12.03.2008

What's For Dinner...

Homemade Pappardelle with Sage Cream
(and yes, that garnish is fried sage leaves, aka my favorite)

Why is homemade pasta so good? Why am I lucky enough to have married a man that not only appreciates fresh pasta but can make it? Why was he lucky enough to marry a woman that knows how to make one hell of a sauce? These, my friends, are the only deep questions we're asking ourselves tonight. Tonight is all about looking forward to winter, opening up that bottle of Chilean wine we've been saving (besos, Todd!), and sitting next to the one we love...[wait for it]... folding laundry, and realizing that domesticity ain't so bad after all. To all our fellow women's studies majors out there, let us just say: it has its place.

Fried Sage Leaves

1/2 cup vegetable oil
flour, for dusting
30 fresh sage leaves

Clean and thoroughly dry the sage leaves on paper towels. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat until hot (oil will bubble.) Once dry, lightly dust the sage leaves with flour, shaking off any excess. Fry sage in batches, stirring, 10-20 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then season with salt. Leaves should retain some green color, and will crisp up as they cool.

These are good for topping pastas, soups (hello, butternut squash!), or, if you're like me, eating like potato chips.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That looks great! I love fried sage leaves also. What is your recipe for the sage cream sauce?

Ali and Evan said...

diana,
my main problem with writing recipes is that I never measure. I can tell you this: it started with garlic and onions sauteed in a little olive oil and butter blend, I added flour, making a roux, and cooked it down. Deglazed the pan with a little white wine, cooked it down, added a little vegetable stock, and slowly added cream, fresh sage and freshly grated parmesan. Hope that helps. I promise, this is something I'm working on. Unfortunately I come from a family of cooks who use the "little bit of this and a little bit of that" method and old habits dies hard. But I'm hell bent on taking the advice from a dear friend who once told me, "Write it down. Write it down. Write it down."