This is one of our very favorite quick dinners.  My son decided he wanted to try going vegetarian a few years ago.  I wanted to support him and include a few meatless meals for him and so this is one of the recipes we made quite frequently.  He lasted about 6 months before caving for a burger, but we continue to keep this dish on the menu because it is sooooooooooooooo good.  Probably one of my favorite all time dinners!

Browned butter, toasted walnuts, sage and your favorite ravioli come together beautifully with Parmesan cheese and balsamic glaze for a decadent dinner.  You can totally opt out of the balsamic glaze if you want to, but oh my… it puts it over the top for me!  I used to make the balsamic glaze from scratch, (see recipe below), but a few years ago I found that Trader Joe’s has a balsamic glaze that is INCREDIBLE and cuts the meal prep down significantly.  (See pic below the recipe.)  I highly recommend you go get some as soon as you can.  This stuff is good on all kinds of things!

Ingredients:

• 2 (24-ounce) packages of your favorite cheese ravioli (We LOVE Kroger’s frozen mini rounds in this)
• 3/4 cup of butter (1-1/2 sticks)
• 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped or pulsed a couple of times in the food processor
• 1/3 cup fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• Grated Kraft Parmesan cheese, (in the spaghetti aisle)
• Shaved or shredded Parmesan to garnish, (in the deli or refrigerated aisle)
• Balsamic glaze – buy from Trader Joe’s or use the recipe below 

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  
2. Add the ravioli to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. 
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and let cook until it begins to brown slightly, then add the walnuts and cook until the nuts are toasted, about 2 minutes. 
4. Add the sage and continue to cook an additional minute. 
5. Increase the heat to medium-high, ladle in about 1 cup of cooking water from the pasta and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat slightly and let simmer until reduced by about half, 5-7 minutes.
7. Reserve another 1/2 cup pasta water then drain the ravioli. 
8. Add the ravioli to the skillet and toss to coat, adding the reserved water as needed.
9. Divide the ravioli among plates, sprinkle each serving generously with the Kraft grated Parmesan, then sprinkle shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese on the top and drizzle with the balsamic glaze.  Serve immediately!
   

Balsamic Glaze (If you can’t get the Trader Joe’s one pictured below): 

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 bay leaf

Combine the vinegar, honey and bay leaf in a small saucepan and boil over medium-high heat until syrupy, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cover to keep warm.

Trader Joe’s Balsamic Glaze: