Re-creating a Perfect First Date– Crab Thermidor Cannelloni: Valentine’s Day Recipe #Recipes4Romance

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This Valentine’s day will be the 23rd anniversary of our first date.  When I met my husband, I was new to Vancouver and British Columbia and there were so many things that I wanted to discover.  We went out often but I repeatedly kept saying: “This is not a date”.  After three months of subtle pursuing, he said: “I want to take you out on Valentine’s Day and I am taking you out on a date.”

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By then he had warmed his way into my heart and I was eager to make this an official night out.  That night proved to be one of the most romantic dates I’ve ever been on.  We had cocktails at the Pan Pacific hotel with a stunning view of Coal Harbour.  For dinner we went to a intimate restaurant in West Vancouver called the Beachside Cafe.  We dined on lobster thermidor for dinner. It is a stuffed lobster tail.  The stuffing is made with lobster meat, a rich cream sauce and fine seasoning.  I can still picture that delicious mean and lovely evening.

Fast forward two years later Paul formally proposed on Valentine’s Day on a trip that we took through Alberta’s Rocky Mountains.  On a stop that had a breathtaking view called Kitchener Pass,  my hubby pulled out a ring box and proposed.  Today we have three wonderful kids and a boat-load of memories. 

Understandably, Valentine’s Day is a very important day for us.  We started our lifetime together on that day. 

Although lobster thermidor is not something I would attempt at the best of times, I thought it would be nice to ‘re-create’ a special meal with the same sort of theme.  I opted to serve pasta (one of Paul’s favourites) and easily attainable crab meat.  I wanted to make is special so I bought fresh Olivieri Pasta and Sauce to make this brand new creation.

Crab Thermidor Cannelloni

Ingredients

• 1 package of Olivieri Lasagne Sheets (360 gr.)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 2 containers of Olivieri Creamy Rosé Sauce 160 ml

• 1/4 cup for stuffing
• remainder for covering the cannelloni

1 container of ricotta cheese (454 gr.)

1/3 cup of milk or white wine

1/2 cup of crabmeat

3 cup of Four Cheese Italiano grated cheese mix (mozzarella, provolone, emmenthal and parmesan) (340 gr.)

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

3 fresh basil leaves sliced thinly

2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives

Season with a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine ricotta, milk, crab meat, grated cheese mix, parmesan, chives & basil, 3 Tbsp. of Olivieri Creamy Rose Sauce
3. Fold lasagne sheets in half and break apart
4. Brush with olive oil
5. Place mixture in the middle of the sheet and roll carefully.
6. Cover the bottom of the pan with the Olivieri Creamy Rose Sauce
7. Line the stuffed cannelloni side-by-side. 
8. Pour the remainder of the Rose sauce over shells making sure they are completely covered.
9. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake 35-45 minutes, until brown and bubbly.
10. Let rest 10 minutes or so and serve.
     

Not one to re-invent the wheel, I bought a fresh ready-made, very tasty creamy Olivieri Rose Sauce to go with the cannelloni.  I have tried the fresh Olivieri sauces before and I know that they are delicious and a great compliment to any  meal.  So I started with the sauce and instead of lobster, I added some crab.  Crab is easy to get and has the same sort of consistency as lobster (without the huge cost).

I bought this ready to bake garlic bread from Olivieri too.  You just heat it for 16-18 minutes.  I also made a Strawberry & Spinach side salad to round out the meal.  It was a nice light compliment to the rich Crab, Cheese and Rose Sauce Cannelloni.  The perfect romantic dinner for… five.

That is the awesome meal I made for my hubby for 23 years of Valentine’s days.  He LOVED it.  The kids did too!

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Olivieri wants to make your romantic dreams reality.  They are giving away a spa retreat for two.  From now through February 23rd, head over to Win with Olivieri! You could win a spa retreat for you and your special someone! The contest is open to Canadian residents age of majority.

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Disclosure: this is a sponsored post and I was compensated.  That being said, I blog about what I truly like and all opinions are 100% truthful. 

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