Keep Valentine's dinner light and simple

CEDAR RAPIDS - Don't let a heavy dinner bog down your Valentine's Day plans.

“If you want a romantic evening, the last thing you want is to be full,” says Melanie Ewalt, assistant professor in Hospitality Programs at Kirkwood Community College.

A light salad, pasta dish and a smaller dessert is satisfying but not overwhelming, Ewalt says.

For the salad, try balsamic vinegar and raspberry vinaigrette with garden greens or spinach leaves with poppy seed dressing. Sprinkle with feta or blue cheese and fresh fruit, such as strawberries or raspberries. Nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, are a light alternative to croutons.

Ewalt suggests pasta for the main course.

“You can't go wrong with pasta,” she says.

Try Pasta Bolognese, a meat-based sauce which originated in Bologna, Italy. Prosciutto (thinly-sliced Italian ham) and ground beef and pork are cooked with white wine, tomatoes, onions, heavy cream and a variety of spices, including oregano and nutmeg are sauteed and simmered in varying levels. But it can be prepared a day or two in advance, says Gabriela O'Connell, Kirkwood culinary student.

Or try Linguine with Fruit de Mare (fruits of the sea), a seafood-based dish. Ewalt's likes shrimp, mussels and clams, but any seafood combination can be used.

Look for fresh seafood. If mussels are open before cooked and don't close when you tap the shells, they're dead and should be discarded, Ewalt says.

Shellfish is done cooking when the shells open; shrimp is done when it goes from translucent to an opaque pink.

To spice up the seafood mixture, add chorizo, a pork sausage marinated in spices including Spanish paprika.

Sprinkle both the Bolognese or seafood dish with a little bit of grated Parmesan cheese.

To top off your romantic dinner, enjoy an easy-to-make dessert, such as a berry trifle or chocolate cake.

Don't worry about making every single thing from scratch. Ewalt's trifle recipe uses a pre-made pound cake and her chocolate cake recipe uses a boxed cake mix.

“If you're afraid of baking or don't have the time, use a Sara Lee pound cake,” she says. “Decide what's easy and what's going to be good.” The berry trifle and chocolate cake both use mascarpone cheese, which is similar to cream cheese, but sweeter. It's used in the trifle's pudding-like mixture and the chocolate cake's frosting.

Just like the meal, the table setting should be simple, Ewalt says. “Simple is nice,” Ewalt says. “You don't have to be extravagant or over the top,” she says.

White or cream-colored dinnerware makes the food stand out and is not distracting.

Red roses are romantic, but Ewalt suggests tulips instead. Readily available and cheaper than roses, tulips also signify the end of winter.

“Think spring,” Ewalt says.

PASTA BOLOGNESE

8 ounces rigatoni (tube-shaped) pasta1/4 cup olive oil1/4 pound prosciutto (Italian ham)1 medium onion, small diced1 medium carrot, peeled and small diced1 stalk celery, small diced2 cloves garlic6 ounces ground beef6 ounces ground pork1/2 cup white wine1 tablespoon oregano1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced1/4 teaspoon nutmeg1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper1 pound canned tomatoes1/2 cup brown stock3/4 cup heavy creamBoil pasta according to package, making sure to salt the water before boiling. Cook until al dente (firm but not hard). Set aside.Saute the prosciutto, celery, carrot and onion in the olive oil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, beef and pork and continue cooking another 10 minutes. Add white wine and simmer until the liquid is cooked out.Add oregano, parsley, garlic, nutmeg, salt, tomatoes and stock and simmer, stirring frequently for 20 minutes. Add cream and adjust seasonings. When cooking this recipe in large batches, do not add the cream until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MOCHA MASCARPONE FROSTING

1 devil's food cake mix8 ounces Tiramisu Mascarpone (cheese)3 tablespoons powdered sugar1 tablespoon cocoa1/2 teaspoon vanillaMake cake according to box directions for a 9-by-13 pan. Let cool. To make frosting, combine mascarpone, powdered sugar, cocoa and vanilla until smooth. Cut 2 rounds of cake with a cookie cutter. Cut each in half horizontally. Spread about 2 tablespoons of frosting into the bottom half of each cake. Top with the other half and then use the rest of the frosting to smooth around the top and edges of the individual cakes. There will be a lot of cake left over but you can always use those to snack on or to make a trifle.From Melanie Ewalt and Gabriela O'Connell, Kirkwood Community College

LINGUINE WITH FRUIT de MARE

8 ounces linguine pasta2 tablespoons olive oil3 cloves garlic, minced1 shallot, minced1 tomato, diced1/2 pound mussels1/2 pound clams1/2 pound shrimp1/2 cup white wine2 tablespoons fresh basil, choppedSalt and pepper to taste2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheeseBoil pasta according to package, in salted water. Cook until al dente. Set aside.Heat olive oil and pan and sauté garlic and shallot just until aromatic about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and let cook until they start to sweat.Add the clams and let cook just for a couple of minutes or so before adding the other seafood.Once the seafood is added, add the white wine and cover so that the shellfish can steam.Once the clams and mussels are open, mix in the basil. Season with salt and pepper.Toss the linguine in the seafood mixture. Top with shaved Pecorino Romano cheese.From Melanie Ewalt and Gabriela O'Connell, Kirkwood Community College

BERRY TRIFLE

8 ounces mascarpone (cheese)4 tablespoons heavy cream1/4 cup milk4 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar1 pint of raspberries1/4 cup blueberries1/2 cup strawberries1 Sara Lee pound cake, found in the freezer sectionCombine mascarpone, heavy cream, milk and powdered sugar. In a separate bowl mash about 10 or 12 raspberries. Add raspberries to the mascarpone mixture and combine well.Thaw pound cake according to directions. Cut half of the cake and into cubes about 1/2-inch thick.Using parfait glasses, or any type of all-purpose glass, layer ingredients starting with a scoop of the mascarpone mixture. Follow with a layer of berries, then the cubed pound cake. Repeat until glass is almost full and finish with a layer of the mascarpone mix. Top with a few berries for garnish.

PASTA BOLOGNESE

8 ounces rigatoni (tube-shaped) pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 pound prosciutto (Italian ham)

1 medium onion, small diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and small diced

1 stalk celery, small diced

2 cloves garlic

6 ounces ground beef

6 ounces ground pork

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound canned tomatoes

1/2 cup brown stock

3/4 cup heavy cream

Boil pasta according to package, making sure to salt the water before boiling. Cook until al dente (firm but not hard). Set aside.

Saute the prosciutto, celery, carrot and onion in the olive oil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, beef and pork and continue cooking another 10 minutes. Add white wine and simmer until the liquid is cooked out.

Add oregano, parsley, garlic, nutmeg, salt, tomatoes and stock and simmer, stirring frequently for 20 minutes. Add cream and adjust seasonings. When cooking this recipe in large batches, do not add the cream until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MOCHA MASCARPONE FROSTING

1 devil's food cake mix

8 ounces Tiramisu Mascarpone (cheese)

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Make cake according to box directions for a 9-by-13 pan. Let cool. To make frosting, combine mascarpone, powdered sugar, cocoa and vanilla until smooth. Cut 2 rounds of cake with a cookie cutter. Cut each in half horizontally. Spread about 2 tablespoons of frosting into the bottom half of each cake. Top with the other half and then use the rest of the frosting to smooth around the top and edges of the individual cakes. There will be a lot of cake left over but you can always use those to snack on or to make a trifle.

From Melanie Ewalt and Gabriela O'Connell, Kirkwood Community College

LINGUINE WITH FRUIT de MARE

8 ounces linguine pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 tomato, diced

1/2 pound mussels

1/2 pound clams

1/2 pound shrimp

1/2 cup white wine

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese

Boil pasta according to package, in salted water. Cook until al dente. Set aside.

Heat olive oil and pan and sauté garlic and shallot just until aromatic about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and let cook until they start to sweat.

Add the clams and let cook just for a couple of minutes or so before adding the other seafood.

Once the seafood is added, add the white wine and cover so that the shellfish can steam.

Once the clams and mussels are open, mix in the basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the linguine in the seafood mixture. Top with shaved Pecorino Romano cheese.

From Melanie Ewalt and Gabriela O'Connell, Kirkwood Community College

BERRY TRIFLE

8 ounces mascarpone (cheese)

4 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

4 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 pint of raspberries

1/4 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1 Sara Lee pound cake, found in the freezer section

Combine mascarpone, heavy cream, milk and powdered sugar. In a separate bowl mash about 10 or 12 raspberries. Add raspberries to the mascarpone mixture and combine well.

Thaw pound cake according to directions. Cut half of the cake and into cubes about 1/2-inch thick.

Using parfait glasses, or any type of all-purpose glass, layer ingredients starting with a scoop of the mascarpone mixture. Follow with a layer of berries, then the cubed pound cake. Repeat until glass is almost full and finish with a layer of the mascarpone mix. Top with a few berries for garnish.

From Gabriela O'Connel, Kirkwood Community College