Valentine's Day Pasta

Rustic and Simple

❤️ A Simple Valentine’s Pasta

Rustic Pork, Burst Tomatoes & Whole Wheat — Done Right

Valentine’s cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. I did a “live” on TikTok tonight (my producer was out of town so I had to operate a single camera, no fancy lights, no microphone). But here is the recipe.

In fact, the best romantic meals are usually the simplest — the kind where you build flavor slowly, pay attention, and let good ingredients do the work.

Tonight we’re making a rustic pasta in a Dutch oven:

Frozen onions and bell peppers.
Ground pork.
Burst grape tomatoes.
Garlic.
Herbs.
Whole wheat pasta.

No cream. No sugar. No stress.

Just attention.

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Ingredients

• 2–3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 bag frozen onions & bell peppers

• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

• 8 oz ground pork

• 10 oz grape tomatoes

• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 2 tablespoons za’atar

• 1 tablespoon dried basil

• 8–10 oz whole wheat pasta

• ½ cup reserved pasta water

• Fresh basil (optional)

• Fresh Parmesan (optional)

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Step 1: Build the Base

Heat olive oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add the frozen onions and bell peppers. Season immediately with salt and pepper.

Cook 8–10 minutes until softened and beginning to lightly caramelize.

Teaching moment:
Salt early. It pulls moisture out and helps vegetables soften and sweeten.

This is where flavor starts.

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Step 2: Brown the Pork

Push the vegetables to the side and add the ground pork.

Let it sit undisturbed for 2–3 minutes before breaking it up.

Color equals flavor.

Then crumble and cook through.

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Step 3: Add the Tomatoes

Stir in the 10 ounces of grape tomatoes.

Cook until they blister and begin to rupture — about 10–15 minutes.

Lightly crush them with the back of a spoon to create a rustic sauce.

You want texture, not purée.

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Step 4: Garlic & Herbs

Add:

• 3 cloves sliced garlic

• 1 T Herbes de Provence

• 1 T oregano

• 2 T za’atar

• 1 T basil

Cook 60–90 seconds until fragrant.

Garlic goes in late so it perfumes instead of burns.

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Step 5: Start the Pasta

While the sauce simmers, cook whole wheat pasta in well-salted water.

Stop cooking 1 minute before fully done.

Reserve ½ cup pasta water.

Drain.

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Step 6: Marry the Pasta & Sauce

Add the pasta directly into the Dutch oven.

Pour in ½ cup pasta water.

Toss over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until glossy.

This is the moment.

The starch in the pasta water emulsifies with olive oil and tomato juices, creating silkiness without cream.

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Finish

Turn off the heat.

Add fresh basil.
Add Parmesan if you like.
Drizzle a little olive oil.
Fresh cracked pepper.

Serve warm.

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Why This Works

Whole wheat pasta adds structure and fiber.
Olive oil enhances lycopene absorption.
Za’atar brings brightness.
Pork adds depth without heaviness.

It’s Mediterranean in spirit — not dogmatic, just balanced.

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The Valentine’s Lesson

Romantic cooking isn’t about showing off.

It’s about paying attention.

Brown the pork properly.
Let the tomatoes burst naturally.
Finish the pasta in the sauce.

That’s care.

And care tastes better than complexity every time.

Many more recipes on terrysimpson.com - cook for Valentine’s Day - it is the best expression of love