Tortelli of Potato & Chives with Brown Butter & Sage

Tortelli are handmade stuffed pasta squares, smaller cousins to ravioli and folded into distinctive triangular bishop’s-hat shapes. This version stuffs them with creamy mashed potato, grated Parmesan, fresh chives, and a touch of nutmeg, then dresses them in brown butter with crispy sage.

The brown butter (beurre noisette) is the sauce, and it’s the whole point. Melt butter and keep cooking past melted until the milk solids at the bottom turn golden and smell nutty. Drop in sage leaves off heat; the residual warmth crisps them and perfumes the butter. A squeeze of lemon at the end cuts through the richness and brightens everything.

Folding tortelli takes a little practice. Fold the 4-inch square diagonally into a triangle around the filling, press to seal, then bring the two opposite corners of the triangle together and press to meld. The result is a little dumpling with a ring of pasta and a pouch of filling.

Chef Tips

• Use starchy russet potatoes, not waxy varieties. Starchy potatoes mash smoother and bind the filling properly.
• Roll the pasta thin enough to barely see your hand through it. Thick pasta sleeves muffle the delicate potato filling.
• Seal the edges with damp fingertips if the pasta has dried. Dry edges won’t meld and filling leaks out during cooking.
• Work quickly so the shaped tortelli don’t dry on the counter; flour lightly and cover with a towel if holding.

Variations

• Stir a spoonful of ricotta or mascarpone into the potato filling for a richer, creamier stuffed pasta.
• Swap chives for fresh sage or thyme inside the filling for an herb-forward version.
• Add a grating of truffle over the finished tortelli for an elegant, restaurant-style plate.