I remember seeing this recipe for Ravioli with Sage-Walnut Butter in the Food Network Magazine a year ago and it caught my eye. I know it’s been a year because somehow the October 2010 issue resurfaced, confusing me with the actual, current October 2011 issue. That being said, I’m glad it did, because even after spotting it again one year later and thinking once again that I really ought to build this, well, I did and it was scrumptious! Want it for dinner tonight? Here’s what you’ll need:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1 bay leaf

2 9-ounce packages refrigerated cheese ravioli

(I used one 25 ounce bag and it was fine!)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup fresh sage leaves

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

(Don’t be fooled, these here aren’t chopped yet…)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

(P.S. Do you love this little cheese grater? I bought it at a tiny kitchen shop in Manitou Springs last week.)

Now that you have all of your ingredients, here’s how to put them together. This is so easy. You will build this and feel like you are a restaurant chef because it’s so pretty and delicious!

While you get your large pot of salted water boiling for the ravioli, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey and bay leaf in a small sauce pan to boil. Now listen, I will share with you the wisdom of my experience. Don’t walk away from this. Keep your eye on it for four to five minutes, stirring it, showing it love. I did not show it love and it turned into black super glue whose scent burned my nostrils. Fail. Don’t let this happen.

After you have safely covered the balsamic mixture and set it aside, and you’ve added your ravioli to the pot, melt the butter in a large skillet and add the sage and walnuts. Cook the walnuts until they are toasted, about three minutes. This smells amazing.

After the walnuts are toasty and the sage is wilty, add 1 cup of water from the boiling ravioli pot and cook on high until it reduces down by about half, about two minutes.

Then add the cooked ravioli to the skillet mixture and combine.

Plate it up! Watch your family ooh and ahh, admiring the beautiful dish you’ve set before them!

By the way, I tried bringing some life back into the balsamic syrup by heating it back up in the pot, but it wan’t worth it. Hehe! It ended up being a crunchy, um, “garnish.”

The link for this lovely recipe is back up there at the top, just in case you missed it!

Please enjoy!