We loved reading your comments in my Without Self-Love, I have Nothing post. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
When Eric and I first started dating, we did all of the traditional things that we thought we were supposed to do on Valentine’s Day. We went to the crowded restaurants with long wait times and mediocre food. He bought me the over-priced roses and a box of chocolates. I wrote him a sappy poem and I bought him cologne. We often felt pressure to have a ‘perfect’ day.
Then, we realized that we’re not perfect, so we would never fulfill this expectation that we placed on ourselves. But, we could do it our way! We started making homemade silly cards complete with inside jokes. We got each other a thoughtful gift, but we didn’t go overboard. We enjoyed delicious meals in the comfort of our own home, made together. When we did this, we started to enjoy the holiday a lot more.
The perfect Valentine’s Day to us, is really the imperfect one.
I can’t think of a more perfect way to be imperfect than to enjoy a messy bowl of pasta that leaves red sauce in the corner of your mouth and a few stains on your shirt. And if you’re lucky, your partner will remove it for you..
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Tomato Walnut Basil Pasta
Yield: 3.5 cups sauce
Ingredients:
- One 28oz can crushed tomatoes (I used Utopia organic, salted)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced (yield: 1 cup diced)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, stems removed &chopped finely
- 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 large handfuls spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2-3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- Pasta of your choice (I used Kamut spaghetti)
Directions:
1. Chop onion and garlic. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in the onion and cook over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and cook on low for another 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
2. Add in the oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir well. Cook on low for a few minutes. Now add in the 28oz of crushed tomatoes, chopped basil, and nutritional yeast. Stir. Bring to a low boil and then simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook your pasta.
3. Stir in the chopped walnuts and the chopped spinach. Cook for about 10 minutes longer on med-low. Serve over pasta and garnish with basil leaves and additional walnuts. Makes about 3.5 cups sauce.
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Making this sauce is very easy and it turned out quite delicious. The walnuts were absolutely amazing in this pasta sauce and I would not recommend leaving them out! They really brought the sauce to a whole new level and gave it a wonderful texture and flavour.
I’m sure you will ask me if you can leave out the nutritional yeast and I would say of course! The flavours will change though, so make sure you adapt the sauce to suit your preference.
The spinach was a fun add-in at the last minute. It is a great way to sneak in some GREEN Monsters. 
The walnuts were our favourite part about this recipe. I thought it would give the pasta sauce a great texture and nutty flavour and it worked wonderfully!
Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and more walnuts and serve!
Love.
It is also a heart-healthy dish to Go Red For Women. 
Glo Bakery Update:
- Glo Bar variety packs will be for sale tomorrow, Feb 16th at 10am EST.
Have a great day!
What a fabulous idea to add walnuts! I bet this tasted awesome!!! =) I’m a lazy Vday kind of girl and have realized that trying to make it into some glorious day that everyone else always gushes about – is so not possible for my husband and I and so not worth getting all wrapped up in! =) A spaghetti night sounds like the perfect night for me <3
xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons
A personal Valentine’s Day like that means so much more, we did a similar thing – cooked stuffed peppers together, watched our favorite recorded show and played our new favorite game!
And now that I found this recipe, I think I should have added walnuts to those stuffed peppers! We stuffed them with barley, cottage cheese, nonfat mozzarella cheese, spinach, garlic and tomato sauce. But walnuts….I like it…thanks for the idea.
We also make each other silly cards. For me, that’s so much better than a big box of chocolates. We also use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to treat ourselves to a night out of town, because we love doing that. We’re heading to Boston next week!
That sounds fun! we often go out to our favourite restaurant the week after V-day when its not as hyped up. :)
We’ll go out to eat, but when the prices are brought back down and when the restaurant isn’t at max capacity.
We are the same way; we stayed in, had a homemade meal (and dessert!), and just hung out (and even slowed danced together to the radio!). We both thought it was one of the best V-Days we’ve ever had.
Such a beautiful idea. We stayed at home last night and it was so much more personal and fun! It makes it more special when it fits each others personalities! That pasta looks delicious, It is such a romantic dish too =]
This looks amazing! I never would have thought to put walnuts in the sauce! How creative!
this looks soo good :) walnuts add such a great texture and crunch to pasta dishes. i can’t wait to have fresh basil again.. yum!
Oh yum, this looks scrumptious. And I totally agree about not putting pressure on ourselves for Valentines :)
WOW! I am a pasta lover so I’ll be making this! I even have all the ingredients on hand…that’s dangerous ;). Yay for Glo Bar variety packs, yum yum yum. I aslo agree that the way a couple puts a unique spin on such a “perfect” holiday is the most special. People set such high expectations, it’s better to just be yourselves and do what is special with one another, not cliche!
That looks so good! I think the crowded restaurant expensive gift valentine’s day is so cliche now and no one really enjoys it. I think the imperfections in life make everything special.
This looks soooo good, never thought about adding nuts, let alone walnuts to dishes like this! What a great protein and healthy fat boost!
This looks sooo good! I love thick tomato pasta sauces!
“And if you’re lucky, your partner will remove it for you..”
My partner will remove the sauce or my shirt? :) Or both?
Jason and I had dinner at home (your Vegan Alfredo recipe!) and it was lovely. I think eating at home is much more intimate than any restaurant.
I was literally just about to make the same comment about the sauce or the shirt, haha! That made me laugh. I’m glad I’m not the only pervert round here!
ha! i was about to say the same thing!! :-)
;)
I am going to have to make this tonight – what a perfect recipe since I have a bag full of basil left over from this weekend! I may up the garlic and onion because I am a fiend for both. :)
That pasta looks unbelievable! I’m glad you and Eric had a good Valentine’s Day!! :-)
I totally agree we stayed in last night and just cooked. It was so relaxing and intimate, definitely the best way to celebrate valentines day! Your pasta looks delicious by the way :)
I love your perfectly imperfect Valentine’s Day..Nolan and I do the same!
This year he cooked, I helped clean up and we made homemade chocolates (a la Kath Eats) for dessert!
Perfect!
hehe it’s so funny that you posted a pasta recipe, because yesterday i was listening to the radio and this dj was giving guys tips about what they should and shouldn’t order when going out for valentine’s day dinner… obviously pasta was on the do-not list!! yours however… impossible to resist! have a great day Ange! :)
why was pasta on the do not list?
just because it’s a messy food :)
Nothing says love like a good dish of pasta! And I love the addition of walnuts. I had a fab Vegan pasta meal a few months ago where the noodles were *made of* walnuts. Neat huh?
YUMMY!! I LOVE that this has walnuts in it!! I love my nuts! :D
That tomato sauce looks so rich and delicious, simplicity is amazing.
I was my own Valentine and bought myself some dark chocolate coconut ice cream to keep me and Plato company..! <3
We love lowkey like that too. It makes things so much more enjoyable.
Mmm, cute story and a delicious recipe! Happy belated v-day to you and Eric!
I can’t believe people actually go out on holidays. The lines, crowds, and prices are all insane!
Looks so good!!
I have never thought of nuts on pasta!! It has been WAY too long since I have had piscetti, time to change that!:)
My grandparents were Italian and made spaghetti and meatballs every Sunday. My grandpa always twirled his pasta on a fork like that. *sigh*
My tummy just started growling when I saw that dish! Yummy!
My boyfriend and I are similar, we don’t do the “traditional” Valentine’s. On Sunday I sent him on a scavenger hunt around the house to find his cheap but thoughtful gift and then we cooked up a butternut squash and chestnut soup which we ate while drinking some wine and watching a movie. I loved every minute of it!
aww that’s cute!
I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for new things I can throw into my pasta… now I finally have a use for those leftover walnuts I have sitting around from my Christmas cookies!
I love the imperfections of celebrating “perfect” holidays. Three years running, I have come down with some kind of ridiculous ailment on either our anniversary or Valentine’s Day — on our one-year anniversary, we had reservations at a fancy Italian restaurant. I had a new dress, killer heels, etc. and was SO excited for a night out. Unfortunately, the big man around town, Mr. Norovirus, wanted to date me that night instead. I always tell people that the most beloved anniversary gift I’ve ever received was Tiffany earrings, a red rose, a bottle of Pedialyte and some ginger ale. Ahh, romance! ;)
Beautiful meal, and beautiful message!!
Wow – this is gorgeous. I love the imperfect, perfect day. :)
Your pasta dishes always look so lovely. Makes me jealous that I always intend to make nice sit down dinners but then decide something faster suits me more.. lol
This is too funny…lately I’ve been making kale pesto + red sauce and topping them both on our pasta or grain or veggie burgers. We love the contrast of both sauces and this looks like you’ve combined them together! Deeelicious! :)
We had our first all vegan Valentine’s night meal, cooked at home. Perfect!
sounds lovely!
This pasta dish looks delicious!
My husband and I do (and did) the same thing!!! Taking the pressure off of the “perfect” Valentine’s Day is such a relief– and SO much more fun!
This looks great! I’ve been experimenting with pestos lately too!
Must. Make. This. Soon. Now how to convince my boyfriend that the texture will be fine? (he’s a texture person).
Your Vday logic makes sense…we love the imperfections in our partners, so why would we expect that day to be perfect? Imperfections are just as lovely.
This looks so hearty and delicious. Love it!
I’d rather have homemade tomato sauce than a half-dead bouquet of roses any day. I am going to invest in a bamboo cutting board, your prep photos always look fantastic! My ancient, hacked up board needs an upgrade.
I LOVED your lentil walnut burgers and now I have a slight walnut obsession :) This looks delicious!
Hey Angela, this looks sooooo goood!! :)
Just quick question, if I do not have nutritional yeast at hand, how much parmesan cheese should I be using?
I swear, you must read my mind! I bought a can of crushed tomatoes last week while grocery shopping and could not for the life of me remember what recipe I was going to use it in. And then you post this! And now the can is saved from being in my pantry for months and months, pushed back behind tomato paste and navy beans.
haha I always do that!
I love this! I have tried a recipe very close to this…it was so good. So I look forward to this AND the variety of glow bars on sale! woohoo. :)
I love this! I have tried a recipe very close to this…it was so good. So I look forward to this AND the variety of glow bars on sale! woohoo. :)
We decided to do something different this year too – we did a couples’ raw chocolate-making class with the theme of “love and aphrodesiacs.” It was fun and I had no idea how easy it is to make your own raw chocolate! We learned a lot about different mood-enhancing ingredients that can be added to the mix. Plus, nothing says romance like being covered in sticky, chocolatey goodness ;)
What an amazing recipe!!! Angela, how/with what can I replace the nutritional yeast???
Thank you!!!
you can just leave it out :)
Great, thank you :D
thats what I call a Perfect Valentines day! the bf and I do the same, we stay at home and avoid the unnecessary crowds of people and expensive gives. we had a romantic night in with pizza. it was perfect in my eyes.
I wanna have a bowl of pasta NOW!!!!!! This looks soooo delicious but simple at the same time – the perfect recipe in my opinion!
The same aplies to celebrating “special” days like Valentine’s Day or Anniversaries. Every couple should figure out their own special way of celebrating those days without having to live up to standards. IMHO, these standards are really only followed by newly loves who have not yet found their own path.
What a seriously perfect pasta sauce! I think I’m in love!
YUM! Omggg!
Crushed tomatoes are soooo much better than the jarred sugary pasta sauces. I love the simple additions in this too.
I love the idea of imperfect Valentines. The whole day makes my guy extra grumpy (he’s always been anti- “do things cuz you’re supposed to” guy, and frankly the grumpiness and resentment of the day itself only makes him cuter (to me). But last night he had class until 8, and when I finished my run, I realized I had time to run out and get him some groceries (my crotchety old man/boy hates the grocery store a lot), so I just added an extra mile to my workout and was there when he came home. We had frozen turkey balls and pasta- possibly the best Valentines we’ve ever had.