This super-simple recipe for Vegan Sage Brown Butter Sauce is the perfect complement for butternut squash ravioli! This celebration of fall flavors makes for a perfect weeknight dinner that is ready in just about 15 minutes. Easily gluten-free!
What is sage brown butter sauce?
Sage brown butter sauce is a versatile and flavorful coating for many types of pasta dishes. These are two ingredients with flavor profiles that really go hand in hand. Sage is a hardy winter herb that is often paired with rich dishes (like Thanksgiving stuffing).When used with pasta, brown butter helps make the ultimate "comfort" sauce (like in this recipe for Crispy Orzo with Garlic Butter).
When paired together over top of a creamy butternut ravioli sage and brown butter and an autumn/winter dinner winner.
How to Make Vegan Brown Butter
1) Add one stick of dairy-free butter to a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once fully melted, stir continuously for 2-4 minutes. Vegan butter has a high water content, so you will likely not see the same level of browning as you would with normal butter until this cooks off.
2) After a few minutes, it will start to smell slightly nutty. At this point, remove it from the stovetop and let cool before using in your recipe.
What Kind of Plant-Based Butter To Use
The best vegan butter for baking is from Miyokos Creamery. It's ingredient list is as follows:
Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Cultured Cashew Milk (filtered Water, Organic Cashews, Cultures), Filtered Water, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt.
This butter is the best for baking as it reacts very similarly to dairy butter, providing depth of flavor and quality structure to baked goods. The taste is great as well!
What is the best store-bought vegan ravioli?
The market is growing for plant-based products, which I really appreciate! My favorite brand is Kite Hill, which is made from a base of almond milk ricotta. I cannot tell the difference between this and typical ricotta ravioli!
I will admit that plant-based cheese products can get rather expensive, so I often only tend to buy them when on sale or if I have a coupon. Feel free to substitute in whatever kind of ravioli you enjoy!
Ingredients Needed for this Recipe
- 1 lb. butternut squash ravioli, like Kite Hill
- 1 stick of butter, like Miyokos
- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 12 sage leaves, cut in half if large
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
- ½ cup white wine or apple cider (can sub vegetable broth if needed)
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 TBS apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- Toasted breadcrumbs to serve, optional
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Potential Ingredient Swaps to Make This Easier
If you do not have these ingredients, no need to worry! There are many substitutions that could work. For example, any kind of stuffed pasta (including tortellini or even unstuffed gnocchi) would taste just as good. Pine nuts could be swapped in place of walnuts. If you do not like sage, fresh thyme or rosemary would be great (just stay in the hearty herb family, avoiding things like parsley or mint).
How to Make a Sage Brown Butter Sauce with Butternut Ravioli
1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and prepare ravioli per package instructions (normally a boil at 3-4 minutes).
2. Melt the stick of butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add garlic, walnuts, sage leaves, and optional thyme. Let cook for couple more minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Remove walnuts and sage leaves once crispy, setting aside for topping later.
3. Add a large pinch of salt, a few twists of pepper, and nutmeg to the butter sauce. Still over medium heat, add white wine or apple cider to increase the liquid in the pan. Let bubble for a couple of minutes. Add in your vinegar. Remove from heat and toss in your ravioli.
4. Serve topped with reserved crispy sage and walnuts. If desired, add toasted breadcrumbs for even more texture.
Other Tips to Remember to Really Perfect This Recipe
- Do not overcook the ravioli. While they will taste OK, they will fall apart in the sauce and be a bit more challenging to eat. Most ravioli are best when boiled for 3-4 minutes. If you are working with frozen pasta, add a minute or two to this.
- When cooking this dish, go off of how things look and smell as opposed to the specific times listed in the recipe. While these times are what worked for me, it's best to use sensory indicators in your own kitchen.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Sage Brown Butter Butternut Ravioli! For more cozy winter pasta recipe inspiration, try one of these recipes next:
French Onion Lasagna Pasta Bake
Sage Brown Butter Sauce with Butternut Ravioli
Ingredients
- 1 lb. butternut squash ravioli like Kite Hill
- 1 stick of butter like Miyokos
- 3 large cloves of garlic minced
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 12 sage leaves cut in half if large
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme optional
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup white wine or apple cider can sub vegetable broth if needed
- 1 TBS apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- Toasted breadcrumbs to serve optional
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and prepare ravioli per package instructions (normally a boil at 3-4 minutes).
- Melt the stick of butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add garlic, walnuts, sage leaves, and optional thyme. Let cook for couple more minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Remove walnuts and sage leaves once crispy, setting aside for topping later.
- Add a large pinch of salt, a few twists of pepper, and nutmeg to the butter sauce. Still over medium heat, add white wine or apple cider to increase the liquid in the pan. Let bubble for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and toss in your ravioli.
- Serve topped with reserved crispy sage and walnuts. If desired, add toasted breadcrumbs for even more texture.
Kori says
Emily says
Thank you for rating, Kori! 🙂 - Emily
Sarah says
Sooo good! Yum…I will definitely be making this again!
Emily says
Hooray! Thank you so much for commenting!!
Shen Wang says
Incredible meal! Will definitely be making this again!
Emily says
I am so glad to hear that, thank you for commenting! - Emily