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Hello everyone! How was your Thanksgiving?? Did your Turkey turn out? What about those side dishes? I hope you all had an amazing holiday, I know I did! Anacortes is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of Seattle, especially when your family lives there ☺️. Anyhoo, we're headed into winter, so I figured we'd do one more straight up Autumn recipe before the crazy holiday season begins. How about Sage Brown Butter Sauce Butternut Squash Ravioli to round out the fall??
My awesome friend Hannah picked up some Butternut Squash Ravioli and wasn't thrilled with the taste (a little on the sweet side), and asked if I wanted them to play around with a recipe for them...Free food?? Recipe testing?? Yesplease! So I whipped up a brown butter and sage cream sauce for those puppies, ergo Sage Brown Butter Sauce Butternut Squash Ravioli.
Mmmmm so good. The nutty taste of the browned butter and the fresh sage paired perfectly with the ravioli, even with the hint of sweet within the filling. So not matter which way you slice it, this sauce will work on any butternut squash ravioli :-). Add a little cream, chicken stock, and of course some freshly grated parmesan cheese to the mix and we're in business!
A quick note: Brown butter is not the same as black butter. AKA be careful not to burn it! Cooking the butter over medium heat is key, and watch the bubbles and the coloration. When dark flecks start appearing on the bottom of the pan, those are the milk solids browning up and turning golden delicious. Be sure to check the color with a spoon, a nice rich brown is what your looking for! Also, swirl the pan around while cooking the butter to make sure it's cooking evenly, avoiding any burned bits. It sounds tricky but if you keep the heat on medium low, you'll be golden! (No pun intended).
I know I always grate way too much parmesan cheese for whatever I need because there's no such thing as too much cheese! It's perfect to sprinkle on top of this Sage Brown Butter Sauce Butternut Squash Ravioli for a little extra garnish. Also, if you're feeling extra snazzy, you can fry up some of the left over fresh sage leaves for a little garnish on top! Sprinkled with a pinch of coarse salt of course. So this little piece of autumn before we head into all things winter ☃️❄️!
Sage Brown Butter Sauce Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 2-4 1x
Ingredients
- 16 ounces butternut squash ravioli
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
- coarse salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 3-4 extra fresh sage leaves for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Cook butternut squash ravioli according to box instructions. Drain.
- Make the sauce: While cooking ravioli, melt butter in a large, preferably light colored, skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently and swirling the pot to ensure even cooking.* After about 5 minutes, the butter will start to foam up. Add the minced sage and continuing stirring and swirling the pot. Golden brown flecks, milk solids, should start to form on the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring to make sure these don't stick and burn. When the butter is nutty in aroma and golden brown in color with plenty of flecks, about 2 more minutes, remove from heat and cool for 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour the broth and whisk frequently, as the butter will foam up, until completely incorporated. Repeat this process with the cream. Be careful of splatter!
- Add the lemon juice and parmesan cheese, whisking until completely combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the cooked ravioli. Garnish with extra parmesan cheese and fried sage if desired*.
Notes
If desired for garnish, add a few fresh sage leaves to the butter and cook 1-2 minutes, until crispy but not browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the pan to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt and set aside.
Please note, this is a light, buttery, thin sauce. It does thicken up as it cools but is not meant to be a thick sauce.
- Cook Time: 15 mins
Britney says
When do you add the cream?
Aberdeen says
The cream is added in step 3, after you've whisked the chicken broth fully into the butter :-).
Christina Fordock says
Thank you
Brigid says
This was EXACTLY what I was looking for to go over my store bought butternut squash ravioli. I can’t wait to make again. Mine also came out very thin so I added a bit of rue to thicken. Thank you for this recipe it was so easy.
Felicia says
By far the best ravioli I’ve ever had! Thank you for this recipe
Karen says
I just made this and it is delicious - great recipe!!
Aberdeen says
Yay! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Joyce sisk says
I made this recipe today and it was very good, I thought the sauce was a little thin so I added a bit of cornstarch at the end. Very rich but very good.
Denise Machado says
Delicious! Made this tonight for a friend...we both adored this recipe! A definite keeper. Thanks for sharing!
Mary Lee Clauss says
Want to make this dish for my xmas party( 40 people). It will be one of 5 stations. How much do you think I would need and can it be made ahead of time and reheated? Also I have to make it vegetarian so do you think vegetable broth would work? Thank you so much, it sounds delicious.
Courtney Drewry says
Vegetable broth should work just fine. I made this with unsweetened almond milk (No vanilla) and it turned out delicious. No one knew it wasn't made with dairy! I just had to boil it down a bit to make it thicker. Good luck!!
Kristin says
Hi Mary! How did it turn out when you made the sauce ahead? I may need to do the same thing. Thx!
Jody says
The sauce was excellent! My family doesn’t like butternut squash anything, so I made it just for myself and it was worth it.
Jacqui says
Just happened to have some butternut squash ravioli lying around so I found this recipe and just Wow!! Wonderful recipe! VERY rich but super good. I followed the recipe only changes made were I used dried sage and Parmesan/Reggiano Making it again tonight. Thank you!
Elissa Williams says
Nice Recipe......
Aberdeen says
Thanks!
Peg says
Making tonight...already know it will be great. Thank you
Aberdeen says
Awesome! I hope you enjoyed it!
MalibuKelly says
can i use half n half if i don't have heavy cream???...im in a pinch tonight for dinner and i have butternut squash ravioli in my freezer and fresh sage in my herb garden and of course always have butter and garlic too!
Aberdeen says
Yes you can! It’s not as thick as heavy cream so start with half the amount required and add more until it reaches the right sauce consistency 👍🏻.
Marty says
Made this last night to go with store bought butternut squash ravioli. Fabulous sauce! I doubled the recipe to make sure there was plenty to go with every bite. I would recommend keeping it slightly warm as the cream cooled it down a bit to much. Will definitely make again! Thank you!
Aberdeen says
You're welcome! So happy you enjoyed it.
Cathie says
I made this dish last night and both my husband and I thought we had gone to heaven! It is so delicious and I want to thank for for this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly except that I halved it for just the 2 of us. Believe me! I will be using this recipe often.
Aberdeen says
Thank you so much!
Mo Janu says
I have so much butternut squash and I LOVE ravioli! So seems like a good recipe to try. My family was in heaven with it!!! I made it exact to the recipe..... BUT next day, I had leftover squash so I added spicy italian sausage and made potstickers with the same amazing butter sauce. THANK YOU! This recipe will be at our family table for many years to come!
Aberdeen says
You're welcome! Those pot stickers with the sauce sounds amaaaazing 😍.
John Rhoe says
Butternut ravioli is something I first made for a friend when he returned from dialysis and needed comfort. I sometimes pair it with bagna cauda sauce.
Aberdeen says
🥰 So kind of you!
Pat says
This sauce is so velvety smooth and sweet. I used 1/2 Imagine vegetable broth and 1/2 pumpkin creamy soup, as well as some apple pie spice. DELICIOUS! Took a while to thicken, but I believe that was my fault. 🙂
Peggy says
Can I make this sauce ahead of time
Aberdeen says
I havn't made it ahead of time and I'm not sure how it would stand up to cooling. Never hurts to try though!
linda says
This sounds delicious. I was going to add pecans. What are your thoughts?
Aberdeen says
That sounds delicious! I say go for it.
Erin Kalina says
I made this tonight but the sauce was not as dark as yours. Did I do something wrong?
Aberdeen says
My guess is the butter didn't cook long enough (step 2) to get that richer brown sauce. Hopefully it was still tasty!
krsitina says
Can this be made ahead and reheated?
Aberdeen says
I have never made this ahead of time and I don't know how well the sauce will keep once cooled. If you give it a go, I'd love to hear how it turns out!
Kelly Jo says
I have reheated this recipe 3 times now and the best way is to microwave in glass dish. So good I dream about these things! I also like to add coined sausage pieces and a big handful of raw arugula on top and you will lick the plate! Cheers
Amy says
Exactly what we were looking for! Delicious and perfect! Thanks!
Aberdeen says
Thank you so much Amy!
Karen says
Was thinking of adding mushrooms, thoughts?
Aberdeen says
Absolutely! That sounds perfect for this recipe.
Carol says
Want to make this but forgot sage 🙁 do you think if I use basil it will be OK ?
Aberdeen says
Different flavor but should be tasty!
Chelsea says
I got some butternut ravioli and decided I wanted to do something a little different. After a google search I stumbled on this and OH BOY I am adding this to my cooking arsenal. My husband and I fell in love with this! Thank you!
Aberdeen says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, thank you so much!
Christie Belok-Bunn says
Made this tonight and it was absolutely incredible!!!
Nancy says
Can you make this ahead and pour onto the ravioli and keep in a crock pot to stay warm? I'm having some friends over for dinner and would like to be able to have this but don't want to be cooking after they arrive.
Aberdeen says
I havn't made it before hand but you can always give it a try!
GARY says
Do You put this back over heart when adding in the broth and cream?
Gary says
Sorry, meant heat. Thanks.
Aberdeen says
Nope! It stays off heat. If you add the cream while it's still over heat, there's a chance of the cream curdling.
Jennifer Davis says
Amazing!! And it was easy!!
Tim says
I added a roux to thicken as well as added a touch of nutmeg on the finished product. Great recipe -- thanks for sharing.
Rebecca says
So I think it behooves you to keep the heat on when adding the stock and cream to make a nice sauce that sticks to the pasta rather than leaving a bunch of sauce in the bottom of the bowl. But of course, whisking constantly! Super delicious even with dried sage! Thanks!!
Kelley says
Thank you! This sauce is amazing! I followed the instructions and it was perfect! Can’t wait to make it again!
Barb says
My husband said it was restaurant worthy!
Lindsey Ann Dennis says
Simple. Yum I made this twice now
April says
This sauce pairs so well with butternut squash raviolis! I didn’t have unsalted butter so I definitely know what I need to do to teak it but it was amazing!! Thank you!
Laura says
This was perfect- thanks!
Christine says
I think I did something wrong, the sauce never thickened at all. It was like putting melted butter over my ravioli. Flavor was good but Im not sure where I went wrong.
Aberdeen says
Hi Christine! This sauce is definitely on the thin side, actually quite similar to melted butter until it cools down.
Susan says
Hi, I am new to cooking as you will tell by my question but .... when you remove the sauce from the heat, does it stay warm enough for serving once you add the cream?
Aberdeen says
If you serve it immediately it should be just fine 👍🏻.
Susan says
Hi. I made this and it was delicious! Exactly the taste I was looking for! Thanks!
Susan says
Hi, I LOVE the taste of this sauce but the second time i made it, the cream did not mix with the butter sauce, and stayed separated. Any thoughts on why?
Kimberly N says
Love it!
Sandi M says
Delish! As someone else mentioned, it was rather thin. I just slowly heated while stirring and the cream thickened the sauce like a charm. My daughter and I totally enjoyed this dish.
Krista says
This receipt is delicious and VERY similar to restaurant-style dish I was aiming for. The sauce was a little thin so that is an adjustment I will make for next time. We also added toasted pecans for an added crunch. DELICIOUS, will definitely make again.
Marilyn Junkin says
Restaurants quality achieved with store bought ravioli, Mmmmmm! I used dill instead and added toasted walnuts to the top when I served. Thanks so much, everyone loved it!
Kim says
How to make us happy on a rainy Monday! Delicious, poured over the cooked ravioli, really does not matter how thick or thin it is as its the flavor that wins! Served with filet and slid the steak into the sauce as well.
Stacey says
I occasionally make my own pasta, so when I saw your recipe I was hoping you made the butternut ravioli also. Do you have a recipe for butternut squash ravioli?
Thanks,
Stacey
Holmes House says
Sauce was way too thin. Maybe I made it wrong, but I would drastically cut - or leave out altogether - the chicken stock, and/or add significantly more cheese. The sage flavor came through nicely, though.
Devon says
This recipe is definitely better than those simple brown butter sage sauces where it's just butter and sage lol
I followed the recipe and then added a couple
of things..
I did a tablespoon of sherry to the sauce (I always tend to do that with cream sauces)
Then a small bit crumble goat cheese on top with walnuts for crunch and balsamic reduction drizzle
A bit over the top for a tuesday night dinner but super delicious lol
Dave H. says
This was an absolute hit. Thanks so much.
We added cinnamon at the end and it brought up another notch.
For the record, we used HemisFares brand Butternut Squash and Parmagiano Reggiano Ravioli. They were a great choice.
Bridget Piagari says
So when you add the cream and chicken broth, you have no heat??
Laura says
Excellent! Easy, but sauce took longer than cooking the ravs (about 5 minutes), so I wouldn't cook them first. I put the raviolis in just as the butter started browning. We sopped up the sauce with a warm pretzel bagel- so good.
Megan says
I subbed coconut cream for the heavy cream and it was divine! Felt so fancy on a Wednesday night! I also added sautéed maitake mushrooms + spinach. Thanks for this lovely recipe.
Adriana H says
This is sooo incredibly delicious. I didn’t have fresh sage so I had to use ground sage and I used white vinegar instead of lemon as the only difference and even then it’s one of the best sauces I have ever had. Thank you for the amazing recipe. It will live in my family a long time!
Nate M. says
I made this recipe tonight and did it exactly as written, except I added portobello mushrooms and 1/2” chunks of roasted butternut squash to it. Turned out great! Alternatively you could add some walnuts to it as well for an even nuttier tone and added texture. My wife would’ve preferred it with them buuuutt I’m allergic to nuts so, that’s a no go for me. :). Recipe was great, easy to follow and everyone loved it. Saved it and will make it again. Thank you for sharing!!
Jay says
This was divine!! Exactly what I was looking for to go with the ravioli I bought!! Thank you!!
Sarah says
This was AMAZING! It was exactly what I was looking for for my ravioli, and so easy. I also appreciated that the ingredients didn't cost a fortune. Definitely a new favorite.
Also, thank you for your descriptions of what the sauce looks like at each step. I've never made a brown butter sauce, and your thorough instructions were a Godsend. A lot of times I'm left scratching my head when trying to follow a recipe, but yours was perfect for a beginner cook like me to follow. I've already bookmarked a bunch of your recipes that I'm going to be using to mix up my dinner routine. Thank you!!!
Courtney Horgan says
When do you return the sauce to the heat? It reads as you never return it to heat to add the chicken broth and hwc.
Mika says
I made this over Thanksgiving and it was a big hit! I kept heat on when adding vegetable broth and cream while constantly stirring...turned out fine. Thank you for the amazing recipe...definitely a keeper!!!
Kat Gaffey says
This is sooo good!
Kim says
Made this for dinner - we all enjoyed it; even the two squash skeptics! Next time I’ll let the butter brown a bit more but it’s going in the keeper file. Reminds me of a dish from a favorite restaurant. Thanks for sharing!
Cathryn says
I made this last night for my husband and myself. OMG... soooo good 🙂 I don't care for runny sauces so I thickened it with a little cornstarch and it worked perfectly. Thanks for this recipe. Definitely going into the rotation.
Margie C. says
Hi. Made this tonight and forgot the cream(it was still really good). This is the second time making this sauce and it is so delicious! The best part is taking the Italian bread and cleaning the plate with the leftover sauce. I feel like I am in a fancy Italian restaurant when we have this for dinner. Thank you.
Amy says
Excellent!! Added a bit of flour for thickness and used flakey sea salt. Huge hit! Will make 1,000 more times!
Jennifer VN says
Delicious sauce that went perfect with my squash ravioli and chicken sausage. Will be making again.
Kim Lemke says
My 18yr old daughter HATES everything. She was absolutely FLOORED when I made this! She couldn’t get enough and was mad that there were no left overs! I have to admit I m a ahi#€y cook. This recipe was so easy and incredibly delicious that even “Mikey” liked it!!!
Seriously Thankful for this recipe!!
MargieC. says
I have made this sauce several times now and it is one of my favorites! Good Italian bread is great to dip in the sauce. I could make a meal of just that!
Brenda says
WOW. This sauce AMAZING! I am so glad I came across sauce and saving it for many future recipes. I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect exactly the way it was. Thank you thank you!
Rhonda says
Lovely recipe. Uncomplicated and so satisfying!
Mim says
Excellent sauce. Made this tonight, used a combination of sage and thyme, the sauce was delicious. Thank you for such specific instructions.
Chelsea says
So tasty! Used this recipe several times - the only thing is the recipe format of step 2 that I find a little confusing every time! I always have to read it a few times through because it's so long and has multiple things to look for when melting the butter and adding the sage
Terri Wesolich says
This was delicious! Thank you for describing in detail how to make the brown butter. It was so helpful and your recipe is fabulous!
Julie says
This recipe was a great starting point. I added chicken and diced butternut squash, some brown sugar, garlic, and about 2/3 cup of butternut squash soup and it is absolutely divine.
Chrissy says
How much brown sugar? I was thinking that would be a great addition too!
Elle says
Oh my! It has been a long time since I have tasted something that made me want to lick the pan! The butter goes nutty and the whole family gathered in the kitchen to check it out, lol! This was a spectacular meal on an early autumn evening!
Janice says
Wow! What a great sauce! I made this last night for our butternut squash ravioli and it was a big hit with the hubby. The sauce is simple to make, comes together quickly, and made the ravioli special. We both felt like we were eating a meal from a great Italian restaurant. Thanks for the recipe, I will be making it again and again!!
Molly E Guthrie says
Made this last weekend and it was amazing. My mother, she detests ravioli, had two servings. I'm making it again today to go with salmon. Thank you so much!!!!
Hali says
Restaurant quality! One of my favorite things I’ve ever made at home. I used Costco’s butternut ravioli, sapore del piave instead of the Parmesan, and added a little cornstarch slurry to thicken at the end. So delicious!
Jeannie says
I have made this a few times as written and it’s amazing. It’s a thin sauce so have crusty bread on the side. I’ve read all the comments to see if you can make it ahead and there were no follow ups. Has anybody done that I’d love to make it for the group but don’t want to be tied up in the kitchen.
Suzanne says
I followed the directions as described. It turned out perfect. Added toasted almonds to finish! Yum!
Chassity says
Great sauce to pair with my butternut squash ravioli! I was a little scared at first bc the sauce looked as if it was going to stay separated cream vs. butter. But after it cooled it thickened and I added spinach and warmed it all back up in the pot to wilt the spinach. This was great!
Stephanie Lanzalotto says
This was insanely delicious. I made it exactly as written. Used Butternut Squash ravioli from Costco. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Fabulous!
Stephanie says
The recipe makes way too much sauce for the amount of ravioli. It was very thin and the flavor was too buttery. It needs more balance with acid and to be thicker.
Vivian says
Has anyone made this sauce a day before?
Vivian says
This sauce was perfect for my store bought butternut squash ravioli! And so easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
Mary Ellen says
This was delicious! I have been searching for the perfect browned sage butter sauce for a long time. Finally found it 🙂
Lily Orozco says
Loved it, step by step instructions were perfect! I did ADD about a teaspoon (eyeballed it) of pumpkin pie spice from TJ’s that went extremely well. We had something similar at a Sicilian restaurant years ago, we were brought back to that wonderful meal thank you so much
Stacy says
I was craving a sage cream sauce and came across this recipe - it is divine!!! The browned butter really made the dish. I’ll be making this over and over.
Jordan says
I've made this twice now for my wife and I. Once with dried sage, once with fresh. I prefer the fresh sage but my wife disagrees. I also put the sauce back on low heat after adding the cream. It seems to help the cheese melt into the sauce. I then add the ravioli to the sauce to finish cooking. The sauce is still thin (as intended) but clings to the pasta well. This quickly became one of our favorite dishes.
Linda says
Divine!!!
Jack says
WHERE IS THE VIDEO???
Jacki says
Good! I'd never made a brown butter before, but the instructions were good. And sage is taking over my herb garden, so good to have a sage recipe. I like the lightness of the sauce, it really just kind of bathes the ravioli.
Brian says
Sauce is great! I did add a smidge of corn starch to thicken it up. Also, took an idea from a local restaurant and crushed some almond cookies and topped the ravioli with the crumbs and then drizzled with balsamic glaze. Making it again tonight!
Cam says
This sauce needs some of the pasta water or it will not emulsify. Pretty major step to leave out.
Patsy says
I was gifted fresh sage and trying to find new ways to use it. This sauce sounds wonderful, but we are not fond of butternut squash ravioli. What could I use instead?
Thanks!
SueF. says
My sister and I made this together.....by far, THE BEST tasting Sage Brown Butter Sauce Butternut Squash Ravioli we have ever had!!! We bought the fresh butternut squash ravioli (6 huge ones per container) at Market Basket...fabulous. This sauce recipe was and is outstanding!!!! We could not finish the 3 packages we bought for 3 adults which we served with a side salad. MMM MMM MMM do yourself a favor!!!
gridflash says
Guys add 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg...
Dani says
I had extra sauce so I roasted some broccoli real quick and put the sauce over it and OMG. This was so good, thank you.
Dani says
I used the pasta water from the ravioli, and a chicken bouillon cube to make the chicken broth. My sauce turned out so creamy and delicious
Aimee Walsh says
This was absolutely AMAZING! I added pine nuts that toasted in the butter as it browned.
Perfect fall dish and super easy!
Can I freeze the leftover sauce? We didn’t use much of it and it’s a shame to waste it.
Stephanie Lanzalotto says
This recipe is absolutely perfect. I had a split 2 pound ravioli butternut ravioli package. made the sauce for one and had some leftover sauce. Saved it for the other pound of ravs. We're having this again very soon.
Whitney Redmond says
Oh, my lanta. This was good. I had mushrooms that I needed to use up and my husband is a ‘but where’s the meat?’ kind of guy, so I added mild Italian sausage - browned, then removed and drained, browned the cremini mushrooms then removed from the pan. Wiped it out and began the sauce recipe as directed. Tossed it all together before serving. It was amazing! I am wanting the leftovers for breakfast as I am sitting her writing this - really, I’m practically drooling.
Thanks for the recipe!
Ps: I appreciated her noting that it’s not meant to thicken up, because it didn’t, and I wouldn’t been going “humph, wonder why..”