Hello cuties!

Guess what?? It’s my FIRST official Valentine’s Day as Travis’ Fiancé!!

We’ve had 6 Valentine’s Days together as “boyfriend + girlfriend”, but this is a new milestone so I wanted to celebrate in a more personable way. :)

Every year we try to do something special, whether it be taking a trip somewhere or going out to a nice restaurant. This year, especially with our new engagement, I really wanted to show him how much I care.

Soooo…I’m going to surprise him with a romantic home-cooked meal to celebrate our future together!!

Some of you might ask what’s so special about a home-cooked meal? Well, Travis is actually the cook of the house, and I’m the lucky one that gets to feast on the fruits of his labor (hehe, it was one of my #lifegoals to find a hubby that cooks!). So, to mix things up + give him a break, I decided to cook for him this year!! Plus, its so much more special when you make something from the heart. :)

I partnered with Italpasta to make their Red Wine Spaghetti, which is the PERFECT dish for such a romantic night. It’s SO easy to make that there’s no pressure + even a rookie cook like me can produce it easily.

Did you know that pasta is actually a huge part of our everyday meals? Almost 80% of our meals have some sort of pasta dish :p Also, Trav is part Italian and Italy was our last big trip before we got engaged! But, I’ve got to say, we’ve never had red wine spaghetti before!!

When I saw the recipe, I was so excited about how perfect this would be for our romantic Valentine’s dinner. I also love that Italpasta is made using only 100% Canadian wheat, has been serving Canadian Pasta lovers like us since 1989, and is the only 100% Canadian-owned pasta manufacturer in Canada. There’s so much history there making that an extra bonus for me choosing Italpasta for our special night (…+ Trav is a HUGE Canadian buff, so I can impress him with serving him Canadian pasta too!)

The only thing I haven’t perfected yet is NOT snacking on my meals once I cook them. It’s hard to time when Trav will be home from work, so I know I’m going to be snacking on this yummy pasta before he comes home … oh well, I’ll just have to make an extra serving for myself!!

To see how easy this romantic Red Spaghetti Recipe is, you can watch the video below AND read the recipe too. :)

Plus, I didn’t even have to leave the house to get the ingredients because I used Grocery Gateway by Longo’s , clicked on the Red Wine Spaghetti Cart Starter link, and EVERYTHING I needed to make this delicious dish was magically added to my cart!! And a few days later, it arrived right to my door. Now, that’s what I call a smooth + easy experience.

RECIPE:

½ pound (225 g) Italpasta Total Pasta Spaghetti
½ bottle (375 mL) red wine (preferably Zinfandel)
1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
pinch red chili flakes
¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil
½ cup (125 mL) breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
¼ cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Drain pasta and return to the pot.

Place the pot back on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the wine and sugar and bring to a boil. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the breadcrumbs and continue to cook until toasted, about 5 minutes. Season breadcrumbs with salt and pepper.

Increase skillet temperature to medium-high heat. Add the spaghetti and any remaining liquid, toss for 1 minute. Remove from heat and serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.