Caramelized Onion, Pumpkin and Ricotta Torellini with Walnut and Sage Brown Butter Sauce

In a saute pan over medium heat, melt one teaspoon butter. Once it begins to froth, turn down your heat, add the onions and saute for 15-20 minutes on low so they caramelize and turn into an almost jam-like consistency.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, ricotta, garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg and Herbs de Provence. Once the onions are at the right consistency, add them to the pumpkin/ricotta mixture. Taste your mixture to make sure the seasoning is correct. Adjust as needed.

On a cutting board, lay out 4-6 wonton wrappers and spoon just under a teaspoon of filling into the center of each one. Dip a finger into a small bowl of water and wet around all four sides of the wonton. Fold wonton in half, corner to corner making a triangle. Making sure there are no air pockets, press down firmly to seal. Bring both corners up to meet each other and seal with a bit of water, making a little purse-like bundle. Set aside on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet while you are finishing with the rest of the wontons and filling.

If freezing, put entire tray of tortellini into your freezer. Once frozen, remove from freezer and divide into servings in Ziplock bags for future dinners and refreeze.

To cook your tortellini, fill a medium stock pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Once you get a nice rolling boil, add a teaspoon of salt and carefully add the tortellini. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or just until they float to the top. If cooking from frozen, add 2-3 more minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

For the sauce:
In a DRY medium saute pan over medium heat, add your chopped walnuts and toast them, tossing often, until they begin to lightly brown and give off a nice nutty fragrance. Add the remaining butter to the walnuts. Once the butter is melted add the sage leaves. Swirl the butter, watching it closely. It will foam and then start to become a beautiful chestnut colored brown. You will also smell the wonderful nuttiness the butter gives off when it browns. This means it is ready. Be careful not to overcook the sauce- it can turn from brown butter to burnt butter very fast. Once finished cooking, remove from heat and add a couple grinds of black pepper. Pour over the pasta and serve. The crispy sage leaves are completely edible- don’t you dare pick them out! They look so pretty and add such a wonderful flavor to the dish.