Pumpkin Sage Butter Tortellini Inspired by Ashley Judd’s favorite pasta dish, recreated by Mario Batali

Ingredients:

1⁄2 pound sweet butter

8 leaves fresh sage

1⁄2 cup pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie fi lling

2 bags (8 ounces each)

Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini

1⁄2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Method:

Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a spaghetti pot and add 2 tablespoons salt.

Place butter and sage in a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook until butter turns golden brown and spatters a bit.

Add the pumpkin puree and remove from heat; it will make some noise here and be a little messy. Swirl the pan to mix the butter and pumpkin mixture together and set aside.

Drop the tortellini into the boiling water and cook according to package instructions, then drain in a colander and immediately toss the cooked tortellini into the pan with the pumpkin mixture, place over medium heat and toss until pasta is coated with sauce.

Mix in half of the grated Parmigiano and toss 10 seconds, then pour into a heated bowl and serve immediately.

Notes and Tips:

Go ahead – add a little salt. Salting the water brings out the natural fl avor of the pasta. Add the salt once the water has started to boil and allow the salt to dissolve before adding the pasta. For the optimal flavor experience, use a coarse sea salt. But ask your doctor if you are on a restricted diet.