Valentine’s Day Meal : recipes to savor one-on-one

Do you want to surprise your significant other by cooking a Valentine’s Day meal? These delicious recipes are sure to satisfy you. They are quick and easy to prepare. If you’re new to cooking, we suggest this spaghetti with pancetta and fennel sausage puff pastry heart.

Spaghetti with pancetta, basil and cherry tomatoes in heart shape

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 8 minutes Number of servings: 4

Ingredients

• 340 g (0.75 lb) noodles or spaghetti
• 375ml red wine (1/2 bottle)
•  2 tablespoons of olive oil
•  230 g of slices of Aliments Roma pancetta cut into strips
• 2 French shallots cut into thin slices
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon (0.5 to 1 ml) hot pepper
• 3 ½ cups of cherry tomatoes cut in half
• ½ cup of lightly packed fresh basil leaf
• 3 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts
• grated parmesan cheese (as needed)
• salt and ground pepper

Preparation

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, boil the pasta for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup (125 ml) of hot water and return the pasta to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy.

Place pancetta on a paper towel-lined dish and let it drain. Degrease the pan and cook the rest of the oil in it over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the wine and chilli flakes and cook, skimming off the bottom of the pan, until the wine has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until the skin begins to wrinkle.

3. On a worktable, stack the basil leaves, two by two, and cut them into thin strips. In the frying pan, mix the tomato mixture, pine nuts, reserved cooking water and basil into the pasta.

Stir to coat the pasta. Add salt and pepper. Serve with parmesan cheese if you prefer.

4. Serve the portions as a heart on the plate to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Puff pastry sausage heart as a Valentine’s Day meal

Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• A puff pastry
• An egg yolk
• 4 Aliments Roma fennel sausages cut into 2 cm pieces

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F).
2. Slice strips of dough about 2 cm (1 inch) thick. Repeat with the sausages and roll them up inside the dough. Press lightly to weld the sausage dough together.
3. If you have a heart-shaped pan, place the small puff pastry inside. Otherwise, form one on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Butter the heart with the egg yolk. Put in the oven for 20 minutes.
5. After removing it from the oven, enjoy the meal while it is still hot.