Whip up the perfect meal for two with these simple Italian recipes
Valentine’s Day is long-heralded as the most romantic night of the year, and who doesn’t love an excuse to celebrate being with the one you love? But if a night out on the tiles isn’t possible, or if you just want to stay home and have a cosy night in, we feel you. So we’ve put together some of our favourite recipes, to help you whip up an impress Valentine’s feast to share with your beloved - no reservations required…
Image: Bon Appetit
Appetiser: Marinated Olives and Feta
Quick and simple, but super tasty, this delicious recipe is perfect for snacking on at the table whilst you prepare the starters.
Ingredients (serves 2):
120g green olives (pitted)
3 garlic cloves
1 lemon
120ml extra-virgin olive oil
Half-tsp crushed red chilli flakes
85g feta cheese
Crusty bread (for serving)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Using the flat side of your knife, or the heel of your hand, lightly smash the olives to break apart the skin and flatten slightly.
Smash 3 garlic cloves in the same way, and peel them.
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel from the lemon in long, wide strips.
Cook the lemon peel, olives, garlic, olive oil and chilli flakes in a small saucepan, over a low-medium hear, stirring occasionally and cooking until the garlic is sizzling and golden around the edges.
Crumble the feta into your serving bowl, and pour over the oil mixture. Let this sit and absorb for at least ten minutes.
Tear the bread into large pieces and place in the oven. Bake for around 5-8 minutes until the edges start turning golden, and then serve with the marinated feta and olives, for dipping.
Recipe: Bon Appetit
Starter: Lemon Butter Scallops
A fresh and flavourful starter, make the most of delicious Scottish seafood and serve these plump and juicy scallops in a zingy lemon and garlic sauce.
Ingredients (serves 2):
3 tbsp unsalted butter
450g fresh scallops
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Method:
Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a heavy frying pan, over a medium-high heat. Remove the small side muscle from the scallops (you can ask your fishmonger to do this for you), rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry, before seasoning with salt and pepper.
Add scallops to the pan in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until they are golden brown and translucent in the centre - it should take roughly 1-2 minutes per side. Set them aside and keep them warm whilst you make the sauce.
For the lemon butter sauce, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in the same pan as the scallops were cooked in.
Add the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper.
Serve the scallops immediately with lemon butter sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.
Recipe: Damn Delicious
Lobster Pasta
Lobster is an indulgent treat, perfect for a special occasion, and it’s more budget-friendly if you’re just buying the tail meat. Served with pasta, this is a luxurious dish that can be ready in under 20 minutes, so perfect for when you’re entertaining.
Ingredients (serves 2):
100g dried pasta
2 cooked lobster tails
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tbsp mascarpone
A handful of basil leaves
Method:
Remove the lobster meat from the tails by snipping down each side of the underneath and pulling the shell back. Slice it into discs and chop any scruffy bits.
Cook the pasta as usual. Whilst it’s cooking, put the mascarpone into a bowl with lemon zest, half of the lemon juice, 3 tbsp of pasta cooking water, and the scruffy bits of lobster. Season well.
Once the pasta is cooked, add this to the mascarpone mix and season well. Divide between two bowls.
Dress the sliced lobster with the remaining lemon juice and lay them on top of the pasta, and scatter on torn basil leaves.
Recipe: Olive
Image: Tesco
Espresso martini affogato
Dessert should be indulgent, but who wants a faff at the end of your meal? This sexy dessert is so simple to create, and combines our favourite cocktail with pudding, so it’s a two-in-one winner.
Ingredients (serves 2):
4 scoops quality vanilla ice cream
10g pistachio nuts, chopped
40ml hot espresso or strong coffee
40ml Kahlua or alternative coffee liqueur
10g dark chocolate, finely cut into small chunks and shards
Method:
Divide the scoops of ice cream between two glasses. Put in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Toast the pistachio nuts in a dry frying pan, over a medium heat, tossing them occasionally for 2 minutes until toasted.
Prepare the espresso using quality espresso powder for the best flavour.
Take the ice cream from the freezer, and drizzle over the coffee liqueur, followed by the hot espresso. Scatter over the pistachios and dark chocolate, and serve immediately.