Green Fettuccine in Sage Oil with Pecorino and Lemon

Serves 4 to 6

• Kosher salt

• 1 pound Green Pasta[LINK]

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves

• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it generously with salt. 

Warm the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. When a sage leaf gently sizzles when dropped in, add all the sage and fry until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. (They will stop sizzling when completely crisp.) Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the sage leaves to a plate lined with paper towels and season them with salt. Add the lemon zest (not juice) and nutmeg to the warm oil and set aside.

Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook, stirring often, until chewy and just cooked through (it won’t be al dente like dried pasta), about 2 minutes. When the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain it in a colander. Return the pasta to the pot and drizzle in the oil, lemon juice, and a splash of the cooking water and toss. Add half the pecorino and toss again. Add more cooking water until it’s a bit saucy and nicely coats the noodles. Taste and season with more salt, as needed.

Serve the pasta with the remaining pecorino and sage leaves crushed on top.

Recipe by Andrea Slonecker