(Family Features) Planning a delicious, romantic date night doesn’t have to take you any further than your own kitchen. You don’t have to be an accomplished chef to set the table for romance, but you can take inspiration from simple, quality Italian dishes to celebrate the link between food and love.
Once you select your main course, prepare a simple salad of greens with a drizzle of Italian vinaigrette or Caesar dressing. Pop a loaf of bakery-fresh Italian or focaccia bread into the oven to warm through and serve with butter or olive oil for dipping. If you’re so inclined, cap off the meal with a classic Italian dessert from your local bakery, like tiramisu, cannoli, or a creamy panna cotta topped with fresh fruit.
Find more romantic dishes perfect for sharing at Bertolli.com.
Red Wine Braised Beef Short Rib Ragu
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 small onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh sage leaves, chopped
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 jar Bertolli d’Italia Marinara Sauce
2 cups beef bone broth
water
24 ounces pappardelle pasta or preferred pasta
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Heat oven to 350 F.
In a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Season short ribs with salt and ground black pepper, to taste. Place one layer of short ribs in the pot. Set remaining ribs aside.
Cook ribs 3-4 minutes per side until browned. Transfer to plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining short ribs.
Add celery, carrots, and onion to the pot used to brown ribs. Stir and cook until vegetables are browned, about 15 minutes.
Add garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add tomato paste. Cook 2-3 minutes.
Carefully pour red wine into the pot.
Stir and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook 3-4 minutes until wine is almost completely absorbed into vegetables.
Add rosemary, sage, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Add sauce, bone broth, and browned ribs. Cover pot and place in oven 2 1/2-3 hours, or until ribs are fall-apart tender.
Remove pot from oven. Transfer ribs to plate or cutting board. Remove and discard herb stems and bay leaves. Remove bones from ribs then shred meat into bite-sized pieces using two forks or tongs. Return shredded ribs to pot with ragu. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Bring a large stockpot of water to boil. Boil pappardelle pasta until al dente. Add drained pasta to pot with beef ragu and toss until combined.
Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Source: Bertolli
