Step 1

Make the brown butter. Cut 8 tablespoons unsalted butter into 8 pieces. Place in a medium light-colored frying pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the color goes from lemony-yellow to golden-tan to, finally, a toasty-brown that’s the color of toasted hazelnuts, about 8 minutes total. Meanwhile, pat 15 small fresh sage leaves dry if they’re damp.

Step 2

Fry the sage. Add the sage leaves to the pan and cook until they crisp up, which will take a few seconds. Immediately scrape the mixture into a heatproof bowl. Let cool slightly, then taste and season with kosher salt as needed. Use the sage sauce on pasta, tortellini, ravioli, gnocchi, or risotto.