Recipe for a Pasta Meal for a Date Night at Home

Select the type of pasta you prefer to use for your meal.

If you're looking for an opportunity to show off your cooking skills to your date, prepare a cozy ambience at home and prepare a pasta meal for two. Pasta dishes come in many variations and combinations of sauces and ingredients. Narrow down your choices to one or two dishes that your date will enjoy, based on what you know so far about his favorite foods. Does this Spark an idea?

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1 lb. linguine
Water
Large pot
Stirring utensil
Knife
1 lb. zucchini, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Medium saute pan
1 tbsp. hot red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp. salt
3/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Colander
2/3 cup grated Asiago cheese
1 lb. penne pasta
1 lb. lean ground beef
24-oz. jar of marinara sauce
Medium saucepan
8-by-8-inch baking dish
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Lemon and Zucchini Linguine
- 1
  
  Fill a pot with hot water and set it on the stove burner to boil. When the water begins to boil -- about 8 minutes -- add 1 pound of linguine into the pot and stir with a stirring utensil, such as a spatula or wooden spoon.
- 2
  
  Slice 1 pound of zucchini into thin strips, using a sharp knife. Chop one medium onion, and mince four cloves of garlic. Add 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil into a saute pan, and set the pan on a burner. Heat the burner to medium-high to warm up the olive oil. When the oil begins to sizzle, add the zucchini, onion and garlic into the pan. Drop in 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of hot red pepper flakes. Stir the ingredients.
- 3
  
  Let the ingredients in the pan cook for 15 minutes, or until the zucchini becomes tender. Squeeze 3/4 cup of lemon juice into the pan, and stir.
- 4
  
  Keep an eye on the linguine. Remove the pot from the heat when the linguine becomes soft. Drain the water by pouring the linguine into a colander placed in the sink. As you serve the linguine, cover it with the zucchini and lemon sauce that you made in the saute pan. Coat the plate with grated Asiago cheese.
Meaty Baked Ziti
- 5
  
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 6
  
  Boil 1 pound of penne pasta in a pot of water on the stove. Keep the pasta boiling until it is al dente, meaning that it is flexible and soft with a slight toughness to it. This typically takes about 8 minutes, but refer to the directions for your specific brand. The rest of the cooking will be done when you bake the dish.
- 7
  
  Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan. Add 1 pound of lean ground beef into the pan, break it up into smaller pieces and stir it as it cooks, with a spatula or wooden spoon. Cook the ground beef until it is just under fully cooked -- when only a bit of pink color remains.
- 8
  
  Empty one 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce into a saucepan, and set it on the stove. Heat the sauce on medium, and add four garlic cloves that are minced and 1 tablespoon of hot red pepper flakes. Stir the ingredients as the sauce warms.
- 9
  
  Strain the al dente pasta into the colander in the sink. Pour the penne back into the pot. Pour the enhanced marinara sauce over the pasta and the lean ground beef over top. Stir everything in the pot, and then transfer the contents into an 8-by-8-inch baking dish.
- 10
  
  Sprinkle 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the pasta. Bake the ziti in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the top layer of cheese is melted.