Dinner

Christine and I shared some good food, good wine, and good times with Livia, Shana, and Jason last night. We wouldn't normally test out new recipes on our unsuspecting friends, but I'm glad we gave it a shot last night because everything turned out great. Good food is always better when you can share it with good friends, and last night we had both.

The menu was

• Butternut Squash Tortellini with Brown Butter Sauce


• Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Sage Maple Glaze


• Steamed Broccoli


• Lots of miscellaneous cookies for dessert

We've never made tortellini before, and man were these things good. The assembly took some time, but it gave Christine and Livia some time to chat as they folded up some wonton wrappers and I prepared some other stuff. The pork marinade was a last minute decision as we looked to find something that would match the flavors of the tortellini well.

Butternut Squash Tortellini with Brown Butter Sauce

(Recipe from the Food Network)

Squash Tortellini:
1 butternut squash, approximately 2 pounds, cubed (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 large shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
4 small amaretti cookies, crushed (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package small wonton wrappers

Brown Butter Sauce:
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
2 tablespoons torn fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, or chopped dried cherries, or mixture of both
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To make the tortellini, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a foil-lined baking sheet toss together the butternut squash, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven until soft and golden, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the butternut squash mixture, the shallot mixture, and the ricotta cheese and pulse a few times to blend. Add the crushed amaretti cookies, the nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until smooth. The tortellini filling can be made one day ahead.

To make the tortellini, lay out 6 wonton skins, keeping the remaining skins inside the package or under a very lightly dampened paper towel. Place 1 tablespoon of squash mixture in the middle of each skin. Dip a pastry brush in a little water and wet the edges of the skin. Gently fold the square wrapper into a triangle, making sure the edges are securely closed and there are no air pockets inside. Dampen the two bottom corners of the longest side of the triangle and gently bring them together, pressing lightly to secure. Place the formed tortellini on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Before laying out another 6 wonton sheets, be careful to dry the work surface. This will help keep tortellini from sticking to the baking sheet. Continue until all the butternut squash mixture is used. There should be approximately 36 tortellini. (The tortellini can be formed, frozen on the baking sheet, transferred to a tightly sealed plastic bag or container and stored for up to six months. To cook, simply toss the frozen ravioli into the salted boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.)

To make the sauce and serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.

Add the sage, walnuts and cranberries and let cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and season with salt, and pepper.

Stir to combine. Then, gently place the tortellini in the boiling water and gently stir. When they begin to float they are done, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently spoon the tortellini onto a serving platter, Top with the brown butter sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

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Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Sage Maple Glaze

(Recipe from here)

3 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Combine salt, white pepper, garlic, butter, maple syrup, Dijon, fresh sage and vinegar in food processor and whirl until smooth. Place pork in a shallow pan and pour half of the marinade over top. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Toss the sliced vegetables with some of the remaining marinade.

Remove pork from marinade and discard marinade. Pre-heat the grill to medium high heat and lay the vegetables on one side of the grill. Turn the vegetables and baste them with marinade as they brown and begin to char.

Quickly sear tenderloins on all sides. This will take 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and grill pork over indirect heat until cooked through and still pink inside to an internal temperature of 140-150E F, or about 20 to 30 minutes, brushing with reserved marinade every 10 minutes to form a nice glaze. The pork should still be slightly pink inside.