Sage-Walnut Butter on Tortellini

Food Network Magazine: The Italian Issue, p. 89

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

Bay leaf

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup sage leaves

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 pound tortellini, cooked

Grated parmesan

Salt

This is a multiple-pots-at-once kind of recipe. 

Combine balsamic vinegar, honey and the bay leaf in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until syrupy, 5 minutes. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add sage leaves and chopped walnuts; cook 3 minutes. 

This is the part that makes you feel fancy.

Add 1 cup pasta-cooking water and cook until reduced by half, 2 minutes. Toss with cooked tortellini, some grated parmesan and salt. 

Suddenly I realized that tortellini are kind of... suggestive.

Drizzle with the balsamic syrup. 

Voila! 

My Rating: 4/5 "Thoroughly enjoyed eating this. The walnuts are a nice punch of protein that mingle wonderfully with the sage/butter flavor. I would have love the flavors to be a little more intense, but as is they were still delicious!"