Last minute valentines day dinner ideas

‘Tis the season for LOVE. Doesn’t it feel like we just finished Christmas? Now here we are almost mid February and Valentines Day is upon us. I was seriously thinking of just skipping the whole thing this year, but a stop in one of  my new favorite stores completely changed my mind!

Some of you may already know the store but it’s literally a new discovery for me in the last month or so and now I just can’t stay away. I am talking about Milan Milan – Italian Lifestyle Store. I’m in love with this place. From lovely wines, rose’s and champagne’s on the mezzanine level, to freshly brewed coffees and gourmet foods, this store has it all.As I was browsing around I found some really lovely gourmet food products that I know I can use to make the perfect Valentines Day dinner for two.

I decided this year we’re going to have an Italian themed night. So I picked up some Vodka Sauce ,  Risotto ‘Toscana” with Spinach , Pappardelle pasta, Panettone, red wine and rose’. These items make it really easy to pull together an Italian inspired Valentines Day dinner. I was able to put together two main courses and a dessert. I’ve thrown in a simple starter for good measure.

Starter – Caprese Salad

For starters I suggest a simple Caprese salad . Fresh tomato , fresh mozzarella balls, fresh basil leaves,  tossed in a little bit of good olive oil, balsamic glaze and a little salt and pepper to taste. This salad is really good once the flavors have had some time to sit. I made mines ahead of time and let it sit at room temperature for a bit before serving it.

Risotto “Toscana” with Spinach, Roast Mushrooms and Broiled Salmon

For the first meal idea I paired broiled salmon with the risotto. It was delicious. Risotto can be tricky to cook, but with this prepared one, from Milan Milan, it was a breeze. It’s basically just adding water and seasoning. One tip I would give you, is to substitute some of the water for chicken stock. I used 2 cups chicken stock and the rest water as directed. Then just to add a little extra flavor and texture to the meal, I roasted some fresh mushrooms in olive oil and herbs. I paired this meal idea with the Rose’. It was a really good compliment to the salmon.

Pappardelle Pasta in Vodka Sauce with Vegetables and Roasted Rack of Lamb

This pasta is amazing, it’s delicious the texture is lovely. The vodka sauce is very flavorful, so you don’t have to do much to it.  For this meal I sautéed some pancetta, garlic, red onion, zucchini and mushrooms in a little olive oil and then added the sauce and let it simmer for a bit. Then I threw in the cooked pasta and tossed it all together.

I cooked the rack of lamb just over medium and paired the Rosso di Montalcino with it. The Rosso is medium bodied and pairs very well with the lamb.

Dessert – Classic Panettone Trifle

I was in Milan Milan, I got to talking to the owner Mrs. Donna, and she gave me an excellent idea for dessert. Panettone is a homemade Italian Christmas bread. They sell it in the store and it’s absolutely delicious. You could really just eat it as is.

Being that we are talking Valentine’s Day dinner, I thought I would do the trifle so that I could incorporate some strawberries to the dessert. I made my desserts in individual dishes, but you could certainly do the whole loaf in a larger pan if you wanted to. The trifle is really simple, it is layered panettone, vanilla pudding, sliced strawberries, cool whip, topped with shredded coconut.

A special dinner for Valentines Day, does not have to be difficult to pull together.The gourmet food products I bought at Milan Milan were easy to use and also really delicious. I was able to make both of the main dishes in 45 minutes or less. These are  also the perfect items to have in the house to use for weeknight cooking and making fresh delicious homemade meals.

Hope you have a great Valentines Day!

My favorable opinion of  Milan Milan, their products and in store experience is 100% my own. For more information see my Disclosure policy here.