Date Night Dinner: The Best Romantic Pasta Dish Ever

Source: Natural Gourmet Institute, photo by Alexandra Shytsman
Making your partner dinner is a great way to show your appreciation for them or curry (new pun intended) their favor. Follow our Date Night dinner series week-to-week, as we highlight recipes that are as simple to execute as they are tasty.
This week’s recipe comes from the Natural Gourmet Institute, a health-supportive culinary school in New York City that also offers public classes and a variety of other programs. The satisfying pasta dish spotlighted here will have your significant other raving for weeks. And with only a handful of ingredients and simple prep, this dish might sound fancy and impress your partner, but we promise it’s a cinch to whip up. Cue to flavor explosion in your mouth…
P.S. Emmer pasta, you ask? Us, too. Fear not, it’s just a type of flour that’s actually higher in fiber than regular ole wheat (read: will keep you fuller for a longer time), and this type of pasta which comes in a variety of shapes and sizes also works wonderfully tossed into soups, mixed into cold salads, or even served on its own with a drizzle of olive oil, freshly cracked black pepper, and some torn basil leaves.
Emmer Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Fennel & Taleggio Cheese
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthwise (fronds set aside for garnish)
- 6 large cloves of garlic, sliced very thinly lengthwise
- ½ pound Emmer pasta
- ¼ Taleggio cheese, cut into small cubes and kept refrigerated until use
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper