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Home » Recipes

Chestnut and Green Apple Pasta with Sage Brown Butter

This pasta was inspired by one of our all-time favorite recipes that I've been making since I first found it in Gourmet Magazine back in 2000 (the year we were married—how are we this old?!). The original recipe is actually for chestnut ravioli—a highly delicious but labor intensive dish—that we have always reserved for special occasions, including New Year's Eve dinner. Let's face it, no matter how good someone is in the kitchen, they aren't typically whipping up from-scratch ravioli for dinner on a busy weeknight (although I do have a recipe for ravioli here if you do want to try it on the weekend!).

So instead of waiting to enjoy this deliciousness only once or twice a year, I've turned it into a pasta topping for store-bought noodles, and the outcome was just what I was after. Plus, to make it even more weeknight friendly, there's no need to roast your own chestnuts. They are super easy to buy ready to use on Amazon and are even available organic! Enjoy. :)

Chestnut and Green Apple Pasta with Sage Brown Butter on 100 Days of Real Food

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Chestnut and Green Apple Pasta with Sage Brown Butter on 100 Days of Real Food

Chestnut and Green Apple Pasta with Sage Brown Butter

Inspired by Gourmet Magazine (Nov 2000 issue)
4 Reviews / 5 Average
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Method: Freezer Friendly
Diet: Egg Free, Picky Eaters
Print Recipe
Servings: 4 or 5 servings
Save Recipe Saved!

Ingredients
  

  • 4 ounces sliced pancetta or bacon (finely chopped)
  • 6 tablespoons butter (divided)
  • ½ cup onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 cups chestnuts (roasted, shelled and skinned; finely chopped)
  • 1 Granny Smith apple (finely diced (no need to peel) and divided)
  • 1 cup water
  • ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated (plus extra for garnish))
  • ¼ cup fresh sage leaves (finely chopped and patted dry)
  • 4 to 5 servings whole-wheat pasta (cooked according to package directions)

Instructions
 

  • Cook the chopped pancetta (or bacon) in 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Stir often until it begins to crisp and brown on the edges. 
  • Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes while stirring until the onion begins to soften.
  • Add chopped chestnuts and all but a small handful of apples to the pan along with the water. Let simmer while stirring until liquid reduces by about half.
  • Turn off heat and stir in Parmesan.
  • In a separate small skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the sage leaves to the pan and cook while stirring until they begin to darken in color and become crispy, and the butter browns. Immediately remove from heat. This sauce can overcook easily so sometimes I even immediately remove it from the pan so it doesn't keep cooking.
  • Divide the cooked pasta among 4 or 5 plates, then top with the chestnut and apple mixture and the sage brown butter sauce. Garnish with extra grated Parmesan and diced green apples and serve.

Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Chestnut and Green Apple Pasta with Sage Brown Butter
Amount Per Serving
Calories 484 Calories from Fat 288
% Daily Value*
Fat 32g49%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 26mg9%
Sodium 519mg23%
Potassium 499mg14%
Carbohydrates 42g14%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 866IU17%
Vitamin C 33mg40%
Calcium 128mg13%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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238 shares

About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Karen says

    April 28, 2019 at 4:42 am

    Has anyone substituted walnuts or pistachios for the chestnuts ?

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      October 12, 2021 at 10:43 am

      We have not tried that, please let us know if you ended up doing so and how it came out! - Nicole

      Reply
  2. ketoshrma says

    February 21, 2019 at 5:23 am

    Yum! This looks good i love foood

    Reply
  3. Selina says

    November 14, 2018 at 1:21 pm

    5 stars
    Many Thanks for posting this recipe, I will must try to home. I hope you will upload more this type of recipes.

    Reply
  4. Steven says

    November 13, 2018 at 7:54 am

    5 stars
    This is very informative post sticky and useful for me. great recipes, i will make myself. Thank you for sharing such excellent recipes. Just waiting for the next one.

    Reply
  5. Bec says

    November 11, 2018 at 11:04 pm

    Great flavors and better timing - I got some chestnuts in my cup cupboarf was wondering what to make - this will be it!

    Reply
  6. Techspirals says

    November 10, 2018 at 11:48 am

    Wow, I am so excited to try this recipe. chestnut green apple pasta with sage brown butter i love to eat .
    Thank you for sharing this post

    Reply
  7. Rohan Maheshwari says

    November 10, 2018 at 4:01 am

    Hi Lisa,

    The combination of Chestnut and Apple Pasta looks delicious and healthy.It seems they are good for everyone.

    Thanks

    Reply
  8. George says

    November 08, 2018 at 12:29 pm

    5 stars
    Chestnut and Green Apple Pasta look so delicious. I gonna taste soon. very informative to ease to make this as well. Thanks for great content and waiting for the next one as well

    Reply
  9. YvonneDaley says

    November 07, 2018 at 11:51 pm

    nice recipes

    Reply
  10. Allie says

    November 07, 2018 at 10:28 pm

    5 stars
    I am so excited about trying this recipe! What a unique blend of flavors. I love all fall flavors and your creative recipe will be a treat to try! Thanks for your delicious inspiration!

    Reply
  11. Mel says

    November 07, 2018 at 8:49 pm

    Yum! This looks good. And way easier than ravioli ;) We have sage we dried from our garden and some apples we picked this fall, so I am part way there to making it!

    Reply
  12. Kristin says

    November 07, 2018 at 1:20 pm

    I agree ravioli is far too time intensive to make on a weeknight. Gnocchi on the other hand is doable, with help from my girls. I found a delicious butternut squash ricotta gnocchi recipe to substitute for our favorite butternut squash ravioli. Served with a quick sage butternut sauce, and bonus, there's are leftovers for the next night.

    Reply

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Welcome!


Meet Lisa! Lisa is a best-selling cookbook author, wife, mother, and passionate home cook. Lisa began blogging in 2010 and has created a community of millions of people who share her love of healthy living, real food ingredients, and family recipes.

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