Cheese tortellini cooked until tender and tossed with browned butter, fresh sage, and a shower of romano cheese. This is what happens when you keep a quality frozen pasta on hand and brown some butter with herbs from the garden or dried from the rack.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 240 calories a serving, 4 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat. From USDA figures for 67% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the tortellini and cook according to package directions until they float and are tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of cooking water before draining.10 min
2. While the tortellini cook, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 3 to 4 minutes. If using fresh sage, add 6 to 8 leaves to the butter; if using dried sage, add 1 teaspoon and let it steep for 30 seconds.4 min
3. Add the drained tortellini to the brown butter and sage, tossing gently to coat. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water and a pinch of salt and pepper, then toss again until everything is coated and the sauce clings to the pasta. Divide between two bowls and serve at once.

Note Swap the sage for rosemary or thyme if that is what you have. Leftover tortellini keeps in the fridge for three days and reheats in a skillet with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or steamed broccoli on the side to stretch the meal.