Tackling Bittman: Linguine with Butter, Parmesan, and Sage

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade.  When life gives you too many snow days, and a house full of rambunctious children, you make pasta.  Not just any pasta mind you.  Pasta with lots of butter and lots of cheese.  Pasta that will both calm and comfort you while your children run around the house with a roll of masking tape, taping each other, their toys, and everything else in sight.  Oh, the joys of parenting...............

Linguine with Butter, Parmesan, and Sage

Adapted from Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express 

Boil salted water for pasta and cook it(I used one pound), leaving it just short of done and reserving some of the cooking liquid(I reserved one cup and wish I had reserved more).  Meanwhile, melt two tablespoons butter (I used 4 tablespoons) and add a couple handfuls of fresh sage leaves (about 30 leaves) to the pan; cook until the butter browns and the leaves have shriveled.  Add the pasta to the butter and sage, along with about three-quarters of a cup of the cooking liquid; cook until the pasta is done; it's OK if the mixture remains a little soupy(it's probably best if it is soupy).  Stir in a couple of good handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and mix until it becomes creamy; season with lots of freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Notes/Results: How can you go wrong with a pasta dish like this?  Bittman compares this recipe to a lighter version of Alfredo and I have to agree.  I do wish I had reserved a little bit more of the pasta water to thin out my cheese sauce more.  If you make this recipe, my suggestion would be to reserve 2 full cups of pasta water just for that purpose.  Either way, this was a delicious and comforting recipe that helped to provide a little sunshine on my otherwise hectic and crazy day.  A few snow days are always fun, but twelve snow days......not so fun!!

This is my entry for Tackling Bittman, being hosted by my friend Heather at Girlichef this month.  Heather is also hosting a great giveaway for Mark Bittman's newest book, The Food Matters Cookbook. You still have a few more days to submit a Bittman recipe in order to win! Follow this link for the details.

Special Note:  I haven't been around to comment much lately and I do miss visiting all of you.  Things have been a little hectic with all the snow days and I've been feeling a little under the weather.  I hope to get around and see all of you soon!