A Roman Holiday: Romantic Italian Recipes For Valentine’s Day

by Huggingthecoast.Com | February 9, 2009 at 08:02 am

1252 views | 42 Recommendations | 13 comments

As George Miller said, “The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you’re hungry again.”

With an estimated 120 million people around the world of Italian ancestry, it’s no wonder that Italian food is a major player in world cuisine.

Outside of Italy, the largest concentration of Italians are in Brazil, Argentina, the United States, Canada, and Australia.

It’s only natural that wherever Italians have settled they’ve proudly shared their rich food traditions with those around them; making the most of local ingredients as well as getting inspiration from the cooking techniques used in their new adopted homelands.

Below are several traditional and modern Italian recipes to help you celebrate Valentine’s Day, a holiday which is said to take its name from St. Valentine of Rome…making it a truly Roman holiday!

Mascarpone, Fig and Proscuitto Bruschetta from Janet is Hungry

Marcella Hazan’s Homemade Tagliatelle with Bolognese Meat Sauce from Serious Eats

Mario Batali’s Fettuccine With Oyster Mushrooms, Sweet Garlic and Arugula from Cook Eat Fret

Risotto Milanese With Saffron from Finding La Dolce Vita

Osso Buco from Mark Bittman on the New York Times Bitten Blog

Turkey and Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers on a Bed of Tasty Arugula from Je Mange la Ville

Baccala’ on Crostini of Fried Polenta from Lucullian Delights

Limoncello Tiramisu from Proud Italian Cook

5 Recipes Of My Own Inspired by Modern Italian Cuisine

Turkey and Cipolline Stuffed Mushrooms

Last Minute Ravioli Lasagna

Chicken, Olive, and Asiago Triangolari With Sherry-Braised Fennel

Delicata Mezza Luna

Wild Mushroom and Grana Padano Macaroni and Cheese

Enjoy!

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Terri Potratz

at 08:53 on February 9th, 2009

Hmm, Italian. I am definitely going to have to print off some of these recipes to try.

Karenke4

at 14:09 on February 9th, 2009

I am hungry just reading this.

mudricky

at 14:16 on February 9th, 2009

yum yum

romephotoblog

at 15:47 on February 9th, 2009

Seafood stall at the Rialto Market in Venice, Italy. Locals and visitors alike flock to the stalls to browse the sights and smells. Fresh local fish and seafood are, of course, a Venetian specialty.

romephotoblog has contributed a photo to this story.

luxography

at 17:18 on February 9th, 2009

This is a hearty minestrone based on chicken stock and chock full of bacon, potatoes, plum tomatoes, spinach, carrots, leeks, kidney beans and pasta shells, then garnished with more spinach and some fresh parmesan. Buon appetito!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luxography/3223586526/

luxography has contributed a photo to this story.

seonbi_jiuiyeji

at 18:40 on February 9th, 2009

It's easy to make a Tiramisu . . . and it tastes awesome!

seonbi_jiuiyeji has contributed a photo to this story.

emptyfriend

at 04:08 on February 10th, 2009

Italian Sausage and Fennel Risotto - here's a link to the recipe - http://threeshortcooks.blogspot.com/2009/01/italian-sausage-fennel-risotto.html

lauren anderson has contributed a photo to this story.

Graveyard Dirt

at 06:22 on February 10th, 2009

An impromptu dinner:

A thick cut, boneless pork chop stuffed with a feta cheese, cream cheese, sun-dried tomato, fresh basil and black pepper filling. Flavored with generic Italian seasoning before wrapping up in three slices of Oscar Meyer bacon. Pan fried, and then quickly roasted in the oven with a bit of white wine, mushrooms and vine-ripe tomatoes.

Verdict? Worth remembering.

(Picture snapped after dinner. (No time for arty photographs when there's bacon on the menu!))

Graveyard Dirt has contributed a photo to this story.

erborina

at 08:41 on February 10th, 2009

http://erborina.blogspot.com

erborina has contributed a photo to this story.

Antoinette B. Kean (not verified)

at 12:39 on February 11th, 2009

Burgundy Wine lies at the very heart of France, and is one of the world’s finest wine producing regions. Located two hours to the southeast of Paris, the wine area starts in Chablis in the north of the region and then it follows the autoroute A6 southerly to Lyon. The Burgundy soil is mainly based on oolitic limestone, upon which both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes flourish. The red wines, made with the Pinot Noir, are more difficult to grow because these grapes are more sensitive to disease or to being badly handled. Towards the south of the region, from around Macon, the soil changes to a reddish granite schist and sand of the Beaujolais. Here, the Gamay grape flourishes, making excellent red wines, many of which are drunk while they are young. If you have not been to Burgundy, try it. It is a great part of France to visit for a holiday. Alternatively, stay at home and simply drink and enjoy the wine. You can more information for the Burgundy Wine in: http://www.burgundywinevarieties.com/

Amy Judd

at 18:34 on February 13th, 2009

Mmmm, there's nothing better than a good Italian meal. Thanks for this!

Adam gibbs (not verified)

at 17:41 on March 19th, 2009

Some absolutely great stuff here, top marks Mr author. Well thought out foods. Why not consider checking here for more [URL="http://creatingastorminthekitchen.blogspot.com/"]great authentic Italian recipes[/URL].