The Best Sauce To Serve With Pumpkin Ravioli

Ravioli is one of the ultimate comfort foods. It also happens to be extremely versatile. Not only are the filling, color, and shape easily customizable, but ravioli also makes a great alternative to fettuccine when ordering at an Italian restaurant and a unique swap for traditional noodle layers in lasagna.

When autumn approaches, seasonal fillings for ravioli are always in both higher demand and more easily accessible, as fall produce ripens and hits shelves. Pumpkin ravioli is one of the more popular twists on classic ravioli, but oftentimes home cooks are at a loss when it comes to a sauce pairing. The answer is sage brown butter sauce.

What is great about sage brown butter sauce is that it's easy to make and takes only a few ingredients. It also requires little cooking time, being done in about 5 minutes. The savory and nutty flavors of this sauce pair perfectly with pumpkin ravioli, as well as other pastas and dishes.

Every recipe for sage brown butter sauce will differ slightly but the basic ingredients remain the same. All this sauce requires is butter, sage leaves, garlic, a little black pepper, and salt to taste. Some recipes also add Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or lemon, but these are optional.

Recipes differ on whether or not this sauce should be made with salted or unsalted butter. Both are fine options, but it's important to remember to remember how much salt your salted butter contains and salt the sauce accordingly, to avoid making it overly salty. Regardless of which type you choose, you'll need 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter.

Sage leaves can be added to taste, and many recipes call for 10 to 14 sage leaves, depending on their size. To make the sauce, add the butter to a pan on medium-low heat until it begins to bubble. Add the garlic, then sage, and stir until the sauce has a light brown color; this should take roughly 2 to 4 minutes. Season to taste, then serve.