Why wait for dessert to give your Valentine’s Day dinner a sweet touch? We’ve created a delicious savory dinner that has a sweet side thanks to a touch of honey.
Start with homemade pasta tossed with a lemon-honey sauce and chopped fresh herbs. Don’t be intimidated by making pasta from scratch. If you enjoy cooking together, dumping the ingredients on the counter and knead them together into a dough. Or for ease, do it in the food processor. Either way, the fun is in rolling it out and cutting it. No special equipment needed.
While you’re working on the pasta, roast the second course — honey-pepper olives and green beans with shrimp. And for dessert? Keep it simple. Fresh strawberries drizzled with honey.
HANDMADE PASTA WITH LEMON, HERBS AND HONEY
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Makes 4 servings
For the pasta:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
For the sauce:
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup mixed torn fresh herbs (such as parsley, chervil, basil, tarragon and chives)
Salt and ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, to serve
Nutrition information per serving: 430 calories; 140 calories from fat (33 percent of total calories); 16 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 110 mg cholesterol; 60 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 11 g protein; 220 mg sodium.
HONEY-PEPPER ROASTED SHRIMP WITH GREEN BEANS AND OLIVES
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
8 ounces green beans, trimmed
1 pound large peeled and deveined raw shrimp
Nutrition information per serving: 260 calories; 60 calories from fat (23 percent of total calories); 7 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 170 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 19 g sugar; 24 g protein; 710 mg sodium.
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