This Valentine’s Day, make a romantic Italian meal at home

This Valentine’s Day, forget about conventions. Forego the long lines and waitlists at popular restaurants and go with some great Italian fare at home. After all, there’s hardly anything more romantic than cooking and eating together, especially when pasta is in the picture.

Fortunately, we know some pros who understand Italian cuisine thoroughly. We reached out to our friends at Barolo Grill in food-centric Denver for some recipes sure to impress your love this Valentine’s Day. In addition to three fantastic pasta options, we’ve rounded up some choice wine pairing ideas too, for a complete meal for the ages.

For those who don’t know, Barolo Grill specializes in northern Italian food. The staff is exceptional, and the experience there is always special. Chef Darrel Truett just celebrated his 20th anniversary at the restaurant, a rarity given the intensity and sometimes tumultuous nature of the industry. He was kind enough to offer the following recipes.

Each recipe is setup for a couple, making two full servings. Plan on roughly ten ounces of pasta per recipe. Mangia!

Pistachio Pesto

Pistachios add great color and a nice nutty flavor to pesto. As is always the case, don’t overlook the cheese, as you ought to be using quality Parmigiano Regianno. Chef Truet suggests gnocchi for this particular recipe. In terms of wine pairing, try a crisp Arneis or Vermentino. If red is what you’re after, go with something lighter and brighter, such as Dolcetto or something from the mountainous Alto Adige region of northern Italy.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups basil
• 1/4 cup pistachios
• 1/4 cup parmigiano cheese
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Put all ingredients in food processor till smooth.
2. Toss with your choice noodle hot or chilled.

Castelvetrono Tomato Caper Sauce

Olives take some of the spotlight here with their green color and buttery, briny flavor. It’s the ultimate match for capers, citrus, Pecorino, and tomatoes. The chef goes with spaghetti pasta for this dish. And the fresher the basil, the better. What to drink? Try a Pinot Nero or Valpolicella. Chianti and Primitivo are safe bets as well. And consider a pink wine with a little more complexity and heft, like some from southern Italy, Sardinia, and Sicily. As they say, go with where it grows (Castelvetrono olives hail from Sicily).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sliced Castelvetrono olives
• 1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup capers
• Zest of half lemon
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 large basil leaves
• 1/2 cup Pecorino cheese
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Add oil to pan on medium heat.
2. Saute olives and tomatoes till they start to soften.
3. Add capers and zest of lemon.
4. Toss with your choice noodle.
5. Top with torn basil leaves and Pecorino cheese.

Mushroom Pasta Sauce

Mushrooms can impart magic to a good pasta sauce. Fresh is best, so see what’s in season in your area. In the winter, you’re likely to find lion’s mane and oyster mushrooms, among others. Even if you are not foraging and go with store-bought cremini or similar, you’ll be in heaven with this dish. What kind of pasta? Chef says tagliatelle. And in terms of wine, work with the earthiness that the mushrooms bring to the table. Pinot Nero can be great, as can a nice Barbaresco. Round and soft whites like Gavi and Soave can do great at the table as well, especially if you’re working with lighter mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups seasonal mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped shallot
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup pasta water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Saute seasonal mushrooms in olive oil.
2. When mushrooms start to get colo,r add garlic, shallots, and thyme.
3. Deglaze pan with pasta water(water straight from the pot you are cooking pasta in).
4. Add your choice of pasta noodles, butter, and Parmigiano cheese.
5. Toss pasta in sauce till you reach the desired thickness.
6. You can always add more pasta water if the sauce gets too thick.

Feel free to batch these out on a larger scale, as the sauce reheats well, and there’s no such thing as too much pasta sauce, especially during the core of winter. If you’re feeling really inspired, bust out the roller and try a homemade pasta recipe or two. Not only will you dial-in your skills, but you’ll get that special reward of eating what you made from scratch.

But if you want to simplify, pre-made pasta is totally fine, and there are some outstanding options. The chef suggests Denver-based Pappardelle’s, which ships all over the nation. If nothing else, pop into your local Italian market for some pasta and wine options. You can even grab the makings for bruschetta and spritzes if you need an app or peruse the dessert section.

Check out our related features on bold Italian wines for winter and our Italian cocktail guide. You’re well on your way to a restaurant-level meal this V-Day without having to leave the house. Romance, Italian style.