This episode features my favorite Italian-style recipes for two, including classic stuffed shells, an authentic Italian red sauce recipe (from my husband’s godmother with a few small tweaks), decadent green beans made in a skillet, fresh and crisp tomato-cucumber salad and garlic bread.
I’m a huge fan of real Italian food, and have become incredibly picky about it at the same time; there are many imposters out there! This is my favorite red sauce and even I follow the recipe carefully.
You’ll never buy a can of sauce again after you make this and realize how easy, salivatingly delicious and inexpensive it is!
It’s perfect for any dish that calls for a robust red sauce, like lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan, etc. It makes a large batch for two or a moderate batch for four. Feel free to double and freeze to keep on hand when those cravings for real Italian food hit you out of nowhere.
Chefy tips:
- Italian food is admittedly hard to break down to a dinner for two, so this recipe is a little larger, but you can break this family-sized meal into three or four parts before you bake.
- Simply freeze the prepared shells individually, then toss in a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months.
- When you’re ready, just cook them from frozen to perfection. Spread sauce in the bottom of the pan and place the shells on top. Garnish each shell with a stripe of sauce. Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, then cover and reduce the the heat to 325. Continue baking for another 45 minutes. Garnish with mozzarella and let stand for 10 minutes to cool a bit.
This menu was developed with help from my husband, who meticulously demonstrated and described his Italian Godmother’s technique of making stuffed shells.
This collection of dinner recipes for two is included in our cookbook Date Night at Home: The Ultimate Cookbook for Two. Download a copy today – Click Here
