Date Night, Made Easy

When the wait for a table is long, the babysitter cancels or you simply decide that being together matters more than dining out, you can create your own romantic evening at home. A cozy dinner in your own kitchen creates space to slow down, pour a glass of wine and actually talk, without watching the clock or shouting over a crowded dining room. With a simple but luxurious meal, date night focuses on what really matters: each other. 

Shire’s Naturals ravioli makes it simple to put a stunning meal on the table, with limited clean-up. The most memorable moments are often those little things, like working in the kitchen together with good food, good conversation and no rushing. Create space for connection.  

When it comes to romantic dishes, there’s a lot of overlap with comfort food. Meals that are warm, familiar, crowd-pleasing and shareable. With Shire’s, you don’t have to compromise on quality and nutrition to have that comfort. Traditional date-night cooking often means heavy ingredients or complicated steps, but you can avoid that with Shire’s three flavors of dairy-free cheese ravioli. You choose a favorite sauce recipe to serve on a base of allergen-friendly and indulgent pasta to create a cozy, elevated meal, and still feel good about what you’re eating. 

In a half-hour or less, you can create a creamy Lemon and Herb sauce for Shire’s Spinach and Cheese ravioli or a Mushroom Shallot sauce for the Garlic and Cheese ravioli. 

LEMON AND HERB SAUCE 

1 package Shire’s Naturals Spinach and Cheese Ravioli 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk 

½ cup pasta water (reserved from cooking ravioli) 

Juice from half a lemon 

2 tbsp nutritional yeast 

3 tbsp tapioca starch (or corn starch)  

1 tsp red pepper flakes 

½ tsp onion powder 

½ tsp garlic powder 

1 tbsp chopped dill 

Black pepper and salt to taste 

Cook the ravioli according to the package directions and reserve some pasta water upon straining.  

Meanwhile, in a saucepan on medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, shallots and pepper flakes. Fry until browned. Add coconut milk, water, nutritional yeast, spices and herbs. Stir to incorporate. Add the starch one tablespoon at a time, stirring to dissolve. Bring to a simmer and sauce will thicken.  

Remove from heat, then add cooked ravioli and toss gently. Juice lemon over pasta. Add the fresh dill and serve.  

MUSHROOM SHALLOT SAUCE 

1 or 2 packages Shire’s Natural Garlic and Cheese Ravioli 

2 tbsp olive oil 

14 ounces mushrooms, washed and sliced 

2 shallots, peeled and diced 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

2 tsp thyme 

1 cup vegetable stock (or use pasta water) 

2 cups dairy-free milk, like cashew milk 

2 tsp salt 

2 tbsp nutritional yeast 

2 tsp white miso 

Cook the ravioli according to the package. If you’re using the pasta water instead of vegetable stock, set it aside after draining.  

Meanwhile, in a medium pan, fry mushrooms in olive oil until lightly golden. Then add shallots, garlic and herbs. Cook until the shallots are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir so the garlic doesn’t burn.  

Add the vegetable broth or water, half the milk, salt, nutritional yeast and miso. Stir and cover. Bring to a boil, then remove the cover to reduce. Simmer for about 8 minutes. Add the other half of the milk and the cooked ravioli and toss gently.  

When you’re seeking connection and presence over perfection, date night at home can be even better than going out on the town. When dinner comes together easily, everything else just falls into place. With Shire’s in your freezer, you can make time for what actually matters: conversation and laughter together. When you want something that feels special but is effortless, Shire’s ravioli is a luxurious, stress-free dinner option.