Name: Easy Fresh Pasta with Sage Browned Butter
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H30M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT0H30M0.000S
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: Kosher salt; 1 1/8 cups "00" pasta flour, plus more as needed and for rolling out the dough; 2 large eggs; 1 tablespoon semolina flour, plus more for dusting the pasta before boiling; 3 tablespoons butter; 7 fresh sage leaves, chopped into chiffonade; 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar; 1/2 cup hot, starchy pasta water (important -- see Cook's Note); 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for topping plates of pasta

Directions

For the fresh tagliatelle: Bring a medium stockpot of salted water to a boil.
Combine the pasta flour and eggs in a food processor or the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms. Continue to knead for 3 minutes, either by hand or in the mixer, so that the dough develops elasticity and silkiness. Dust the ball of dough with "00" pasta flour, seal it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling it out, if time allows (see Cook's Note). Alternatively, you can let the dough rest for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. The color sometimes fades after that, although the dough is still usable for up to 3 days.
For sheeting and cutting by hand, use a rolling pin to flatten the pasta sheet into an oval about 1/16-inch thick. Flour it generously with "00" pasta flour and roll it into a cylindrical tube from short end to short end. Use a chef’s knife to cut the cylinder into 3/8-inch strips. Unroll and separate the strips into strands of tagliatelle.
For sheeting with a pasta machine, sheet the pasta to about 1/16-inch thick, and cut into strips about 3/8-inch wide. On a pasta machine, this is about the third-thinnest setting on the sheeter and utilizes the tagliatelle cutter.
If time allows, hang the pasta at room temperature for 30 minutes or until it feels leathery. If cooking immediately, generously dust the tagliatelle with plenty of semolina flour to prevent it from becoming gummy.
Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon semolina flour to the large pot of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.
For the sage browned butter: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Continue cooking the butter until it turns a light golden brown, keeping a vigilant eye on it. Add the sage and continue cooking until the butter turns medium golden brown and smells nutty, about 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat for 1 minute.
Add the nutmeg and vinegar and return the pan to medium-high heat, stirring to combine. Immediately add the pasta water and Parmigiano and whisk until the cheese disappears and the sauce starts to thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Drain the pasta, toss the sauce with the pasta and serve immediately, topping each plate with additional cheese, if desired.

Cook’s Note

Using browned butter requires you to form an emulsion by whisking starchy pasta water with butter until you achieve a uniform sauce. If you’re not boiling batch after batch of pasta, your water may not be starchy enough. Please add 1 tablespoon semolina flour per quart of water to achieve the right starch content in your pasta water. Make this addition when you add the pasta to the water. If you do it sooner, your water will boil over if you’re not attentive.

Adapted from "Pasta, Pretty Please: A Vibrant Approach to Handmade Noodles" by Linda Miller Nicholson. Copyright © 2018 by Linda Miller Nicholson. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.