I have always liked sage—and sage and butter are such a beautiful couple! A sage sauce literally can I turn a bad day good for me. Sage is said to be used most often in northern Italian dishes, and particularly in Tuscany (which we also visited in the last Sunday Pasta).
Seems like sage, which is a member of the mint family, as been used a lot throughout history. But even in my research it is stated that it is the Italians who have perfected the art of cooking with it and mastered the use of the fresh herb. And an added bonus (I learned) is that it is said to help digest grease in fatty foods.
The Romans were likely to have introduced sage to Europe, which was used in Egypt as a medicinal herb. Pliny the Elder said sage was called “salvia” by the Romans and they used it as a diuretic, a local anesthetic for the skin and a styptic. Who knew that sage was such a multi-tasker!
Check out our recipe for Ravioli di Spinaci al Burro e Salvia and our wine pairings to compliment the dish.
Donna Picciocchi, Editor
