You cannot deny that romance runs through Italy like a Venetian canal. From the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet to Saint Valentine himself, Italy has been home to many of history’s greatest romantics. Therefore, there's no better food to treat your loved one to than some classic Italian cuisine.
Love is in the air at Pasta Evangelists, and it’s inspired us to share some romantic pasta recipes for Valentine’s Day - not to mention one decadent dessert. Read on below to view the recipes or, alternatively, join us in one of our restaurants for our special Valentine's set menu, at just £50 per person and inclusive of unlimited Prosecco.
Lobster and Crab Ravioli with Lemon Pangrattato
Lobster is known as both the epitome of luxury and a powerful aphrodisiac - so why not start as you intend to finish? Inspired by the stunning Italian coastline, this fresh seafood ravioli is brimming with sublime flavours. A generous sprinkling of lemon pangrattato breadcrumbs adds a zingy and crunchy sensation that’s a delight for the tastebuds. We’re sure if you whisked your special someone away to Italy, this is the dish you’d feast on before a long walk on the beach.
This recipe will show you how to make the fresh and flavourful seafood filling. When it comes to making these delicious pasta parcels, we recommend you take a look at our guide to making fresh ravioli.
Serves: 2 people
Prep time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Calories: 564 kcal per serving
Ingredients
- 125g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 100g ricotta cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp butter, at room temperature
- 125g cooked lobster meat, cut into ½ cm pieces
- 100g cooked crab meat, cut into ½ cm pieces
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
- Salt, and Black Pepper, to taste
Method
- In a large bowl, mix together the mascarpone, ricotta, and butter until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined
- Then, all you need to do is follow the remaining steps in our making fresh ravioli recipe
- We recommend serving with a sage and butter sauce
Gourmet Tagliatelle Bolognese with Slow-Cooked Beef Ragù
Bolognese recipes are notoriously contested amongst full-blooded Italians. However, this isn’t just any bolognese. First, we slow cook the beef for a gentle build of mouth-watering flavours. We then add fresh tomatoes and season with an array of aromatic herbs. Then again we finish with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, loved by many for its nutty, tangy flavour. Lady and the Tramp eat your heart out…
Serves: 2 people
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Calories: 497 kcal per serving
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onions, diced
- 1 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1-2 celery stalks, diced
- 300g minced beef
- 35ml red wine
- 400g (1x400g can) diced tomatoes
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 300 g fresh tagliatelle (or 200g dried tagliatelle)
Method
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Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat
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Add the diced onions and cook until soft. Then add crushed garlic cloves and cook until oil is fragrant; be careful not to burn the garlic
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Add the carrots and celery and cook until both are starting to soften
- Add the minced beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains.
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Deglaze the pan with red wine and add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper
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Cover and simmer on low to medium heat for 40 minutes until thickened. The sauce should be shiny and completely free of water. Once thickened, remove from heat.
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Cook the tagliatelle in a large pot of generously salted boiling water for at least 3-4 minutes, or until ‘al dente’
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Toss together the tagliatelle and bolognese sauce.
- Top with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Fettuccine with ‘Nduja Sausage, Amalfi Lemon and Mascarpone
Want to turn up the heat? This dish is a prime opportunity to spice things up. Originating in the rugged mountain region of Calabria, the ‘nduja sausage is like the perfect date - rich and hot! The chill heat of the sausage is complemented with sharp and zesty lemon. We then stir in some creamy mascarpone. This creates a decadent sauce that keeps those spices tantalising, but not too extreme!
If you’ve been enticed to try our fettuccine with nduja sauce, you can find the recipe in our recent article 4 Italian Gourmet Sausage Pasta Recipes.
Turn your Pasta Pink for Valentines Day
Reds and pinks represent romance, sensuality, and passion. This definitely inspired us when creating our special beetroot pasta. You can use this pasta recipe with almost any pasta shape. Simply take the ingredients below and apply them to our very handy guide on how to make homemade fresh pasta. If you're feeling super romantic, you could even create heart-shaped pink ravioli.
Pink Beetroot Fresh Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g of 00 (Doppio Zero) flour
- 2 eggs
- 25 g beetroot powder
Method
Depending on the pasta you'd like to make, you can follow the method for any of these fresh pasta recipes:
And to finish...tortino al cioccolato
Much like a volcano, we’re sure the tension has been building throughout your evening. We’re sure you already know the perfect ending to Valentine’s Day. However, a close second is the rich, velvety indulgence of a tortino al cioccolato (chocolate lava cake). While your dinner may be for two, this particular recipe serves six - because quite frankly we’re sure you’ll be left wanting more.
Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe
Serves 6
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Calories per serving: 391
Ingredients:
- 100g butter (with extra to grease basins)
- 100g dark chocolate, chopped
- 150g light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 50g plain flour
- Single cream to serve
Method
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Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
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Butter 6 basins well and place on a baking tray.
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Put 100g butter and 100g chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of hot water and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly for 15 mins.
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Using an electric hand whisk, mix in the sugar, then 3 large eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla extract and flour. Divide the mixture among the darioles or basins.
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Bake for 10-12 mins until the tops are firm to the touch but the middle feels squidgy. If you wish to store the mixture for later, the cakes can be cooked straight from frozen for 16 mins.
- Carefully run a knife around the edge of each pudding, then turn out onto serving plates and serve with single cream.
The perfect Valentine’s Day gift for pasta lovers
If you want to pull out all of the stops, why not try your hand at making your own fresh pasta? If your loved one is a passionate foodie, we’re sure they’ll adore our Valentine’s Day Pasta Making Kit. Our head sfoglina Roberta has provided step-by-step recipes for a range of fresh pasta shapes. We’ve even included a heart-shaped pasta stamp, so you can make ravioli with an extra side of romance.
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