sage shrivels, then turn heat to a minimum.
• When the pasta is just about done, scoop out a cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta. Immediately add it to the butter-sage mixture, and raise heat to medium. Add 3/4 cup of the water, and stir; the mixture will be loose and a little soupy. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until some of the water is absorbed and the pasta is perfectly done.
• Stir in cheese; the sauce will become creamy. Thin it with a little more water if necessary. Season liberally with pepper and salt to taste, and serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table if you like.

CREAMY SAGE BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat; add the sage leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth and cook until hot; about 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in large soup kettle. Add salt and pasta. Using package directions as a guide, cook until al dente. Drain. To prevent sticking, drain and immediately pour onto a large lipped baking sheet and let cool while preparing sauce.
• Meanwhile, microwave the milk and chicken broth in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup or bowl until hot and steamy (not boiling). Melt butter in the empty pasta pot; whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture. Continue to whisk until thick and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in mustard, Parmesan and pepper. Turn off heat, stir in cheddar until melted.
• Add drained pasta (and optional flavoring ingredients, see notes) to sauce, and stir until everything is well combined over low heat. Stir to heat through, and thin with a little water if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA WITH SAGE AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash and garlic on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well and roast until the squash is very tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing twice throughout. While the squash roasts, bring a large pot of water to boil.
• Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium. When the oil is hot, add the sage and cook, tossing often, until the leaves begin to crisp, about 1 minute. Add the walnuts and a generous sprinkle of salt and cook, tossing often, until the sage leaves are lightly browned and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sage and nuts to a paper towel-lined plate and wipe out the skillet. Let the mixture drain for 1 minute, then add it to a small bowl with the lemon zest; toss lightly and set aside.
• Working in batches if necessary, transfer the roasted squash and garlic to a blender or food processor, along with 1 cup stock, and blend until smooth and thick. The consistency should be somewhere between a purée and a thick soup. Add more stock as needed, if it seems too thick.
• Transfer the puréed squash to the reserved skillet and keep warm over very low heat. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water, along with 1 tablespoon salt, and cook until al dente. Just before draining, ladle 1/2 cup pasta water into a measuring cup and set aside.
• Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss to coat the pasta evenly, then, off the heat, add the 1/2 cup Parmesan and toss until the cheese is incorporated. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Divide the pasta among shallow bowls and sprinkle the sage, walnut and lemon zest mixture on top, and serve with extra Parmesan on the side.

CREAMY PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND SAGE

Steps:

• Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions; cook 8 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic and sage; cook and stir 1 min. Add cream cheese and broth; stir. Cook on medium heat 3 to 5 min. or until cream cheese is completely melted and sauce is well blended, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan.
• Drain pasta; spoon into large bowl. Top with mushroom sauce.

EASY FRESH PASTA WITH SAGE BROWNED BUTTER

Steps:

• For the fresh tagliatelle: Bring a medium stockpot of salted water to a boil.
• Combine the pasta flour and eggs in a food processor or the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms. Continue to knead for 3 minutes, either by hand or in the mixer, so that the dough develops elasticity and silkiness. Dust the ball of dough with "00" pasta flour, seal it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling it out, if time allows (see Cook's Note). Alternatively, you can let the dough rest for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. The color sometimes fades after that, although the dough is still usable for up to 3 days.
• For sheeting and cutting by hand, use a rolling pin to flatten the pasta sheet into an oval about 1/16-inch thick. Flour it generously with "00" pasta flour and roll it into a cylindrical tube from short end to short end. Use a chef's knife to cut the cylinder into 3/8-inch strips. Unroll and separate the strips into strands of tagliatelle.
• For sheeting with a pasta machine, sheet the pasta to about 1/16-inch thick, and cut into strips about 3/8-inch wide. On a pasta machine, this is about the third-thinnest setting on the sheeter and utilizes the tagliatelle cutter.
• If time allows, hang the pasta at room temperature for 30 minutes or until it feels leathery. If cooking immediately, generously dust the tagliatelle with plenty of semolina flour to prevent it from becoming gummy.
• Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon semolina flour to the large pot of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.
• For the sage browned butter: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Continue cooking the butter until it turns a light golden brown, keeping a vigilant eye on it. Add the sage and continue cooking until the butter turns medium golden brown and smells nutty, about 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat for 1 minute.
• Add the nutmeg and vinegar and return the pan to medium-high heat, stirring to combine. Immediately add the pasta water and Parmigiano and whisk until the cheese disappears and the sauce starts to thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Drain the pasta, toss the sauce with the pasta and serve immediately, topping each plate with additional cheese, if desired.