Sausage, Apple & Sage Noodle Skillet with Brown Butter

Name: Sausage, Apple & Sage Noodle Skillet with Brown Butter
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Comfort Food
Ingredients: 1 16 oz package Grandma’s wide frozen egg noodles; 1 lb ground pork sausage; 3 cups honeycrisp apples, ¼ - ½” diced (or any sweet-tart apple like braeburn, pink lady, etc.); ¾ cup shallots, ¼” diced; 8 Tbsp salted butter; 2 cups baby spinach (optional, for color); 8-10 fresh sage leaves; Salt and black pepper, to taste; Freshly grated parmesan, for serving

Annie Weisz of Peak to Plate

Servings

4-6

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Cuisine

Comfort Food

Category

Main Course / Dinner

This dish captures all the cozy flavors of fall. Imagine crisp autumn air and the smell of sweet-tart apples sizzling alongside savory sausage, and tender noodles coated in nutty brown butter with a hint of fresh sage. This sweet and savory noodle skillet is a warm, filling dish that feels indulgent yet comes together in under an hour.

The hearty texture of Grandma's wide egg noodles soaks up the brown butter and sausage drippings beautifully. As the sausage browns, it releases rich flavor into the pan, creating the perfect base for cooking diced apples and shallots. The apples add a sweet-tart brightness that balances the richness of the sausage and butter, while the shallots add a delicate, savory aroma.

The brown butter is what really elevates this dish. Cooked until golden and fragrant, it coats every noodle in nutty richness. Crisp the sage leaves in the butter, allowing their earthy, fragrant flavor to meld into the sauce. A handful of baby spinach adds color and freshness, and a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan brings a nutty, savory note to complete the dish.

This dish is flexible too. Swap in other sweet-tart apples like Pink Lady or Braeburn apples if you don't have Honeycrisp, or add a few toasted nuts for crunch. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special weekend meal, this cozy noodle skillet brings comforting flavors that celebrate the season.

Sausage, Apple & Sage Noodle Skillet with Brown Butter

Ingredients

1 16 oz package Grandma’s wide frozen egg noodles
1 lb ground pork sausage
3 cups honeycrisp apples, ¼ - ½” diced (or any sweet-tart apple like braeburn, pink lady, etc.)
¾ cup shallots, ¼” diced
8 Tbsp salted butter
2 cups baby spinach (optional, for color)
8-10 fresh sage leaves
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated parmesan, for serving

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water (6 quarts water + 2 Tbsp salt) to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions while you cook the other ingredients, then drain well.
Meanwhile, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned and cooked through (6–7 minutes). Transfer to a bowl.
Reduce the heat to medium. If the pan is dry after cooking the sausage, melt 1–2 Tbsp butter. Add apples and shallots, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until crisp-tender (8–10 minutes), stirring often. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage.
Lower the heat to low. Melt 8 Tbsp butter in the skillet and cook until golden brown and nutty (5–6 minutes). Increase the heat to medium, add sage leaves, and fry until lightly crisp but not too browned (1–2 minutes). Remove the sage leaves to a paper towel.
Add noodles to the brown butter, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in sausage, apples, shallots, and spinach. Cook 1–2 minutes more until heated through.
Top with freshly grated parmesan and crispy sage leaves. Enjoy!