Dinner Designed for Two.
Creamy Tomato Papardelle
PREP
COOK
SERVES
15 min
2 hours, mostly hands off
2
A rich, slow simmered marinara with Italian sausage, tossed with pappardelle and finished with cream, Parmesan, and fresh basil.
This dinner comes from one of our Date Nite menus, shared here in a simpler format with everything you need to make the complete meal at home, including every recipe, the paired cocktail, and a grocery list. Our full Date Nite experience takes it a step further, helping you cook the meal together and make a night of it.
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For Dinner
2 oz gin
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz elderflower liqueur
1/2 oz honey syrup
2 to 3 basil leaves
Small rosemary sprig
1 egg white
Basil leaf, for garnish
To make the honey syrup, combine equal parts honey and hot water in a small bowl and stir until fully dissolved. Let cool before using.
Add the gin, lemon juice, elderflower liqueur, honey syrup, basil, rosemary, and egg white to a shaker and dry shake for 10 to 15 seconds to build foam. Add ice and shake again for another 10 to 15 seconds until well chilled, then double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf.
The Marinara
- 32 oz whole canned Italian tomatoes
- 1 onion, quartered
- 6 Tbsp butter
- ¾ tsp sugar
- 3 to 4 Tbsp heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
Place the tomatoes and their juices in a medium saucepan with the onion and butter. Simmer uncovered for 90 minutes to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the tomatoes break apart easily when stirred. Keep the heat gentle enough to avoid splattering. Once done, remove from heat and discard the onion pieces. Stir in the sugar, heavy cream, and salt, breaking up any larger tomato pieces with the back of a spoon. For a smoother sauce, blend briefly with an immersion blender. Keep warm over low heat while you finish the pasta and sausage.
The Pasta and Sausage
- 8 oz pappardelle pasta
- Salt
- 8 oz Italian sausage
Bring a large pot of salted water (it should taste like lightly salted ocean water) to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Before draining, reserve ¼ to ½ cup of the pasta water. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumble in the Italian sausage, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
Bringing It Together
Add the cooked pasta directly to the marinara sauce along with ¼ to ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, and toss to combine using two large spoons. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Twirl the pasta into large bowls, then top with the Italian sausage, freshly grated Parmesan or Romano, and a little fresh basil.
Velvet Garden Gimlet
For Sipping
make Ordinary Nights feel like Something More
You've got the dinner. Date Nite helps you make it a night.
Date Nite is more than a menu. It’s designed to make cooking together easy, with a guided flow that shows you how to move through the kitchen as a team. But the bigger idea is even simpler: creating a ritual of returning to the table, slowing down, and making space for each other week after week.
Want to see what that feels like? Try one full Date Nite on us.
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