Dinner for a date-night in, with your love, bestie, or Netflix
Scallop and spaghetti aglio e olio with orange-caper salad
Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is Tuesday — the most weekday of all the weekdays. So I created a meal for two this week that’s fast, with a few ingredients, but also feels a little bit special. (And if you’re eating solo, it’ll make a fab lunch the next day.)
This Hallmark holiday falls just after mid-winter, when we in the Northeast feel fully wilted from lack of sun. Some years, I’m lucky to escape to a warm place for a few days to recharge my Vitamin D levels before spring.
This year is not one of them.
While I’m indifferent about the significance of February 14, I will use any excuse to buy a little luxury at the grocery store, especially if it will help me push off the winter doldrums.
So I found myself recently asking the fishmonger for scallops — only a half pound because I still needed to buy eggs and didn’t want to take out a second mortgage. I thought I’d sear them so they take on a beautiful golden crown and serve them with a sunny orange salad, but as a main course, it felt skimpy, even for two.
I decided to do what any Italian who wanted to stretch their rare or expensive ingredients would do and tossed the scallops with pasta. I also cut the scallops in half through the equator, so you get the sense that you “doubled your money” without spending a dime.
Instead of stressing over creating a hard sear, I simply bathed the scallops in warm garlicky oil, and then let the heat of the spaghetti cook them through.
To round out the meal, I welcomed in some sunshine with a sliced orange salad, which I topped with crispy fried capers for that sweet-salty contrast.
I wrote the recipe below for two. If you have children to feed, I give you permission to pull out the boxed mac & cheese and treat yourself to a grown-up dinner. (Or, if you really want to, you can double it.)
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