It’s Valentine’s Day – the day to celebrate everything and anything romantic… so why not celebrate by cooking something to stir all your senses, including that aphrodisiac part of you. Reading about aphrodisiac foods, I was amazed to learn how many of them I have in my pantry and fridge:
Almonds Sweet Basil Avocados Arugula Bananas Strawberries and Raspberries Nutmeg
So I decided to make something that will contribute to the loving theme of the day using almonds and sweet basil… I adapted this dish from a Martha Stewart Living magazine. Enjoy!!
GOAT CHEESE AND ALMOND PASTA
1/4 lbs whole wheat pasta -penne, rigatoni or any other tubular pasta would work Small handful sun-dried tomatoes – the dry ones… not the ones packed in oil 1/3 small log of goat cheese Small handful toasted almonds – I used marcona almonds About 10 Fresh Basil leaves, torn or cut in strips Salt and Pepper to taste Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
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Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. During the last 3 minutes of boiling the pasta, throw in the sun dried tomatoes to rehydrate.
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Drain the pasta well, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. Return pasta to the pot.
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Drizzle pasta with a bit of olive oil. Add goat cheese in small pieces, basil leaves, pepper and almonds. Add a bit of the pasta water to create a sauce. Toss to combine. Add more water if you feel it’s too dry.
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Garnish with added almonds on top.
There are other several recipes I have created for you already that might help you to create romance any day you are in the mood:
Coquito – Nutmeg
Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes – Basil
Arugula-Red Onion Salad – Arugula
Quesadilla Caprese – Basil
Strawberry Banana Smoothie – Strawberries and Bananas
Strawberry Kanten – Strawberry
Baked Pasta and 4 Cheeses – Basil
White Lasagna with Spinach and Almonds – Nutmeg and Almonds
KarmaFree Cooking 
I really love goat cheese desserts, their are awesome. If I have guests, I just make goat cheese deserts and they love it. Are there any other good uses for goat cheese?
of course… I use goat cheese in salads, appetizers, snacks, sandwiches, spreads/dips and to just eat it plain with a fork… SEARCH here for “goat cheese” and you’ll find plenty recipes.