Whether it’s your first, fifth or fiftieth wedding anniversary, it’s time to pull out all the stops to woo your partner. One way to celebrate is a romantic dinner for two at a fancy restaurant, but what fun is there in being predictable? Instead, why not give them a thoughtful surprise by cooking a romantic anniversary dinner at home? Or, learn a new skill, and make your pasta from scratch together?
Eating in means you can create an intimate evening where you can play music your partner loves, decorate the room with personal elements that evoke happy memories, and seriously impress them with your cooking skills. And when it comes to food, Italian is the way to go if romance and elegance are what you’re looking for.
Here at Pasta Evangelists, we know and love, everything there is to know about pasta, so here are seven simple yet unbelievably delicious anniversary dinner ideas we’d like to recommend. Or, let us do the hard work for you and order a restaurant-quality dinner to your home through our takeaway service.
1. Agnolotti del plin
We’re starting with agnolotti del plin as this is a recipe reserved for special occasions, making it a perfect anniversary dinner idea at home.
It’s an impressive-looking dish due to the unusual look of the pasta. ‘Plin’ means pinch, which is the technique used to create small pouches of agnolotti filled with veal, pork and spinach. There are two sauce options — either a simple butter sauce with cheese and sage, or you could create a gravy while braising the meat and serve this with the meal.
See our agnolotti del plin recipe here
2. Heart-shaped pasta
This dish is a feast for the eyes and doubles up as a sweet romantic gesture too. Our Head Chef Roberta refers to this pasta as cuoricini (‘little hearts’) and gives them a vibrant pink colour by adding beetroot powder to the mix
She chooses to fill the pasta hearts with taleggio (a soft cheese) and mortadella (Italian sausage) but feel free to use an alternative filling, such as spinach and ricotta if you want to try something vegetarian.
See our heart-shaped pasta recipe here
3. Spaghetti alla nerano
This is the favourite pasta dish of actor and Italian food connoisseur Stanley Tucci, so we have no doubt it will wow your partner on your anniversary night as well.
Courgette (or ‘zucchini’ to the Italians) is the star of the show in this straightforward yet spectacular dish which also features pasta, basil and Provolone del Monaco cheese. Regular Provolone will be easier to find but a half-and-half mix of Pecorino and Parmigiano Reggiano works well too.
See our spaghetti alla nerano recipe here
4. Vegan mac and cheese with black truffle
Who doesn’t love mac and cheese? And this vegan-friendly version has a luxurious twist thanks to the addition of decadent black truffle. Even though there’s no dairy involved, our vegan béchamel is still moreish and creamy.
See our vegan mac and cheese with black truffle
5. Seafood linguine with prawns and mussels
This dish is inspired by The Laguna Veneta that surrounds Venice — one of the most romantic cities in the world.
If your partner loves seafood, you can’t go wrong with this anniversary dinner idea featuring the bold flavours of prawns and mussels combined with a zingy, citrusy sauce and a hint of spice.
See our seafood linguine with prawns and mussels recipe
6. Artichoke tagliatelle
Artichokes are an Italian staple that work beautifully as part of a herby, creamy sauce in this recipe. It’s light, only takes 20 minutes to cook, and is low-calorie — though you wouldn’t think that when you see how luscious and glossy the pasta looks at the end.
See our artichoke tagliatelle recipe
7. Paccheri alla Sorrentina
The beautiful Amalfi Coast is exactly the kind of place that inspires a romantic anniversary dinner, and this recipe is ‘alla Sorrentina’ or Sorrento-style. Similar to the ultimate Italian classic — the Margherita pizza — this pasta is served in a tomato, basil and mozzarella sauce.
This sauce is often served with gnocchi but we pair it with paccheri pasta — which takes its name from ‘paccaria’, the Neapolitan slang for ‘to slap.’ This is the noise this shape makes when cooked and then tossed in the sauce,
See our paccheri alla Sorrentina recipe
Or…how about a romantic anniversary takeaway?
We have no doubt your mouth is watering after exploring these Italian anniversary dinner ideas. Hopefully you’re ready to hit the kitchen and show your partner how lucky they are to have someone with your culinary skills. On the other hand, maybe you have no culinary skills to speak of — in which case, we are here to help!
If you’re lacking time, space, energy, or cooking talent, then let us do the hard work for you by ordering a romantic anniversary dinner to your home through our takeaway service. Authentic, restaurant-quality pasta dishes in as little as 15 minutes. Buon anniversario!
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