I LOVE pasta. So much so, that think I might have been an Italian grandmother in a past life. My love for noodles is on another level. Load that pasta up with butter, sage, and parm and I’m in heaven.
Before I went gluten free, I ate pasta 3-4 times per week. It was my go-to dinner. Fast, easy, and not a lot of prep. For a working mom of three, pasta was a weeknight-savior.
And then, cold turkey. No pasta for me. My kids kept enjoying it’s deliciousness, while I nibbled trail mix in the corner. Side-eyeing them while I stewed in my own jealousy.
As time has gone on (I’ve been largely gluten free for 3 years), I’ve stepped into the world of gluten free pasta with both feet. I desperately needed a pasta replacement.
Since then, I’ve become a gluten free pasta connoisseur. I’ve tried corn-based pasta, and quinoa pasta, and rice-based pasta, but I felt like I found the holy grail of gluten free pasta when I discovered bean-based pasta products.
My go-to gluten free pasta product has become Banza. Banza is made with chickpeas, which means not only is it gluten free, it has a higher protein and fiber content, and lower net carbohydrates than regular wheat based pastas. It basically can make you skinny just by eating it! Kidding. Wouldn’t that be nice though?
After a particularly long work day, and grueling child pick up, I needed to whip up something quick and easy for dinner. On a whim, I decided to try my hand at a brown-butter sage pasta dish using my go-to noodles.
Normally, brown-butter sage pasta is just that simple. Brown your butter, add sage, add pasta. Boom. The end. You’re done. But I wanted a little more depth of flavor, so I added some garlic, onion, cheese, and breadcrumbs for some added texture–all worthy additions in my book–and was delighted with how it turned out.
If you try it out, let me know in the comments!
Brown Butter, Sage, and Parmesan Pasta
Equipment
- Pot, Large
- Skillet, Large
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Gluten free pasta, penne, rigatoni, or ziti are the best choices for this recipe. I used Banza Penne.
- 3 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp Sweet onion, finely chopped
- 20 Sage leaves, fresh
- 3/4 cup Water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 1-1 1/2 cups Gluten free panko bread crumbs (I like Ian's brand)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt it, really salt it, use at least 1/4c of sea salt in a 5 qt pot. Cook pasta 2 minutes under lowest time on package. Pasta should be VERY al dente.
- Add breadcrumbs and a small amount of olive oil to a skillet. Toast over medium heat until golden brown and set aside.
- Melt butter in large skillet or saucepan. Turn heat to medium, and garlic and onion. Saute until translucent and fragrant. Add sage. Cook until butter turns light brown and sage wilts.
- Drain the pasta. Immediately add it to the butter-sage mixture, and raise heat to medium. Add 3/4 cup water, and stir; the mixture will be loose. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until some of the water is absorbed and the pasta is perfectly done.
- Stir in cheese, and season well with pepper. Add salt to taste.
- Top with toasted breadcrumbs, serve.
