I came back from my mother-in-law’s birthday lunch knowing the first thing I was going to do was try to make the tortellini dish from the Pitchfork restaurant. It didn’t matter to me at all that it might not be as delightfully arranged on the plate but I was determined it was going to taste as good.
I didn’t have enough carrots so I combined carrots with butternut pumpkin/squash. I didn’t have to wonton wrappers but that was the only thing I needed to buy. I usually have some frozen but not this time. Now I could have made my own pasta and do make it frequently but my pasta machine is on loan to a friend and well, rolling it out with a rolling pin is for someone with more energy than I’ve got at the moment.
After putting the carrots and butternut pumpkin/squash in the oven, I headed to the store. I opted for feta rather than goat cheese because it’s what I had. Rarely do I go out and buy something for a recipe if I’ve got something I can make do with and not be disappointed.
If you like these ingredients and you like browned butter and sage sauce – make this recipe. You’ll thank me, I promise. It’s incredibly easy to put together and everyone at the table was suitably impressed with the results.
The thing that took the longest was roasting the vegetables until their caramelized goodness was just perfect. I mixed in the ricotta and sauteed onions and garlic and filled the pasta. I wet two sides, put a teaspoon of filling in the center and pulled over the opposite corner. I folded in one of the corners and wet the outside and folded over the other corner and boom, it was tortellini. Now I’m no purist and I bow down before every Italian who says I did it wrong.
It was delicious and frankly, that’s what matters at my table. I lightly oiled a plate and placed the finished tortellini on it and when they were all done I covered the plate with cling film and placed it in the refrigerator to be ready for dinner.
Just before dinner I picked the sage leaves and then melted the butter slowly and when it began to turn brown, I tossed in a big handful of sage leaves and watched them sizzle. This is the best sauce and I already know it’s not something I should eat every day but once in a while? Absolutely.
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into large coins
- ¼ butternut pumpkin/squash cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil (1 tablespoon for the roasted veg and 1 tablespoon for the onions and garlic)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small tub of ricotta cheese
- ½ cup torn baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 package wonton wrappers
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 16 sage leaves, chopped
- ½ cup toasted walnuts
- ½ cup feta, cubed (I used Danish)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F
- Place carrots and butternut on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the edges of the vegetables begin to caramelize and turn brown.
- Place chopped onion and garlic in a skillet on medium heat along with 1 tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent and just beginning to take on some color. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the roasted vegetables and roughly mash. Add the torn spinach leaves, onion and garlic mixture and mix to combine.
- Dampen a kitchen towel and place on the counter and spread out the wonton wrappers. Place a small dish of water nearby.
- With your fingers wet two edges of the wonton wrapper and place a teaspoon of filling in the center.
- Fold over the opposite corner from the wet edges and seal. Fold in the right corner of the triangle and wet the outside and pull over the left corner and press to seal. Place on an oiled dish.
- Just before serving heat a large pot of water to boiling and place the tortellini in and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and serve with brown butter and sage sauce, walnuts, feta, and Parmesan.
- Melt butter in a skillet until it just begins to turn brown.
- Toss in the sage leaves and when they are crispy, remove the pan from the heat and toss in the walnuts.
Joanne T Ferguson says
G’day! Looks beautifully delicious Maureen! You have me salivating for some of this right now; and JUST finished lunch! 🙂
Cheers! Joanne
ela@GrayApron says
I like everything about this one. Roasted carrot filling sounds divine. Definitely on my list! 🙂 ela
Maureen says
Thanks, Ela!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
Thanks Maureen! I’ve printed the recipe and am going to put it in the lineup. Thanks for this one – it looks and sounds amazing.
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
What a fabulous meal. Love that you used wonton wrappers to speed up the process.
Maureen says
and I didn’t feel one bit bad about it 🙂
Kitchen Belleicious says
oh i love this recipe on so many levels. One being i heart tortellini but another I love the filling. I can see using it a myriad of ways in my cooking. It is so fresh and delicious and a great way to get in veggies! I love it
Layla @ Brunch Time Baker says
This Tortellini looks sooo good! Now I know what I’m having for dinner tonight! 😀
John@Kitchen Riffs says
This sounds terrific! I love roasted veggies. And I love filled pasta of any type — so much you can do with it. Wonton wrappers are a good pasta wrapper when you don’t feel like making your own — I usually have some in my freezer, too. Glad you ate at that restaurant so you were inspired to make this wonderful dish for us!
Melissa @ My Recent Favorite books says
This sounds delicious! I have never had this recipe before, and it sounds like a wonderful mixture of flavors!
Shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com says
Pitchfork is gonna want you on their payroll, Maureen – these tortellini sound amazing!!! I am not big on pasta, but even I could not resist these tortellini!
Eva Taylor says
You weren’t kidding, it does look super easy and amazingly tasty. Brown butter and sage are a match made in heaven, this is a gorgeous dish. Congrats for nailing it!
A_Boleyn says
What a delicious pasta dish, Maureen. I look forward to making tortellini, wontons/potstickers when this pantry clearance is over. (sigh) I’m eating well and it’s certainly economical but I have to be creative so it won’t be too boring. 🙂 I really look forward to buying and cooking with fresh sage.
Hester @ Alchemy in the Kitchen says
Why, Maureen, you’re practically Italian! What a great job you’ve done – my one and only pasta attempt was a total disaster. You’ve inspired me to try again. Lovely dish – this is one I could cook for my husband without him realising it was vegetarian!
Milk and Honey says
Looks delicious. A plate of Tortellini is lovely thing to share and one that never lasts long in my house.
Roberta says
You make it all look so easy, Maureen. I can tell from the pics and recipe these taste fantastic! The mix of carrots with the butternut pumpkin squash is inspired. 🙂
Glamorous Glutton says
This looks totally delicious. I must try my pasta machine, I haven’t had it out of the box yet! GG
cheri says
This sounds so good, love the brown butter and sage combination with the carrot and squash, sounds like the perfect marriage.
Celia says
Oh I ADORE you. Do I have mutant butternut squash? Yes. Wonton wrappers? Yes. Feta and leftover ricotta in the fridge? Yes. And a whole garden bed of rainbow chard that will work as spinach. Thanks you darling woman. xx
Ella-Home Cooking Adventure says
Mmmm..I am craving for this dish now..must have been delicious.
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
I am drooling. Really. this looks so good. I used won ton wrappers last week to make wontons for my mom’s soup. They are really easy to work with. Damn, I am still drooling!
michael says
Oh what a great looking dish, looks delicious Maureen! 🙂 You did a great job on this one, can I come eat with you!!
Anna (Hidden Ponies) says
I’m so with you – if it’s delicious, who cares if someone tells me I did it wrong. I think this is gorgeous, and it sounds amazing! Love the substitutions you made, I always try to do that rather than buy something new too 🙂
Fran @ G'day Souffle' says
Brown butter and sage sauce- I could go or some of that!
nancy@jamjnr says
Oh that does look good. I try to do one meat free meal a week for the boy despite the whinging and moaning – this one will tickle his tastebuds for sure.
Judit + Corina @Wine Dine Daily says
Maureen you had us at Roasted Carrot and Butternut Tortellini! They look so perfect with all the substitutions you made! You are so creative and make it look so easy 🙂
J+C
Maureen says
Honestly, it IS really easy, especially with the wonton wrappers for pasta.
ChgoJohn says
Did it wrong? Please! These are perfect and any Italian that I know would be proud to call them their own. You should see some of my stuffed pastas. Ha!
Love the filling you created, Maureen, and your choice of a brown butter sauce. It would really compliment the pasta and the walnuts give the dish just a bit of crunch. Very nicely done!
merryn@merrynsmenu says
What beautifully presented tortellinis, you have rolled them perfectly. Interesting filling, roasted carrots – how creative. I love the addition of walnuts and have already devoured your photographs.
John H says
Awesome photographs. I love the colours. I suspect this would taste equally as nice using sweet potatoes.
InTolerant Chef says
Roasting off the veggies would make them so delicious and sweet Maureen, what a delicious dish indeed!
Cass @foodmyfriend says
Yum! This looks amazing. Why even go to a restaurant? 😛
Mireya @myhealthyeatinghabits says
You had me at brown butter sage sauce. Now that’s a sexy sauce!
Lizzy (Good Things) says
Maureen my dear, what a mouthwatering meal! Love it! And that sauce with the burned butter and sage. Perfecto!
Hotly Spiced says
I’ve been very much looking forward to this recipe. Good on you for persevering even when your pasta machine is on loan! I don’t think there’s any shame in using wonton wrappers. And I love how you made your tortellini – it looks perfect. And a burnt butter and sage stuffing is just sensational. I wish I’d been over for dinner! xx
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
How impressive! I love the idea of using carrot and butternut – what a great mix of flavours, and the colour is beautiful.
Jamie says
I really really love this recipe! I much prefer the pumpkin/squash and carrot combo than just carrots and sage is the perfect pairing. And wonton wrappers!!! Why do I never think of things like that? A must-do project! Beautiful!
Sherry from sherryspickings says
Wow Maureen
This does look beautiful and amazing. Well done. It looks a bit scary for me!
Maureen says
Honestly, Sherry, it’s incredibly easy to make this. 🙂
Brooks says
This is a beauty of a recipe, Maureen, and I thank you for your inspiration is now mine. Pinned for an appearance soon on the Walker dinner table. Cheers from NorCal!
yummychunklet says
That butter sauce sounds heavenly.
Minnie@thelady8home says
They do look a lot like the momos I made a while ago, so that is one step closer. For the rest, I have no clue if I will get the flavors right, yours look incredible. It’s awesome to create something after an inspiration to get something right, and now you have inspired me too!
Liz says
Such gorgeous tortellini! You are a pro at folding them perfectly! And I love this filling and sauce combo, too. Divine!!
SallyBR says
Let me get this straight… you hint at some lack of energy at the moment, and then you make home made tortellini with roasted veggie filling…. I see…
I suspect between you, Celia, ChicagoJohn and a few other amazing blogger friends, it is a conspiracy to make me feel like, like… like a wimp of a cook.
(sigh, sigh, sigh)
You amaze me. Every single time. A layered cake. And now this.
Maureen says
Did you see how easy it was? Roast veggies. Takes time to peel and chop and the oven does the work. The tortellini are made from wonton wrappers and all I had to do was separate them and add a teaspoon of filling. I’ve seen some of your creations, Missy, and these are a walk in the park by comparison. 🙂
sallybr says
but but but… look at the shaping! I swear it would take me 5 minutes per tortellini and I would have flour in my whole body in the end…. no, dear… these are something else…
Maureen says
honestly, fold the damn things over and fold in the corners. Even a scientist could do it. 🙂
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
This looks divine. I’ve had something similar at Balla by Stefano Manfredi and it was sublime. The sweet filling is brilliant against the brown butter pasta! 😀
Kathi Kirk says
I love that you used wonton wrappers! I’ve seen that done – so very clever and what a time saver!
kathi
Maureen says
Hi Kathi. With the wonton wrappers, you could have a dish like this in 30 minutes. Yes, homemade pasta is a bit thicker and maybe tastes a fraction better but sometimes you just need something that tastes really good on the table in less than an hour.
Choc Chip Uru says
Brown butter pasta is so delicious, I love the wonderful flavours in this dish! It looks so difficult though 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
suzanne Perazzini says
I used to use wonton wrappers a lot for all sorts of things. They are like magic because they don’t break and fold beautifully. I think the taste trumps the look every time too.
mjskit says
I’m in heaven! What an awesome meal and I can’t believe those are wonton wrappers! Need to give this one a try because I know I’ll never make the pasta. 🙂 Great dish Maureen!
Juliana says
Like the roasted carrot and butternut in these tortellinis…and the brown butter sauce with sage just sounds delicious.
Thanks for the recipe Maureen…hope you are enjoying your week 😀
Celia says
M, the ricotta goes into the filling, is that right? Thanks.. x
Maureen says
Yes, in the filling! Sorry. I’ll check the recipe again. 🙂 At least you know I wrote it myself. LOL
Celia says
At least you know I read it! 😀
Vicki Bensinger says
Your Tortolini look perfect! I’ve made a dish similar to this before using just the butternut squash blended with the goat cheese and topped with the sage butter and they were gobbled up so fast. Yours look incredible and so pretty. I’m sure they were finished quickly as well. I agree, dishes like this need to be rationed – unfortunately! Nice post.
Maureen says
I’ve made pasta and done the pumpkin but this time I roasted the carrots and pumpkins and added the onions and I was happy with the result.
tania@mykitchenstories.com.au says
Thats what’s good about being us. We dont have to worry about what the purists say. This is our kitchen and our blog and we can do what ever is delicious. This certainly looks amazing and I agree youve got to have nut brown butter and sage.
Maureen says
and I do without apology. Sometimes I get the food police but frankly, their complaints, warnings and opinions are water off a duck’s back to me. 🙂 All in moderation.
Sarah & Arkadi says
very appetizing dish Maureen! love that filling!
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Love that you used wonton wrappers (somehow this ingredient made me feel close to the dish LOL)! And brown butter & sage sauce… that makes this dish complete! I’d love to have this for dinner!
Laura @ Family Spice says
I love that you use wonton wrappers and not homemade pasta (I’m a bit lazy, can’t you tell???) for these delicious tortellini. So divine!
Simone says
That looks fantastic Maureen. I still have a bit of pumpkin left so I’m pretty sure I have most in house to make these beauties! I’m a huge fan of browned butter!
The Wimpy Vegetarian says
Sage + Brown Butter + Butternut = Heaven on a Plate. Pinning this to make for sure. I love that you used wonton wrappers too. I make my own pasta at times too, but like you, like to work with what I have on hand. And sometimes I just don’t want to go through the trouble of making the pasta. Pinning!
Jackie@SyrupAndBiscuits says
Beautiful dish, Maureen. I bet it is bursting with flavors!
Bam's Kitchen says
Comfort food at its finest! I use wonton wrappers all the time for italian pasta, no one is the wiser. Love the roasted carrot and butternut filling that sound so good and with that sauce, you have me swooning over this dish. Perfect fall dish! Take care, BAM
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
That’s what I always say… “I’m going to make that tortellini from the restaurant” … but then I never do. Bravo for you. And I love this brown butter/sage sauce. Pinned.
Raymund says
Just saying the name of this dish is enough to make me drool! man those look amazing
Marie @citronlimette says
What a great idea to use wonton wrappers! You dish looks fantastic.