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Chicken and Sage Pasta with Caramelised Onions

Chicken and sage pasta with caramelised onions and a crispy sage and breadcrumb topping is a wonderful way to change up your pasta game.

This dish takes a little longer to cook than many pasta dishes but all of that time is getting the onions perfectly caramelised which really makes this dish sing!

Minced chicken and sage pasta with sweet caramelised onions and sage crumb.

Sage, Onion and Minced Chicken Fettucini

The flavours in this pasta recipe are arguably very British. The concept of chicken served with a sage and onion is something that most Brits will recognise.

Now it usually takes the form of a sage and onion stuffing in much the same way as it does for this chicken ballotine recipe.

It may seem to be an unusual partner for pasta, but it really is not that much of a reach. Sage is called Salvia in Italian and is a common appearance in both gnocchi and risotto recipes. 

Minced or ground chicken is my meat of choice for this recipe, it has appeared before in my quick and easy spicy chicken pasta recipe.

It is wonderfully affordable and is a fantastic vehicle for flavour! When it comes to flavour this dish has it in spades.

Not only do we have sage and chicken, but garlic and wonderfully sweet slowly cooked onions star too!

Chicken and sage pasta with caramelised onions and sage crumb being picked up with a fork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this in advance?

I would not make the entire dish in advance and reheat it! But the sauce element is perfect for making ahead of time.

You could make the whole sauce and refrigerate it for a couple of days or even freeze it for a few months.

You could also just get a head start by caramelising the onions and dropping them in the fridge for a few days.

Can I use dried sage?

Dried sage works really well in the sauce, but I don’t think that it is quite as good in the breadcrumb topping. However, it does still work and tastes good.

As a general rule of thumb use about a third of the amount of dried sage to fresh. So maybe 1-2 tablespoons but this will really depend on how “fresh” your dried sage is though!

Can I speed up caramelising onions?

Nope, sorry. Patience is the key and they are an integral part of this dish so don’t be tempted to turn up the heat!

Do you use salted butter?

Yes, I always use salted butter.

Close up minced chicken and sage pasta with sweet caramelised onions and sage crumb.

Serving Suggestions

I usually keep my sides for pasta dishes super simple and I consider this sage, chicken and onion pasta recipe to be a nice “one bowl” complete meal.

Having said that a little bit of garlic bread or cheesy garlic bread is a nice addition on the side of your plate!

Another important choice for you to make is the type of pasta. There is much written about the “rules” of pasta with sauces, much of it is silly in my opinion.

I have paired this with fettuccini here and I am fond of serving this with wider flat pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle.

But it works well with everything from farfalle to short mezzi rigatoni.

Overhead chicken and sage pasta with sweet onions and sage crumb.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Stovetop.
  • 20cm or 8″ saucepan.
  • 20cm or 8″ frying pan.
  • 28cm or 11″ frying pan or skillet, not nonstick if possible.
  • Colander.
  • Kitchen paper.
  • Stirring and serving spoons or tongs.
  • Weighing scales and or measuring jug, cups and spoons.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • Chopping board.
Minced chicken and sage pasta with caramelised onions and a crispy sage and breadcrumb topping.
Yield: 2 Servings

Sage and Onion Chicken Pasta

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

This sage and onion chicken pasta recipe definitely fuses classic British flavours with oh-so-very Italian pasta and it works beautifully!

Ingredients

  • 350g (2⅓-2½ Cups) Onions
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • 250g (9oz) Minced Chicken
  • 20g (¼-⅓ Packed Cup) Sage Leaves
  • ½ Tsp Salt plus extra for boiling pasta
  • ¼ Tsp Black Pepper
  • 175g (¾ Cup) Chicken Stock
  • 175g (6oz) Dried Pasta
  • 15g (¼ Cup) Coarse Dried Breadcrumbs
  • 25g (2 Tbsp) Butter

Instructions

  1. Cut the onions in half, peel them and then cut them into 5-6mm (¼") thick half-moon shapes.
  2. Heat the oil in a 28cm or 11" skillet or frying pan over a medium heat, add the onions and cook for 30-40 minutes or until nicely nice and golden brown. Stir occasionally and if the onions start to colour too quickly turn the heat down a little.
  3. Peel the garlic cloves and chop them as finely as you can.
  4. Pick the sage leaves from the stems and then shred them as finely as you can.
  5. When the onions are nicely golden remove them to a bowl for a few minutes.
  6. Return the pan to a high heat, and when it is hot throw in the minced chicken and cook until it is all coloured up, this will take around 5 minutes. This process should leave a wonderful nutty brown "fond" on the base of the pan, if this starts to go black or smells burnt add a splash of water and turn down the heat and stir constantly.
  7. Add the garlic, half of the shredded sage, salt and pepper, the cook for another 60-90 seconds stirring constantly.
  8. Stir in the caramelised onions and pour in the chicken stock, then stir to remove all of the caramelised buts from the base of the pan, reduce the heat to low, add a lid and cook for as long as it takes to cook your pasta.
  9. Cook the pasta on a 20cm or 8" saucepan in well-salted water (I use 1½ teaspoons of salt in a pan this size) until it is al dente.
  10. Then drain and reserve around 75ml or ⅓ Cup of the cooking water.
  11. Whilst the pasta is cooking melt the butter in a small 20cm or 8" frying pan over a medium high heat.
  12. When the butter begins to foam throw in the remaining sage and cook for 60 seconds, then add the breadcrumbs and cook until golden. When they are golden transfer them to kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
  13. Add the drained pasta to the minced chicken and mix to combine adding as much of the pasta cooking water as needed to form a nice silky coating on the pasta.
  14. Serve sprinkled with the sage breadcrumbs.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 757Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 866mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 40g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Michelle

Friday 9th of August 2019

I have some sage out in the garden. This will be the perfect recipe to try out with it. I love sage with chicken. And who doesn't like butter? :) Great recipe.

Brian Jones

Monday 12th of August 2019

Thanks Michelle

Fiorenza

Thursday 8th of August 2019

I am from Northern Italy and I confirm, butter is much used compared to olive oil. I like the suggestions on the type of pasta you gave, I added my personal preference using Penne Rigate.

Anyway, great recipe! The ingredients together give a special taste to the pasta. Molto buono!

Brian Jones

Friday 9th of August 2019

Thank you Fiorenza :)

Beth Neels

Tuesday 6th of August 2019

This was so buttery and delicious! I try to sage and chives whenever possible because I have so much of it in the garden. It goes so well with chicken, but I am not fond of it with pork and beef! I was happy to find your recipe and can't wait to make it again!

Brian Jones

Wednesday 7th of August 2019

Thanks Beth glad you enjoyed it :)

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