Easy meals to make with love

Valentine's Day is the perfect chance to showcase your skills in the kitchen, no matter if you're celebrating with a partner, your flatmates or your friends. Whether you opt for a delicate pasta dish or a hearty meat dish, these recipes are sure to impress! 

Creamy Asparagus Pasta (V) 🍝

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 140ml tub double cream
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
• 50g Parmesan
• 250g tagliatelle

Method:

1. Cut off and discard the woody ends of the asparagus then neatly cut the tips away from the stalks. Keep the stalks and tips separate.
2. In a saucepan, bring the cream and garlic to boil then take off the heat and remove the garlic.
3. Cook the stalks in boiling water for 4-5 minutes until tender, drain, and then tip into the cream with grated Parmesan. Blitz in a blender until smooth.
4. Cook the pasta according to the instructions then throw in the asparagus tips 2 minutes before the end of the cooking time then drain.
5. Gently reheat the cream sauce and add to the pasta, serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Steak with Chilli-butter and Homemade Chips 🥩🍟

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 50g butter, softened
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• Juice and zest of ½ lemon
• Olive oil
• 2 rib-eye steaks, seasoned

For the chips:

• 450g floury potatoes (Maris Piper- peeled and cut into chunky chips)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1tsp thyme leaves
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

Method:

1. To make the chilli butter, mash the parsley into the butter with the chilli, juice and zest of the lemon then season. Chill until firm.
2. Heat oven to 200C/180C/gas 6. For the chips, toss all the ingredients on a baking tray and roast for 35-45 minutes until golden and crisp.
3. Heat a good glug of oil in a frying pan, add a small knob of butter and the seasoned steaks then fry for 2-4 minutes on each side before transferring to the plates.
4. Serve with the chips and add a piece of chilli butter to the top of the steaks.

The best way to someone's heart is through their stomach!