Listen, we’ve all been there.
We’ve all dropped the ball on Valentine’s day, maybe forgotten about the occasion until it was too late.
Next thing you know, you’re scrambling on your way home from work, trying to buy some old grocery store flowers, and frantically dialing every last restaurant you can think of, trying to get some last minute reservation from a cancellation.
But I have a crazy secret for you:
It doesn’t have to be this way.
(And you can go to a florist for flowers instead of a grocery store)
I have the end all be all pasta recipe that is going to change the game for Valentine’s Day for years to come.
It’s easy, it’s delicious, and it’s made up of a few simple ingredients that your date is guaranteed to love.
The pasta dish of all pasta dishes, it’s the best date night dinner you will ever have.
It’ll impress anyone you cook it for, and is guaranteed to make for a romantic night.
Here’s a delicious pasta pomodoro recipe for you to try this Valentines Day.
What You’ll Need:
There’s not much that goes into making a beautiful pasta sauce, but there are a few key ingredients that will be needed to get this dish as delicious as possible.
Ingredients:
Tomatoes: It really doesn’t matter what you use for tomatoes here. Personally, I prefer a can of whole peeled tomatoes, and will squeeze them with my hands (the best part in my opinion). But you can use crushed tomatoes if you’d like!
Onions: You really don’t need a lot of onions with this. A half of a large onion or one whole small onion should do the trick just fine with this pasta recipe.
Garlic: You don’t need a lot of garlic with this recipe. Honestly, a smashed clove or two is perfect.
Olive Oil: Look, you can use any oil you’d like. But in my opinion, a delicious olive oil can take a simple pasta sauce a long way.
Tomato Paste: You don’t really need this if you don’t have it, but in my opinion, it makes the overall taste of the tomato sauce so much richer if you do add it. I like to add one small can of tomato paste, and equal amounts of water.
Pasta: Use any pasta shape you’d like.
Meat: Meat is totally optional with this sauce. If you want anything specific, I recommend adding some meatballs and sausages to the sauce.
Cheese: Romano cheese all the way! Of course, parmesan cheese works just as well if that’s all you have.
Seasonings: Repeat after me, “less is more!” A lot of delicious pasta recipes similar to this will see the addition of oregano and Italian seasoning… not this one. All you need for this simple pasta dish is salt, black pepper, and maybe a bit of crushed red pepper. If you have fresh basil leaves, those can go in too. Other than that, keep it as fresh as possible when making this date night recipe.
Equipment:
One Large Pot: Either a dutch oven or stainless steel pot will work the best in this scenario. You don’t want to use an aluminum pot, and you definitely don’t want to use a cast iron pot.
Wooden Spoon: Do it like the pasta grannies do. Wooden spoons only.
Directions:
If cooking Italian sausages and meatballs, brown them in some olive oil at the bottom of a stock pot or dutch oven. Set aside after finishing.
Drizzle your olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add your onions and some salt and pepper, and saute until translucent. Add your garlic, saute until fragrant.
Once fragrant, add your crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and meat back to the pot. Season with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and basil leaves if you have any.
Simmer over low heat, stirring every 20 or so minutes anywhere from 45 minutes to 4 hours.
That’s right, you can wait as long or little as you want with this simple tomato sauce recipe.
10 minutes before you’re ready to eat, cook one pound of pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain, setting a bit of pasta water off to the side, and coat with some residual sauce.
Serve with fresh grated cheese and some crusty bread for dipping.
FAQs:
Q: How do I know when my sauce is done cooking?
A: It honestly depends. If you prefer a more robust taste and flavor, I’d personally leave this sauce on for a long time, like 4-5 hours. If you don’t mind and prefer the fresher taste of tomatoes, all you really need is about 45 minutes for this sauce to come together.
Q: What kind of pasta shape should I use?
A: On a normal night I would tell you to just use whatever you have lying around your pantry. But it’s Valentine’s Day, after all! I’d go fancy with some ravioli, or if you’re feeling bold, try your hand at making your own homemade pasta.
Q: Can I freeze this?
A: You sure can! I freeze this pasta sauce all the time. It stays good in the freezer for up to six months in an airtight container. One of my favorite things in the world is when I have a frozen sauce and can eat it for dinner in a flash.
What To Serve With This Pasta Recipe:
Appetizer: Want something easy and delicious that tastes like it should come from an Italian restaurant? Try these bruschetta crostinis.
Dessert: Three words: Coconut. Panna. Cotta. Thank me later.
Wine: It’s Valentine’s Day. You deserve a nice red.
Print
Easy Date Night Pasta Recipe For Valentine’s Day
Ingredients
- 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 6 oz water
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1–2 cloves garlic, diced
- 1–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb pasta of choice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- Pecorino Romano cheese to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your whole tomatoes by crushing them with your hands or blending them in a food processor or small blender.
- In a large stock pot over medium heat, saute your onions until translucent. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- After the onions are translucent, add your garlic, stirring constantly until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pot. Set the pot on low heat and simmer for 45 minutes-6 hours, stirring every 20 or so minutes.
- About 10 minutes before you’re ready to heat, boil a pot of water.
- Salt the water and add your pasta, cooking according to package instructions until al dente.
- Saving some starchy pasta water, drain the pasta and add it back into the pot.
- Stir with some residual sauce, and add as much pasta water as needed back to the sauce if the sauce is too thick. Stop once you have a velvety sauce.
- Serve immediately, topping with grated Romano cheese.
- Enjoy!
