My Nan (grandma on my ma’s side) spent a couple of days after our wedding with out-of-town family making homemade ravioli’s which have been in her freezer for the past few months desperately needing to be eaten. Sadly, she’s in the hospital fighting thru a long recovery after a hefty surgery more than 2 months ago but wanted us to enjoy the ravioli before they went bad. In her honor I felt it my duty to make her hard work taste as good as possible.
Knowing how delicious they would be on their own, I went for a simple sauce that would merely highlight the texture and flavor of the ravioli. It’s used more like a dressing than a sauce, lightly covering each raviolo with just an ounce to give you the perfect bite. I give you:
Browned Butter with Walnuts
2-3 tbs Good Butter
10 Sage Leaves
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
This is as easy as it gets. Start by adding the butter to a pan and bringing up to med-high heat.
Once the butter begins to lightly bubble toss in the sage leaves. When the butter has turned a very pale brown add the chopped walnuts and kill the heat. Strain your pasta and top each raviolo (or whatever else you’re using) with a dollop of the browned butter. Grate on some Parmiggiano and black pepper and you might as well be in Lucca, the beautiful little Tuscan town where some of my Nan’s family used to reside.
The ravioli were not all the prettiest but they were made with nothing but love, each folded over delicately with a simple filling of ricotta and mozzarella. Combined with the smell of sage, silkyness of butter, and crunch of toasted walnuts and fried sage this is a match made in heaven, enjoy!
Three cheers to my Nan and her legendary traditions in the kitchen, everyone please send your wishes for her quick return home. Ti Voglio Bene, Nana.