
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and while this holiday can definitely feel over-the-top commercialized, I like to celebrate with a few special touches. I thought it would be fun to put together a little Valentine’s Day dinner menu for you, in case you’re looking for some ideas. It’s nothing overly fancy or difficult but a couple of delicious recipes that are a bit more on the decadent side.
I’ve always enjoyed doing something small for Valentine’s Day; whether that was a girl’s night in my single days, sneaking Ben and Jerry’s into a movie theatre with friends, buying myself a little “treat” on years with no plans, or going on a date with Johnny. With every holiday/event/day, we have the choice to make it special so why not create an experience you look forward to? I believe life is made up of these small moments so why not celebrate?
Leading up to the “day of love”, consider what and who you love and how you can celebrate that –yourself, your friends, your family, or your partner! Look at the day as an opportunity to connect with yourself and/or those you love and to make a random day in February have a bit more magic.
Okay, here’s the Valentine’s Day dinner menu I put together! It’s a pasta dish from one of my favourite cookbooks (you can check out all my favourite cookbooks here!) and the classic chocolate covered strawberries for dessert (which are so easy but feel a bit fancy!).

Valentine’s Day Dinner Menu: Giant Shells Alla Gigi
This recipe is taken from the cookbook, Three Times A Day (one of my favourites!).
Ingredients
- 18 large pasta shells
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
For the Filling
- 1 tbsp butter
- 8 slices pancetta, roughly chopped (we substituted bacon and it turned out great)
- 8 oz button mushrooms, roughly chopped (any mushrooms will work)
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the Sauce
- 1 cup tomato passata (strained crushed tomatoes)
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large pan, melt the butter. Add the pancetta and mushrooms and sauté until golden brown. Stir in the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Season again, stir well, and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Pour half of the sauce into the bottom of a 14-inch x 10-inch baking dish.
- Stuff the shells with the ricotta mixture and arrange them side by side in the dish.
- Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, removed the foil, sprinkle the shells with the mozzarella, and broil for a few minutes, until the cheese is beautifully golden.
Dessert: Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients
- 12-15 strawberries
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Directions
- Wash and dry strawberries (I place them in the sink with 4 parts water, 1 part vinegar for about 5 minutes, make sure to dry well with paper towel).
- Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl (glass or stainless steel work well) that sits well over a saucepan.
- Bring 1-inch of water to a simmer in a saucepan, reduce heat to low, and place the bowl with chocolate over the saucepan.
- Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate has melted. Remove from heat.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Working with one strawberry at a time, begin dipping the strawberries in the chocolate mixture by holding the leaves and submerging the strawberry in the chocolate. If needed, tip the bowl to the side so the chocolate pools and roll the berry gently while holding onto the top to coat all sides.
- Lift and let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl before placing on the lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with each strawberry.
- Place the baking sheet with the strawberries into the fridge for approximately 15-minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.