Brown Butter Tortellini

Celia's Traditional balsamic vinegar

Ingredients

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons  butter

½ cup hazelnuts, chopped

2 tablespoons  chopped shallot

4 tablespoons Celia's Traditional balsamic vinegar, divided

16oz fresh or frozen cheese tortellini

5-6 hand fulls of fresh baby spinach

Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
  2. Meanwhile, cut the butter into a large skillet over medium heat to melt.
  3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the hazelnuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are golden, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, about 1 minute more.
  5. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in 3 tablespoons of the vinegar, ¼ teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper.
  6. Add the tortellini to the boiling water and cook to al dente.
  7. When the tortellini are ready, reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water with a measuring cup, then drain the tortellini. Add the reserved pasta water and tortellini to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the spinach, handful by handful, tossing and gently stirring until the spinach has wilted and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the pasta evenly, about 2 minutes.
  8. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Taste and season with additional balsamic and salt and pepper, as needed. 
  9. Serve garnished with shaved Parmesan.