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Food & Wine Recipe

Pasta with Sizzled Sage

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  • ACTIVE: 45 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 15 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 4 to 6
  • •MAKE-AHEAD
  • •STAFF-FAVORITE
  • •VEGETARIAN

Chef Justin Neidermeyer perfected his pasta-making at Antica Torre in Italy's Piedmont region. After returning home to Seattle, he eventually set up a stand at the Ballard Farmers' Market selling his excellent tagliatelle and gnocchi. Then, last summer, Neidermeyer opened Spinasse, an intimate trattoria with communal tables and pasta dishes like egg-yolk-rich tajarin that he sometimes tops with crisp fried sage leaves and Parmesan.

  1. 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  2. Kosher salt
  3. 7 large egg yolks
  4. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  5. 1/2 cup sage leaves
  6. Freshly ground pepper
  7. 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
  1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, mix the flour with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the egg yolks and mix at medium speed until the dough is blended and resembles wet sand, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a work surface and knead until a firm dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  2. Cut the pasta dough into 3 equal pieces and keep covered with plastic wrap. Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough and run it through a pasta machine: Begin at the widest setting and work your way through consecutively narrower settings until you reach the thinnest one. Cut the sheet into 3 equal pieces. Run each piece through the spaghetti setting and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet; toss the strands to keep them separate. Repeat with the remaining pasta dough.
  3. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the sage leaves and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Season the sage with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sage to a plate; reserve the butter.
  4. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta, stirring, until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot, toss with the reserved butter and pasta cooking water and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and scatter the sage leaves and the 1/4 cup of cheese on top. Serve at once, passing additional cheese at the table.
Make Ahead The pasta dough can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before rolling out.