We live in hectic times: work and commitments often take colour away from our days. But on Valentine’s Day, the red of passion always manages to triumph! How can you make the Day of Lovers even more special? By organizing a special dinner at home, with unusual and appetizing dishes paired with the best wines and a playlist that will make your heart beat faster.

Ready to live an unforgettable Valentine's Day?

The Valentine's Menu

Starter

Pepper Capriccio

Ingredients

1 jar of Peperoni Saporiti, 100 g of feta, green olives, chives, EVO oil, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, salt and a pinch of turmeric

Preparation

Drain and dry our Peppers in aromatic herbs, then cut into thin slices. Wash the fresh chives with cold water, dry them and chop them with your hands. Cut the feta into cubes. Combine the ingredients in a bowl, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Add salt and turmeric, mix and serve.

Wine & Songs

Serve this tantalizing appetizer with a glass of Fiano Puglia IGT: it has the right aromatic profile to accompany the sweetness of the peppers, and the intense character necessary to keep up with the brightest notes of aromatic herbs. In a perfect playlist for Valentine's Day, you cannot miss out on these two songs to start the dinner: When a man loves a woman by Michael Bolton and Just the way you are by Bruno Mars.

Main

Tajarin pasta with rustic porcini mushroom sauce

Ingredients

1 pack of Tajarin Giordano, 1 jar of Sugo Rustico ai Funghi Porcini

Preparation

Bring plenty of salted water to the boil. Add the Tajarin and cook for two minutes. Heat a large portion of Rustic Mushroom Sauce Giordano in a small saucepan, preferably in a bain-marie. Season the pasta just after draining. If you want to give Tajarin a special touch, add a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan.

Wine & Songs

The Sugo Rustico requires a combination of substance: we suggest a warm and enveloping red like the Barbaresco DOCG. Why? First of all due to the proximity of the traditions: a wine from the Langhe region for a type of pasta that is now characteristic of the Langhe! Also remarkable is the harmony that is created with the sauce, for the alchemy of suggestive notes and a body with true boldness.

We have chosen another great classic to create the best atmosphere: Bonny Tyler's Total Eclipse of the heart. A few chords will suffice to create a magical and romantic mood!

Dessert

Chocolate covered candied orange peel

Ingredients

1 pack of Scorzette di Arancia Ricoperte di Cioccolato, 200 g of mascarpone, 2 oranges, icing sugar, 150 g of cream

Preparation

Squeeze the oranges and put the juice aside. Transfer the mascarpone and the icing sugar to a bowl; slowly pour the juice into the bowl, stirring carefully. When the juice and mascarpone are mixed, add the whipped cream to the mixture. Stir and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, so that it’s firm. Just before serving, transfer the cream into two cups and garnish with the chocolate covered orange peel.

Wine & Songs

Serve this sweet dessert with a glass of Rosé Millesimato, contravening all the rules on the combination of bubbles and desserts! Perlage and aroma make this sparkling rosé wine perfect for balancing the creamy sweetness of the orange cream, and the crunchy chocolate covering the rind will create a balanced contrast with the floral notes of the wine. In short, there is no sparkling wine better to round off the meal!

What song should be chosen to end the Valentine's dinner? Careless whisper by George Michael. Impossible to resist the call of these notes: you will be tight in a hug and dance to one of the most romantic melodies of pop music!