Pasta Innamorati: A Pasta Dish for Your Sweetheart

Nothing else is sweeter than cooking dinner for the one you love, especially on Valentine’s Day. This pasta dish is incredibly simple to make, yet superb in all the right ways. You only need a few basic ingredients, a good bottle of wine (or two!), and of course, that special someone to cook for.

I guarantee this dish will make the evening very special.

Ingredients:

1 lb. box of pasta fettuccini, cooked according to package directions
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspooons minced garlic
3-4 red peppers (or replace one red pepper with a yellow or orange one, for better presentation), sliced thin
¾ cup sun dried tomatoes, drained from oil if bottled and sliced thin
1 bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 and ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Loaf of good bread, for serving

Directions:

1. Boil the pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a non-stick large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil.
3. Add the garlic, red peppers, and sun dried tomatoes. Mix well.
4. Blend in the heavy cream. Lower heat to a slow simmer so cream does not curdle. Mix ingredients well.
5. As soon as the pasta boils al dente, drain and add this to the heavy cream mixture in the skillet. Incorporate all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. Garnish with chopped parsley.
7. Serve with a good loaf of bread. Enjoy with your sweetheart!

RECIPE NOTES: Sun dried tomatoes can be bought dried in a package or bottled in olive oil, as described in this recipe. If you have the dried tomatoes in a plastic package, pre-soak them for a few minutes in hot water to soften. For easier slicing, use scissors. And feel free to substitute any pasta that you prefer if fettuccini is not available.

Elizabeth Quirino believes that “food brings the world together.” She loves to cook, develop recipes, photograph & write about her culinary adventures on her 2 blogs Asian in America & The Queen’s Notebook. Outside the kitchen, Elizabeth paints watercolors, reads everything and ends every week with ballroom dancing. For great food stories find her on Facebook and follow Mango_Queen on Twitter.

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