Tuscan White Bean Penne with Sage and Garlic | Creamy Italian Pasta

Bring a generous amount of water to a boil in a large pot and add salt (the pasta water should be pleasantly salty, like sea water). Once boiling, add the penne and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than the time indicated on the package. Before draining, ladle out 1-1.5 cups of the cooking water for the luscious emulsion.

Peel the garlic cloves and slice them thinly. Wash the fresh sage leaves, then gently pat them dry. Rinse and thoroughly drain the canned white beans.

In a deep, spacious skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil and butter over medium heat. When the butter foams, toss in the whole sage leaves and fry them for about 1-2 minutes until they become crispy and infuse the fat with a wonderful aroma. Use tongs to remove a few nice leaves for serving.