Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Butternut squash ravioli with brown butter sage sauce is my favorite way to eat ravioli. The nutty, savory butter balances the sweet squash filling, and it all comes together with store-bought ravioli in about 20 minutes. Years ago, I used to make sweet potato gnocchi from scratch and toss it in brown butter and sage for holidays and special dinners.

But for now as a busy mom of 3 with crazy busy weeknights, I reach for Trader Joe's butternut squash ravioli and make the sauce in one pan while the ravioli boils. Same flavors, way less effort, and still one of those dinners everyone gets excited about.

What to serve with it: A simple salad, rosemary roasted carrots, pull-apart garlic bread rolls, or a simple protein like pesto salmon. If you love this type of sauce, try my brown butter sage gnocchi next.

Key Ingredients

The sauce is just three things: butter, fresh sage, and Parmesan. A little pasta water pulls it all together.

• Butternut squash ravioli: I use Trader Joe's, two 8 oz packages. Any store-bought butternut squash ravioli works.
• Fresh sage: You'll want about 20 mid-size leaves. 15 get chopped and fried in the sauce, and the other 5 are for garnishing at the end. You can skip the garnish if it feels unnecessary.
• Butter: I like salted butter, but unsalted works too. Just taste the sauce before serving and add salt if it needs it.
• Parmesan: Freshly grated is the way to go. Use a microplane or the small holes on a box grater.

Swaps and Variations

• Other pasta: This sauce isn't just for butternut squash ravioli. It's great tossed with sweet potato gnocchi, tortellini, rigatoni, or simple homemade pasta like tagliatelle, and it's delicious spooned over roasted cauliflower or baked salmon.
• Other ravioli: No butternut squash ravioli on hand? This sauce works with other seasonal ravioli from Trader Joe's, like four cheese, arugula and Parmigiano Reggiano, porcini mushroom and truffle, or roasted cauliflower and cheese.
• Add protein: A reader added ground sweet Italian sausage for extra protein and loved it.
• More ways to use store-bought ravioli: Try my frozen ravioli lazy lasagna or spinach ravioli bake.

Pro Tips for Brown Butter Sage Sauce

• Stay close to the butter. It takes me 7 to 10 minutes to brown. Most of my pans are dark, so the color is harder to judge, and I stay at the stove and swirl the pan occasionally. You're looking for a light amber color, a nutty smell, and brown bits forming on the bottom. It can go from perfect to burned fast. If it smells bitter or looks very dark, it's best to start over.
• Add the sage after the butter browns. Sage fries quickly. Adding it to lightly browned butter lets it get fragrant and slightly crisp without turning bitter.
• Move the ravioli with a spider or slotted spoon. I lift them straight from the pot into the pan. It's gentle on them, and mine don't usually fall apart.
• Use pasta water to finish the sauce. Start with a few tablespoons and stir. The starches in the water help the butter come together into a glossy sauce that coats the ravioli, instead of a greasy one. Add a little more at a time if needed.
• Taste before adding salt. Salted butter and Parmesan both bring salt to the dish.

How to make butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter sage sauce

Step 1: Brown the butter. Add the butter to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Let it melt, swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns a light amber color, smells nutty, and you see brown bits forming on the bottom. This takes 7 to 10 minutes, so start it first and put a pot of water on to boil while it cooks.

Step 2: Cook the ravioli. While the butter finishes browning, cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Scoop out about ½ cup of the cooking water, then lift the ravioli out with a spider or slotted spoon.

Step 3: Fry the sage. Add the chopped sage to the browned butter and let it sizzle for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.

Step 4: Toss and serve. Add the ravioli and a few tablespoons of pasta water to the pan and gently toss until the ravioli are coated and the sauce looks glossy. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, top with the fresh sage leaves if you like, and serve right away.

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