pasta with sage, artichokes, lemon, and butter

what was born as a happenstance weeknight ‘everything but the kitchen sink, let’s see if this is any good’ pasta dish has become a household staple for me; easy to fall back on as a modest but unsuspecting recipe when cooking for friends, family, and especially as a guest in someone else’s house. it’s rich in umami flavors in all of the ways I really like and a little sweet, tart, and silky. enjoy it as a solo dish or pair it with pecorino breadcrumb kale and crusty bread or even a bright and tangy cucumber, radish-y salad.

WHAT YOU NEED

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 red onion

2 TBSP olives - ideally kalamata

2 swirls in a pan of balsamic vinegar: ~ 2 tsp

2 TBSP unsalted butter

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 cup of canned or jarred artichoke hearts

1 bundle of fresh sage

1/2 LB of paccheri (big tube pasta), penne, or rigatoni - this works well with bucatini, spaghetti, or orecchiette too

1/4 cup of fresh grated pecorino romano (sub in parmesan if needed)

1/4 bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

Flaky sea salt (kosher is good)

Fresh ground pepper to taste

HOW TO

STEP 1

Put a pot of water on high heat to boil for your pasta, adding a hefty pinch of salt. Next, pour 2-3 full glugs of olive oil into your pan on medium to medium high heat and let it sit while you work through your initial prep.

STEP 2

Slice the half of a red onion in half again to make two quarters, then flip the cut side down onto your cutting board and work right to left, slicing your onion into thin strips quarter strips. Throw the onions in the pan, sprinkle with a hefty pinch of salt with a few turns of your black pepper mill. Keep an eye on how brown they get in the next 5 minutes, turning down the heat if they start to move past caramelization and get crispy brown on their edges.

STEP 3

Roughly chop your sage leaves in half and toss them in with the onions. Allow them to cook together for 2 to 4 minutes, before they get fully crispy. While they cook, chop the kalamata olives and the artichoke hearts into roughly equal size parts.

Keeping the heat on medium, once your onions and sage are almost sizzling, add two quick turns of your balsamic vinegar to the pan, or about 2 tsp, to deglaze it all. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add in the olives, artichoke hearts, and 1 TBSP of the butter, reserving the other half of the butter for later. Allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes.

STEP 4

Add your pasta to the boiling water, cooking for 8-10 minutes, until al dente.

While waiting for your pasta, add the remaining TBSP of butter and half your lemon juice (or juice from a quarter of a lemon) to the sauce, allowing to simmer on medium-low for the remainder of the pasta’s cook time.

STEP 5

When your pasta is ready, put about 2 TBSPS of pasta water aside. Strain the pasta from the water. Mix the pasta, 1 TBSP pasta water, and sauce together in the pan until the sauce coats the pasta - add the remaining pasta water if needed to bring it together- then transfer it into your favorite pasta serving bowl. Finish with the remaining lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, grated cheese, and chopped parsley.