If you’re anything like I am, you do not have truffles at the ready. But I’m here to tell you, there is no need to fret. We’re getting our fancy on with white truffle butter, today.
This is a dish that feels like a memory but then surprises you with unexpected earthy flavors like white truffle and sage.
I’ve had a romance with pasta for as long back as I can remember. We typically ate it on Sundays and then a second day during the week. There was nothing like waking up to the aroma of onion and garlic frying in a little bit of oil on Sunday morning. We knew sauce was coming, and if we smelled it once, we smelled it 1000 times and each time was as pleasing and satisfying as the time before. Mom usually served spaghetti or rigatoni with her homemade tomato sauce, sausage and meatballs (when we were lucky), but I don’t recall a lot of pasta with anything other than her red sauce. Every once in a while we’d have garlic spaghetti topped with broccoli or cauliflower, and that was always a treat.
So this is not a dish we would have had growing up. And truffles were not a food we ate, let alone knew existed (I’m speaking for myself, of course.). So when D’Artagnan sent me another goodie package containing all sorts of special ingredients, I was pleased to see their truffle butters, not only white, but black, had made it into the box.
Oh these truffle butters…so good swirled into pasta, tucked into a burger, dolloped on a steak…
It didn’t take me long to figure out that I wanted a pasta dish and it needed to include fried sage.
White truffle butter and fried sage are a match made in heaven. I will caution you though – be careful as you fry the tender leaves, they like to pop and splatter, letting the world know they’re here. We see you little sage leaves…no need to cause a ruckus.
My initial plan was to add just the fried sage truffle butter to my perfectly cooked linguine, then I thought…
sausage…sweet sausage…
And Linguine with Sweet Sausage, White Truffle Butter, Sage & Parmesan was born.
This dish has a soul. The flavors are rich and deep and robust. When you place a forkful in your mouth you’re surprised by the layering of flavors going on. It’s like looking into the eyes of a person and knowing that what you see is nowhere near everything you get. There is depth to this dish that you might not imagine from a first glance.
As I was testing to get just the right amount of cheese I was thinking to myself that so many of the dishes I share really are designed to leave the ball in the cook’s court. Italian cooking has a lot of ‘a little bit of this and a little bit of that’.
So often I want to use words like: a couple glugs, a healthy sprinkling, a few swirls, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be doing my job for you…
So yes, testing for the cheese – cheese, by the way, that was not prepared with wood…have you heard about that?
So yes, the cheese (I’ll get there…) – I tasted and tasted and before I knew it, I had taste-tested enough to count as dinner. Dom got home and I wasn’t particularly hungry anymore…I need to get better at that.
This dish is very simple. Begin by frying your sausage and setting it aside. Boil your pasta and in the meantime, melt your butter which you’ll fry your sage leaves in. Combine everything in a large bowl, top with a lot of Parm, deliver a nice grind of black pepper, then call it a meal.
A delicious, warm, hearty, rustic, soulful, savory and fragrant meal.
Who doesn’t want that?
Buon Appetito!
PrintLinguine with Sweet Sausage, White Truffle Butter, Sage & Parmesan
- Category: Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (remove casing)
- 1 pound linguine
- 8 Tbsp. (4 oz.) White Truffle Butter
- 25 – 30 fresh sage leaves
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a skillet, over medium heat, fry the loose sausage until fully cooked and browned, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions.
- In the meantime, melt the truffle butter over medium heat with the sage leaves.
- Cook until the sage begins to sizzle, about 3 minutes.
- When the pasta is finished, reserve 1 cup of pasta water then drain the linguine in a colander.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sausage, sage, truffle butter and 1 cup Parmesan. (Add pasta water to create a saucier dish, if you’d like.).
- Add salt, freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkling more of Parmesan.
- Serve warm.
Ciao!
Melanie @ Melanie Cooks says
What a rich comforting pasta dish! I never had truffle butter – that sounds like such a gourmet ingredient! And all that Parmesan cheese – so delicious!
Annie says
Truffle butter is quite delicious! I highly recommend it! Thanks, friend! 🙂
Mir says
You are the master of the pasta, Annie! This looks nothing short of better than restaurant-quality. When are you going to become my personal chef? When? When?!
Annie says
Now! Now! Thank you so much, dear! I’ll make dinner – you make dessert! 🙂
Amanda says
Wow. Just let me soak in the words “white truffle butter” for a minute. I can almost smell how wonderful it is. This looks heavenly!
Annie says
Yes…soak it in…so good… Thanks, friend! 🙂
Cakespy says
This sounds like the perfect dish to stave off the last of the winter chills. I can practically taste the earthy-rich flavors just looking at your photos! Delicious.
Annie says
It is a perfect meal for these cold nights… Thanks so much for your kind words, my friend!
Agness says
Yummy, yummy, yummy for a hungry tummy! Perfect idea for a dinner, that’s for sure. Mniam!
Annie says
Thank you, Agness! You got that right! 🙂
Kelly says
I love when you share your food memories with us, Annie 🙂 And oh my goodness, this is such a beautiful pasta dish! I can seriously almost smell it! The truffle butter and fresh sage sound absolutely heavenly! My mouth is watering and my belling is growling! <3
Annie says
Thank you so much, Kelly! It’s fun to take trips down memory lane…especially my favorite foodie-moment trips… Have you ever cooked with truffles or sage? So good! Have a lovely weekend, my friend!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
This is simply beautiful! I think I can smell it cooking already! I have never had truffles, but one day I will give it a try! I love pasta with any kind of sauce and I think I could eat pasta 7 nights a week. My husband, he protests if I make it more than once a week. I’m trying to work on him 🙂
Annie says
Hahahha! I’m in your corner, my friend! Maybe truffle butter sauce will change his mind! Have a great weekend! 🙂
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
Fried sage truffle butter sounds totally amazing!
Annie says
You would be correct! It is totally amazing! 🙂
Manali @ CookWithManali says
What a flavorful dish Annie! I can almost smell is from the pictures!
Annie says
And doesn’t it smell divine?! Thanks, my dear!
Asha says
Yes, YES to truffle butter. Girl, this is such an amazing looking pasta dish, I am seriously craving a bowl now. Everything about it screams comforting especially on a Friday night, with a movie, just perfect. Btw..I absolutely dislike pre shredded cheese and I am with Traci on that subject.
I will be hunting down that truffle butter for sure, my boys will love love this.
Have a wonderful weekend my dear.
xx
Annie says
Why thank you, Asha! So savory and comforting – I’m so happy I have lots of truffle butter still left! 😉 Traci is right on…it’s really unbelievable the things that are allowed. Hunt down some truffle butter, my friend – you’ll be happy you did! xo
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says
Fried sage in truffle butter?! Oh hell yeah! Annie, this is super elegant to the max! Seriously, I would see this on the menu of a 5-star restaurant. But the real beauty of this dish is it’s totally do-able. To me, that’s the best combo! Pinning for sure!
Annie says
It is totally do-able…you know that’s the only way I roll! Thank you so much, my dear! Have a lovely weekend!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Holy pasta heaven up in here, Annie! I love EVERYTHING about this dish! So decadent and delicious, yet simple enough to make and devour every day of the week- because that sounds like a fantastic plan! You had me at truffle butter, but crispy sage leaves, sausage, wood-less (wink wink) cheese… drool! Neeeed to get this in my belly pronto! Pinned! Cheers, milady- to a weekend as wonderful as this dish! Xo
Annie says
Holy pasta heaven is right! This is some good eats! You need to have this in your belly, my friend! Thanks for stopping by with your always cheerful remarks! Happy weekend, sweets! xo
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
Sounds magnificent. We have white and black truffle oil. I’m thinking about adding it to butter and then sautéing the sage leaves. When we get back home I hope our sage survived the winter. I would love to make up some of this pasta. Pasta was a dish I remember in our household too. It was simple but it had so much flavor. Have a great weekend. Thank you for the inspiration!!
Annie says
Thank you, Marisa! It takes just a few minutes to create a perfectly fried little sage leaf! Thanks for stopping by, my friend! 🙂
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
Growing up in your mom’s house sounds heavenly! I would love to wake up to some of her red sauce cooking. I would also love to bathe in your ruckus-y sage truffle butter sauce! 🙂 Seriously, Annie, this dish is making me drool! Happy Weekend, friend!
Annie says
Nothing like sauce on Sunday! And the memories evoked, even now, when I smell onion and garlic frying…that’s some good stuff! Awh! I would have loved to know young Rachel! I think we would have been fast friends! Thank you, my dear! Have a great weekend!
Rachel @ Bakerita says
You had me at truffle butter!! And then you added pasta…cheese…and fried sage, and now I NEED to make this for dinner! I’ve got to get my hands on some of that truffle butter!
Annie says
A marriage of deliciousness! These are some of my favorite flavors all coming together to create pure joy! It’s a beautiful thing! Thanks, friend!
Ali says
This looks so incredibly decadent and divine! The truffle butter sounds so fancy, I know my husband would love if I made this for him as a special treat!
Annie says
I say you and hubby deserve this decadent treat! 😉 Enjoy, my friend!
Mary Frances says
I love Italian food. This dish looks absolutely delicious! I’m going to make this tonight for dinner. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Annie says
Italian food is the bomb! I hope you had a chance to try it last night…and loved it! 🙂
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
I say yes please to white truffle butter sage parmesan and NO to cellulose in my cheese! Is this why pre-shredded cheese seems to taste and melt differently then block cheese? OMGeee and the govt. says it’s safe.. the same government who says round-up is safe and that allows fracking to pollute our fresh water supply… OMG I could go on and on. Good grief. But back to this pasta…. wow, wow, wow! I’ve gotta give that truffle butter a go. I have truffle oil and use it very sparingly, but in butter? I can’t even… delicious work my dear!
Annie says
Hahaha! I see that I opened a floodgate; it’s always safe to go on and on, here! But really – how things are allowed I, too, will never understand! Oh yes – truffles in butter – to take our minds off, well, you know… Thanks, my dear!
mira says
Love pasta. I recently saw a similar sauce on a culinary show and sounded delicious! So glad you shared it with us Annie! Pinned of course! Happy weekend!
Annie says
It’s definitely a decadent sauce…a special treat, for sure! Thanks, friend! Happy weekend!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Pasta is one of my favorite dishes, too. It’s the first thing that I look at on restaurant menus, and it always makes me happy! This pasta looks fantastic, Annie! I’m not a huge fan of red sauces, so I’m always drawn to the cream, white, etc. ones. Loving the truffle butter on here!
Annie says
I think you’ll find this pretty pleasing, my friend! And I am all about this truffle butter! Thanks, Gayle!