10-Min Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter (Step by Step)

Step-by-Step Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter

You’ll love this butternut squash ravioli with sage butter. It’s perfect for a quick meal. We like to add toppings like pine nuts, feta, and sun-dried tomatoes. They bring extra flavor and crunch, but they’re optional. If you prefer to keep it simple, you can make this recipe with just three ingredients: butter, sage, and pasta. That’s all you need. But with the toppings, it tastes amazing!

If you came here for a simple butter pasta sauce instead of brown butter sage ravioli, we have you covered too. There’s a quick version that takes only 3 minutes, and you can check it out here.

How do you make ravioli with sage butter?

Prep the toppings first, or skip straight to the butter if you prefer a simpler version. Melt the butter slowly until it turns golden and smells nutty. Then add the sage. Let it crisp and flavor the sauce. While the butter browns, cook your ravioli in salted boiling water. When the ravioli are ready, toss everything together. It really is that easy. Still, watch the butter. The key is to brown it perfectly. But don’t worry: we’ll guide you through every step with photos or video. Now let’s cook sage butter ravioli together step by step.

Optional: Prep the toppings.

If you want to add the toppings, start with them now. If you prefer plain brown butter sage pasta, you can skip straight to cooking the ravioli.

Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces and crumble the feta. These are optional, but they make the ravioli taste even better.

Next, toast the pine nuts. Place them in a dry pan over medium heat and stir often so they don’t burn. This takes about 5 minutes.

You’ll know they’re ready when they turn golden and smell nutty. That’s perfect.

Move them to a cold plate right away so they don’t keep cooking.

Boil water for the ravioli and cut the butter.

Cut your butter into pieces first. It’s tempting to throw the whole stick into the pan, but don’t do it. This step is key for sage brown butter sauce for ravioli. Smaller pieces melt evenly and won’t burn as easily.

Next, put a pot of water on to boil for the ravioli. You can also make this recipe with any pasta you like.

Add plenty of salt to the water.

Keep in mind that the butter sage sauce for pasta takes about 10 minutes, and you can’t walk away from it while it cooks. Plan the timing for your ravioli or whatever pasta you choose. For example, if your ravioli cook in 4 minutes, drop them into the boiling water about 4 minutes before the brown butter is ready. Drain the ravioli when they’re done. We don’t need the cooking water for this sauce.

It’s the same for pasta. If your pasta cooks in 10 minutes, start it at the same time as the sage butter sauce for pasta. And everything will be ready together.

Let’s start browning butter into a nutty, golden sauce.

Now it’s time to make the brown butter. First, a few quick tips, because prep is the key here.

Use a light-colored pan if you have one. You need to see the little golden bits forming in the butter, and on a dark pan you won’t notice them. If you don’t have a light pan (and most of us don’t, since they’re usually dark), a light-colored pot works too.

A stainless steel pan or pot is perfect for this.

Place a pan or pot on medium heat. If your stove has numbers, set it around 5 out of 9. Add the butter pieces. You’ll see the butter start to melt. Stir now and then so it melts evenly. Use a heatproof spatula with a wide, flat edge so you can scrape up the little bits from the bottom. Stay close—sage butter sauce for ravioli cooks fast, and brown butter burns quickly if you walk away.

Hear that sizzling sound? That’s the water evaporating. About 20% of butter is water. Soon you’ll see bubbles rise to the surface and create foam on top. Stir more often here so the milk solids don’t sink and stick to the bottom.

Now listen again. When the sizzling starts to fade, the water is gone and the milk solids are cooking. This is when you start to stir constantly.

Cook the ravioli.

Our ravioli take only 4 minutes to cook, so by now the water should be boiling. Drop the ravioli in and cook the pasta while the butter browns. If your pasta also cooks in 4 minutes, follow the same timing. If it takes longer, cook the pasta a bit earlier. Want to see how to cook ravioli step by step so they don’t break? Check our guide below.

Watch the butter change color.

Look at the butter as it changes. It starts yellow, then turns light brown. You’ll see tiny golden bits on the bottom, and the smell turns nutty. At first, the bits are white and barely noticeable.

Then they go light brown.

And finally, medium brown — that’s exactly what you want.

Add sage

Now it’s time to add the sage leaves. You’ll see big bubbles around them—that’s the sign the sage is cooking and getting crispy.

Fry them for about 1 to 2 minutes until they’re dark green and crisp. Your brown butter sage sauce for ravioli is ready. Now it’s time for the pasta.

Combine everything

Take the butter off the heat right away. This part is really important. Don’t just turn off the stove—lift the pan off completely. Brown butter sage pasta sauce can burn quickly if it stays on the hot stove, even after you turn it off.

Add the cooked pasta straight into the pan. Be gentle, because ravioli are delicate and can break.

Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top and mix carefully. They’re optional, but they add the perfect crunch.

If your ravioli or pasta aren’t ready yet, pour the brown butter into a cold pan to stop the cooking. Then add the ravioli or pasta later when they’re done.

Finish and serve

Now look at this — delicious butternut squash ravioli with brown butter sage sauce. It’s nutty, crispy, sweet, and a little crunchy. And the best part? It’s quick and easy too. You can enjoy it just like this, or add your favorite toppings.

Taste and adjust the salt as you go. Remember, feta is salty, so skip extra salt if you’re adding it on top. And if you salted your pasta water well, the ravioli will already be salty enough. You might not need any more at all—so taste first, then decide.

Time for the toppings. Sprinkle on the crumbled feta and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. The mix of sweet butternut squash ravioli, salty feta, tangy tomatoes, crunchy nuts, and aromatic sage is just amazing. Even if you skip the toppings this time, make sure to try them next time. You’ll love the flavor!

If your browned butter is cooked right, you’ll see golden specks and smell that nutty aroma. Once you’ve made it a few times, you’ll know right away when it’s ready. Try it out and let us know how yours turned out in the comments.

Ingredients, Tips, and Common Mistakes to Avoid

Now that you know how to make sage butter pasta, let’s look at the ingredients and equipment you need. There are only 3 main ingredients for this recipe. The rest are optional, and you can swap some of them. 

Want the most delicious result? Don’t forget to check the tips and common mistakes below!

Equipment

• Pan or pot with a light, thick bottom – This is important for browning the butter because you need to see the bits forming on the bottom. First, they are very light, then light brown, and finally medium brown. You can’t see this in a dark pan, and the butter can burn. If you don’t have a light pan, a stainless steel pan or pot works great.
  
• Spatula – Use a heatproof one with a wide, flat edge. When you make sage butter pasta sauce, you need to scrape up the bits from the bottom so they don’t settle and burn. If you have a wide spatula, it makes this easier.
  
• Pot for the ravioli

Ingredients

For this recipe, you only need 3 ingredients: pasta, butter, and sage. The rest of the ingredients are optional. For exact measurements, check the recipe card below. 

Ravioli or pasta

You can use pasta, tortellini, gnocchi, or ravioli in this recipe. The classic match is brown butter sage sauce for butternut squash ravioli. The nutty butter, the crispy sage leaves, and the sweet squash filling taste so cozy and rich together. We love to add salty feta, crunchy buttery pine nuts, and tangy sun-dried tomatoes on top. It’s the topping we always reach for.

If you cannot find butternut ravioli, try pumpkin ravioli with sage butter. The flavor is almost the same, and the sauce brings out that cozy autumn taste in both. You can also use ravioli with other fillings if that’s what you have at home.

The quickest option is ravioli from the fridge section in the grocery store. That’s where you find pasta fresh, whether it’s ravioli or another type you like. This fresh ravioli cooks in only 4 minutes. Quick, right? Dinner is ready before you know it.

Any other pasta shape will also work. Just keep in mind that for this amount of sauce, you need more ravioli and less pasta. For the exact amounts, check the recipe card below.

Butter

We usually go with unsalted butter. It just makes cooking easier. You can use salted butter if that’s what you have, but it behaves a bit differently. Salted butter foams more, so it’s harder to control the browning.

Butter also loses about 20% of its water as it cooks. With salted butter, that makes the flavor even saltier. If you use it, you’ll want to adjust the seasoning. Unsalted keeps things simple, and that’s why we like it best for sage brown butter pasta. Plus, we add salty feta on top, so you don’t miss the salt at all.

Sage leaves

Of course, you need sage leaves for this recipe. They turn crispy, smell amazing, and the fragrant sage goes so beautifully with the nutty butter and the sweet ravioli filling.

If you don’t have sage, you can still make a brown butter sauce for ravioli without sage. We also have a brown butter pasta version without sage, and you can use it for ravioli too. Still, the combination of brown butter and crispy sage is worth the effort to get. It’s so delicious!

This recipe also works with frozen or dried sage. Have leftover sage? Want to save it for later? Then check below to see how to dry or freeze it for more recipes with sage.

Optional ingredients

The next ingredients are optional. You can skip them, or add them and make the dish extra delicious.

Cheese

Add feta or goat cheese on top. Brown butter ravioli with sage tastes nutty and sweet, and feta brings a salty bite. Of course, you can also use Parmesan, Pecorino, or any cheese you love, but feta in this combo is our favorite.

Nuts

Add pine nuts for a crunchy, buttery taste. You can also use whatever nuts you have in your pantry. Walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds work great too.

Sun-dried tomatoes

Along with feta, we love adding sun-dried tomatoes on top. Chop them into small pieces. They add a soft, chewy texture, and the tangy taste goes beautifully with sweet and salty butternut squash ravioli with sage butter.

That’s all. The ingredients are simple. Three are essential, and the rest are optional. But totally worth trying. This is one of those recipes that’s simple but feels special every time you make it.

Tips and Common Mistakes to Avoid

Now that you know the ingredients for butternut squash ravioli with sage, here are a few tips to make sure everything goes smoothly. We’ll also look at what can go wrong and how you can avoid it.

How do I keep butter from burning?

Brown butter can taste burnt or bitter if you don’t cook it right. Here’s how to keep it under control:

• Cook on medium heat.
• Cut the butter into pieces before adding it to the pan.

• At first, stir from time to time. The moment you see tiny bits on the bottom, stir all the time. Don’t let them stick to the bottom.
• Use a heatproof spatula with a wide, flat edge. It makes it easier to scrape the bottom.

• Use a pan or pot with a thick, light-colored bottom. A stainless steel one works perfectly. You can find it anywhere, and you don’t need to spend much to get it.
• Stay at the stove. Don’t walk away. Brown butter burns in seconds!
• As soon as you smell a nutty aroma and see golden butter with tiny medium-brown bits at the bottom, take it off the heat. Add pasta or pour it into a cold pan right away.
• If you make this recipe with sage, don’t fry the leaves for too long. They need only 1–2 minutes. When sage turns dark green, it’s already crispy. That’s when it’s ready.

Want the perfect brown butter sage sauce for butternut squash ravioli? Check our step-by-step photos, so you know exactly how the butter should look while cooking. And when to take it off the heat.

How to make sure ravioli don’t fall apart?

Ravioli can fall apart, turn soft, or break while you cook them or when you add them to the sauce. Here’s how to avoid that.

• Cook the ravioli until al dente. That means slightly firm to the bite. Then move them straight into the sauce. That’s why it’s so important to have the sage sauce for ravioli ready at the same time as the pasta. Check the cooking time and start the ravioli so they finish right when the sauce is done.
• When you add pasta to the sauce, be gentle. Stir with care so everything combines and the ravioli don’t break.
• Cook ravioli in small batches, so they don’t stick together or fall apart.

That’s how to keep your butter sage ravioli whole and delicious. Want to see how to cook them step by step before you add them to the pasta? Check the section below.

How to cook ravioli step by step?

• Salt the water.
• Separate the ravioli if they stick together during storage.
• Drop the ravioli into boiling salted water. Stir gently so they don’t stick to the bottom. Don’t use a metal spatula. It can break the ravioli.

• Cook in small batches. Follow the cooking time on the package and don’t go longer. If you use fresh homemade pasta, it’s even more delicate, so be extra careful.
• Lift the ravioli out with a slotted spoon.
• Right away, coat them with butter, or add them to the pasta sauce.

How do I fry sage without burning it?

For sage dishes, it’s important to cook the leaves just right so they don’t burn. Here’s how you do it with brown butter:

• Add the sage only after the butter turns golden brown. Cook the leaves over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, just until they turn crispy.

• Add them to the dish right away. Don’t wait, or they lose the texture.
• Want crispy sage but your pasta still cooks? Lift the fried leaves out of the butter and set them aside. Add them back when the dish is ready. This way the sage doesn’t burn and stays crispy.
• The best for butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sage is to time everything together. Brown butter with sage takes about 10 minutes. Check the pasta package and make sure it’s ready right when the sage leaves turn crispy.

How to make sure the sauce is not heavy or bitter?

• Don’t add too many sage leaves. Sage has a naturally slightly bitter taste. Use about 3 to 7 leaves per portion, depending on their size.
• To keep the sage sauce for butternut squash ravioli from turning too heavy, too bitter, or too bland, use the right amount of sage, nuts, and brown butter. Check our recipe card below for exact amounts.
• Add toppings! We love feta, sun-dried tomatoes, or figs. They make the flavor of the sauce softer and smoother.

Store, Make Ahead, and Reheat

Let’s talk about how to store, make ahead, and reheat ravioli with butter and sage.

How to Store Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce?

Keep ravioli with brown butter sage sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Unfortunately, you can’t freeze it.

You can, however, store brown butter on its own, without sage or ravioli, for longer.

• Brown butter with the browned bits lasts up to 1 week in the fridge.
• If you want to store it longer, strain it through a sieve to remove the bits. Strained brown butter keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Always store it in a glass jar with a tight lid.

Can You Freeze Brown Butter with Sage?

You can’t freeze brown butter with sage leaves, but you can freeze it without them. Brown butter keeps well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freeze it in containers or freezer bags, and portion it if you can. Do not refreeze once thawed. You can use the same zip bag method we used for tomato sauce. It works perfectly for brown butter too, and it makes portioning super easy.

How to Reheat Sage Brown Butter Ravioli?

• Add a little water to a pan. 
• Place the ravioli from the fridge into the pan and cover with a lid. 
• Reheat on medium heat. Stir gently once or twice until heated through.

How to Reheat Brown Butter?

Place the brown butter in a pan and warm it over medium heat until it melts. Stir from time to time.

Store Leftover Sage, Dry and Freeze It

Have you made sage brown butter sauce for butternut squash ravioli and ended up with leftover sage? You can store it, dry it, or even freeze it. It’s so convenient, because then you can make the recipe again in a few days, weeks, or even months. Here’s how to do it.

How to Store Sage in the Fridge

• Wash the fresh sage leaves and lay them out on a towel to dry off extra water. 
• Wrap the leaves in a paper towel and put them in a plastic bag. Don’t seal the bag too tightly. Fresh sage leaves last about 5 days in the fridge.

How to Dry and Store Fresh Sage

• Wash the fresh sage leaves and spread them on a towel to drain extra water. 
• Place the leaves on parchment paper and leave them to dry in a dark place. Turn them every now and then. 
• While drying, the leaves release a strong smell, so if you or someone in your family is sensitive to strong odors or allergies, don’t dry them in a room where they spend time. 
• Store the dried leaves in a glass container with a lid. You can keep them for up to 2 months in a cool, dark place.

How to Freeze and Store

• Wash the fresh sage leaves and spread them on a towel to drain extra water. 
• Portion the leaves into freezer bags. 
• Then place the bags in a container so the leaves keep their shape and don’t get squashed. Freeze for up to 2 months.

For this sage butter recipe, you can use fresh, dried, or frozen sage. Pick the method you like best. Next time you make butter and sage sauce for ravioli, or any pasta you love, try using dried or frozen sage leaves instead of fresh. They turn crispy and very aromatic. We tested it, so you can be sure it works!

How to Adjust, Serve, and More Recipe Ideas

Now you know how easy it is to make a simple and delicious pasta sage dish. Toss hot pasta in golden brown butter with crispy sage leaves, and you’ve got comfort in a bowl. The best part? You can adjust it to your taste or diet in just minutes. Check out the simple ideas below, plus more easy pasta recipes you can make in minutes.

How to Adjust This Recipe

Here are a few simple ways you can adjust or serve butternut squash ravioli with sage.

Gluten-Free

Following a gluten-free diet? Easy. Just swap in gluten-free pasta. Everything else in this recipe is already gluten-free.

Cheesy

This pasta dish tastes amazing with salty feta or creamy goat cheese. The sweet butternut squash filling goes perfectly with it. That’s our first choice. But if you don’t have those, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top. Or just use whatever cheese you already have at home.

Toasted Nuts

Try brown butter and sage ravioli with toasted pine nuts. They’re crispy, buttery, and go perfectly with the sauce and feta topping. Can’t find pine nuts? Just toast any nuts you have the same way. Want to make them right now? Jump to the method here.

Breadcrumbs

No nuts or have a nut allergy? Don’t skip the crunch. You can add crispy breadcrumbs instead. They match beautifully with soft ravioli coated in brown butter. Try our Italian breadcrumb recipe made with old bread. Or you can add seasoned breadcrumbs. Check our method here to see how to do it.

More Recipes

Love butter pasta? Looking for more easy recipes? Try these delicious pasta recipes:

• Easy butter sauce for pasta – A simple butter recipe, ready in 3 minutes. Perfect when you need a pasta sauce that’s quick and easy.
• Lemon sauce for pasta – A bright lemon butter parmesan sauce. You can also make it with cheddar.
• Butter sauce pasta with garlic – If you love garlic butter pasta, this is the easiest sauce you can make. Ready in just 4 minutes.

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