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Elegant Italian vegetarian Valentine’s menu

All your friends will say ‘sì’ to this gorgeous Italian menu. With an indulgent blue cheese lasagne and citrus cheesecake board, this special Valentine’s menu tastes just as good as it looks – now, that’s amore!

  1. Starter: Tomato, onion, pepper and pomegranate salad

    Tomato, onion, pepper and pomegranate salad recipe

    Serves 4

    3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    1 tbsp Dijon mustard
    ½ lemon, juiced
    500g mixed tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
    1 red onion, thinly sliced
    190g sweet mini peppers, sliced
    200g reduced-fat salad cheese, crumbled
    80g pomegranate seeds
    ½ x 30g pack fresh basil, leaves picked

    1. To make the dressing, put the oil, mustard and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until smooth.

    2. Put the tomatoes, onion, peppers, salad cheese and half the dressing in a large bowl and gently toss to combine.

    3. Transfer to a large serving dish and top with the pomegranate seeds and basil leaves. Season with pepper and serve with the remaining dressing to drizzle over.

  2. Main: Mushroom, spinach and blue cheese lasagne

    Mushroom, spinach and blue cheese lasagne recipe

    Serves 6

    olive oil, for frying
    1 onion, finely sliced​
    485g pack chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
    250g flat mushrooms, thickly sliced
    180g pack cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
    3 garlic cloves, crushed​
    680g jar passata
    1 tsp sugar
    3 rosemary sprigs
    400g washed spinach
    500g ricotta cheese
    ½ tsp ground nutmeg
    8 fresh lasagne sheets
    150g medium-firm blue cheese
    green salad, to serve

    1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Heat a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat and add a generous drizzle of olive oil. Add the onion and fry for 3-4 mins until slightly softened, then turn up the heat and add the chestnut mushrooms. Fry, stirring once or twice, for 4-5 mins until browned, then tip everything on to a plate.

    2. Add a little more oil to the pan, then fry the flat mushrooms and chestnuts for another 3-4 mins, until browned all over. Stir through the garlic, cook for 2 mins, then add the browned chestnut mushrooms and onions, passata, sugar and rosemary. Half-fill the passata bottle with water and pour that in too, then bring everything to a simmer and cook for 20 mins, until rich and thickened.

    3. Stir in the spinach in batches, then season well. Stir together the ricotta and nutmeg in a bowl and season.

    4. Spread a third of the mushroom mixture over the bottom of a 2-litre gratin dish. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets, cutting to fit if necessary. Spoon over teaspoons of the ricotta mixture (you only need to spread it out over the top layer). Repeat until everything is used up (you should get three layers), then crumble over the blue cheese, making sure the top layer of lasagne is completely covered by ricotta and blue cheese.

    5. Bake for 30-40 mins until deep golden and the sauce is bubbling. Leave to stand for 10 mins, then serve with a green salad.

  3. Side: Cheesy hasselback garlic bread

    Cheesy hasselback garlic bread recipe

    Serves 2

    1 part-baked baguette from a 2-pack
    40g unsalted butter, softened
    2 large garlic cloves, crushed
    ½ x 125g ball reduced-fat mozzarella, finely chopped
    20g extra-mature Cheddar, finely grated
    10g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

    1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Cook the baguette according to pack instructions; allow to cool. In a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, garlic, mozzarella, Cheddar and parsley. Season, then cover and set aside.

    2. Reduce the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Using a sharp bread knife, cut slices widthways into the baguette, about 1cm apart and about ¾ of the way down, so that it still all holds together. Taking about ½ tsp of the garlic butter at a time, push it into the slits (it is easiest to do this using your fingertips). Be careful not to tear the baguette as you do so. If there is any leftover butter, you can spread this on top of the baguette.

    3. Loosely wrap the baguette in a large sheet of foil, then lay on a baking tray and bake for 15 mins. Open up the foil, then return to the oven for 5-8 mins until the top is golden brown.

    Tip: You can make the garlic butter and cook the part- baked baguette up to a day in advance. Keep the garlic butter in the fridge, then bring to room temperature to soften before using.

  4. Dessert: Citrus cheesecake board

    Citrus cheesecake board recipe

    Serves 8

    60g unsalted butter
    120g ginger nuts
    200g soft cheese
    200g Greek-style yogurt
    2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted, plus 1 tsp
    2 oranges, zested and segmented
    2 clementines, zested and segmented
    2 tsp lemon curd
    2 mint sprigs, small leaves picked, large leaves finely sliced

    1. Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat. Blitz the ginger nuts in a food processor until they resemble coarse sand (or bash with a rolling pin in a zip-lock bag). Transfer to a bowl and mix in the melted butter.

    2. Spread the biscuit base on a serving board or platter, pressing down with the back of a spoon, leaving little divots and gaps as you go. Chill for 30 mins.

    3. Meanwhile, mix the soft cheese, yogurt, sugar and citrus zests in a large bowl. Transfer to the fridge.

    4. Once chilled, top the biscuit base with the cheese mixture. Top with small drops of lemon curd, rippling through with the spoon. Arrange the citrus segments on top and scatter with mint. Dust with a little extra icing sugar, then ask everyone to dig in.

  5. Drink: French kiss cocktail

    French kiss cocktail recipe

    Serves 2

    50g granulated sugar
    100g raspberries
    50ml lemon juice, plus
    strips of zest to garnish
    50ml London dry gin
    8 ice cubes
    200ml prosecco, chilled

    1. Add the sugar to a saucepan with 50ml water and heat over a low heat for 2-3 mins until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer for 1 min until thickened slightly. Set aside 2 raspberries to garnish, then add the remainder to the pan. Cook over a medium heat, while squashing them with the back of a wooden spoon, for 5-6 mins until they have broken down completely. Place a fine sieve over a bowl, then pour the raspberry mixture into it and push through with the wooden spoon until you have a smooth syrup. Set the syrup aside to cool.

    2. Once the syrup has cooled, add it to a cocktail shaker with the lemon juice, gin and ice cubes. Shake vigorously for 30 secs. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, use an empty jam jar but make sure the lid is firmly on before you start shaking.

    3. Pour the mixture into 2 Champagne flutes, then top up with the prosecco and garnish with the reserved raspberries and strips of lemon zest.

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