I think a cozy, romantic dinner at home is much more intimate than going out to a packed restaurant…why not skip the hoopla of going out for a bite with your Valentine and make something together at home (or one of you can take charge of dinner as your gift for February 14th).
A sweet dinner that’s a gorgeous red hue (talk about staying on theme for the night) is this Italpasta recipe for spaghettini with roasted beet. You don’t often have beets with pasta (or I don’t, in any case) but I love the sweetness of them in one of my favourite foods (pasta!) and the creaminess of goat cheese in this dish. I skipped the poppy seeds when I made the dish (that’s my version of the recipe in the photo above) because (1) I was lazy to go to the market to buy them, and (2) poppy seeds can get all stuck in your teeth…not a look I want on a romantic evening (although I did substitute sesame seeds).
You can find the recipe for this spaghettini with roasted beet over on the Italpasta site, and for more Valentine’s Day inspiration, check out their Pinterest board Valentine’s is For Pasta Lovers where you can find ideas on table settings, how to do the day on a budget and DIY projects.
Your Valentine will swoon. So get planning, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching.
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February 2, 2015
2012 was an Italy-heavy year. I visited twice (first Parma, Milan and Florence in the early summer and then Rome in the fall).
I recently spent the day with Italpasta touring their pasta factory located just north of Toronto in Brampton (my second pasta factory tour this year — first one was in June with Barilla in Parma; from now on, just call me the pasta factory tour-er! De Cecco, have you got a factory for me to visit?? Preferably in Italy? Si?). After the factory tour, our party bus then headed back to downtown Toronto for a delicious lunch at Mistura prepared by chef Massimo Capra.
The pasta entrees were all prepared with Italpasta’s new Total Pasta, which is high in fibre. I’m the first to admit that I’m not much of a fan of whole-wheat pastas, but Total Pasta (which has 10 grams of fibre, 7 grams of which come from inulin) really tastes like regular pasta. (And you know how much I love food, so I would never steer you to try something un-delicious!) I’ve included the recipe for my one of my favourite dishes from that lunch below.
Over lunch, Chef Massimo admitted that even he has trouble finding good authentic food in Italy. It was a bit of a relief to hear this; I spend a chunk of my trips stressing about finding the best meals possible. Most recently in Rome, I was disappointed in about half of the meals I ate there despite all the legwork I’d done in advance. Sitting there with a subpar meal in front of me felt like a big ol’ glaring #FAIL.
Massimo offered three tips on how to find great food while in Italy:
Do your research and be smart about what you’re ordering
Get familiar with what dishes the region you’re visiting is known for. “Don’t order pizza in Venice or spaghetti Bolognese in Florence,” he says.
Look for the snail symbol
Out and about and looking for a spot to eat at? Look for the snail logo of the Slow Food organization in the window of the restaurant.
Trust ones that made the cut in Osteria d’Italia
If you have enough time before your trip, order the guide here (I believe it’s only available in Italian, but am not sure). Skip following the Michelin stars, says Massimo, who says that’s more for tourists.
Buon appetito!
RECIPE: Penne Montanara with mushrooms, kale and cherry tomatoes
Serves 4
Prep time 15 min
Cooking time 15 min
- 1 package Total penne
- 3 cups kale, chopped
- 3 cups mushrooms, mixed to your liking
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat a skillet and pour in olive oil; add garlic and onins and cook until translucent. Add the mushroms and cook gently until soft Add the kale and vegetable stock and simmer for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes.
Cook the penne in plenty of salted water until al dente; drain and add to the sauce. Sprinkle with grated parmagiano, toss well and serve.
January 4, 2013
I love pasta. And eat it fairly regularly. And I don’t only look to eat it in a better-for-me preparation (or I wouldn’t have ordered the ravioli filled with goose and foie gras at Buca — my favourite restaurant in Toronto — on Friday night). I just don’t have it in this rich of a way all the time. Sometimes I have it with a meat sauce, spinach and sausage, or with artichokes and walnuts.
If you’ve been shunning pasta, did you know it can be part of a healthy diet? And if you’re looking for small ways for your pasta to be healthier — at least when it comes to its GI factor — check out my latest article over at iVillage.ca.
(That’s some pretty pasta I bought in Rome, almost too pretty to eat. Key word: almost)
November 13, 2012
