Celebrate Valentine's Day at home with your loved one, and cook up a delectable dinner themed around the colors pink and red. Sweet aromas of penne pasta with roasted beet sauce and glasses of cab will tempt the senses and make you and your special someone swoon. Light candlesticks, hit play on your love mix and display the gorgeous red roses from your surprise FTD.com flower delivery as your table's centerpiece. The following recipes will make your Valentine's Day feast a romantic date your hearts (and taste buds) will never forget.
Watermelon + Feta Salad
Kick off dinner with a chilled watermelon salad accented with feta cheese, fresh mint and homemade citrus dressing. The refreshing melon flavors paired with the salty crumbles creates a unique sensation for the palates. Cut seedless watermelon into cubes and whisk olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper for the dressing. Coat the watermelon with the dressing and sprinkle fresh mint on top. Gently mix the feta throughout the salad and adorn with mint leaves. Get the full recipe at TheShiksa.com.
Photo by Shezamm via Flickr
Penne Pasta + Roasted Beet Sauce
Show your love for your special someone by serving hearty penne pasta drenched in blood red beet sauce. Not only does this dish burst with distinct flavor, but it's healthy and a spectacle for the eyes (and those Instagram filters). Roast diced beets with oil, thyme sprigs and a pinch of salt and pepper on a baking sheet. For the sweet and creamy beet sauce, blend the roasted beets, garlic, balsamic vinegar, vermouth, cheese, and oil in a food processor until it reaches a smooth consistency. Then mix in chicken stock, cream and sugar in a saucepan and simmer. Pour the sauce over pasta and top with toasted poppy seeds and parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Get the full recipe on TastyKitchen.com.
Cabernet Sauvignon + Romantic Spirits
You can also shake up muddled raspberries and grenadine, and infuse the mixture with vodka and lemon juice for fancy martinis. Add raspberries as fruity flair.
Photo of a raspberry martini by StuartWebster via Flickr
Pink Raspberry Macaroons
Top off the Valentine's Day pasta dinner with delectable raspberry chocolate French macaroons. Silky ganache sweetens the tasty pink cookies, and the bittersweet chocolate accented with raspberry flavoring will melt in your mouths. To make the macaroons, mix up the sugary batter in a bowl with an electric mixer, and spoon it into a bag with a corner snipped off. Squeeze mounds of batter onto a cookie sheet and bake. Sandwich the cookies together with the chocolately ganache sprinkled with powdered sugar. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Get the full recipe on Epicurious.com.
Photo by cocoinzenl via Flickr