Table for two – a romantic night in
Home Tech
Prepare Italian cuisine from the comfort of your own kitchen with these recipes.
Good restaurants are usually overbooked and expensive. So why not just relax and have a couple’s night in every once in a while?
There are many advantages to cooking at home. A home-cooked meal typically costs just a fraction of one in a restaurant. Another definite plus is health: preparing your own meals means that you have complete control over the ingredients, so you can be sure that everything that goes into your food is nutritious and of high quality. Lastly, eating at home is convenient – no need to worry about reservations!
A different take on three Italian classics
Not sure what to cook for your date night dinner? Then try the following three-course Italian meal.
Appetizer: Chickpea Bruschetta
A classic bruschetta recipe with added chickpeas.
One can of chickpeas
Sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Lemon zest and juice
Fresh parsley
Extra Virgin Olive Oil AMWAYTM da Carapelli
Garlic
Ciabatta bread
In an iCookTM stainless steel mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas slightly with the back of a large spoon. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into long strips, using your favourite iCook knife, and finely chop the parsley. Add to the bowl of chickpeas, along with the lemon juice and zest. Feel free to use more (or less) of individual ingredients. Slice the ciabatta and toast it until crisp. Rub one side with garlic and add a dollop of the bruschetta mixture on top. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Entrée: Pasta al Forno with Ricotta and Homemade Tomato Sauce
This dish is reminiscent of lasagna, a very typical Italian meal, and is easy to prepare. It keeps well in the fridge and makes for excellent leftovers.
750 g AmwayTM Italian Pasta – Fusilli
One white onion, finely chopped
One dried red chili, chopped
Two garlic cloves, finely chopped
Two cans of diced tomatoes (2 x 400 g)
A handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
200 g ricotta
Several handfuls of shredded parmesan
100 g shredded mozzarella cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil AMWAYTM da Carapelli
Black pepper
Salt
Preheat the oven to 200°C and set an iCook stock pot of salted water to boil. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes less than the suggested cooking time. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, add some olive oil to an iCook non-stick frying pan and cook the onion, garlic and chili over low to medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the onion becomes soft. Add the tomatoes and let the sauce simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Take the sauce off the heat and add the ricotta and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
Coat a large rectangular casserole dish with olive oil. Add a layer of the sauce to the bottom of the pan and then add a layer of pasta. Keep adding alternating layers until both run out. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden brown.
Dessert: Chocolate Tiramisu
Tiramisu can also be prepared with cocoa, as it pairs elegantly with the coffee and makes this variant of the famous classic truly stand out.
24 sponge fingers
200 ml AmwayTM Espresso Coffee
100 g dark chocolate (70–80% cocoa), chopped
300 g mascarpone cheese
250 ml whipping cream
75 g powdered sugar
One tsp vanilla
Roughly crushed coffee beans (optional, to garnish)
Line the bottom of a square baking dish with half of the sponge fingers. Drizzle thoroughly with espresso.
Melt the dark chocolate in a small iCook saucepan over medium heat. Let it cool. Add the mascarpone, powdered sugar and vanilla to a bowl. Mix using an electric mixer until you see soft peaks form. Add the melted chocolate and mix again until combined.
Cover the sponge fingers in the baking dish with half the mixture. Arrange the remaining sponge fingers on top and drizzle again with espresso. Add the remaining mascarpone mixture. Garnish with the crushed coffee beans, if desired. Refrigerate for at least six hours before serving.
Quality meals require quality cookware
With iCook, preparing meals at home is even more convenient! From pots and pans to knives and aprons, the iCook line is made of premium materials and offers well-researched features, such as stack cooking. This makes it easy to shine in your role as chef and to cook restaurant-quality dishes that will stun your guests or partner!
