The Little Bistro at Home

There is something very pleasing about deciding that your own small table is tonight’s restaurant. The water is on the table. Dinner is already chosen. There is bread within reach and nobody needs to study a menu while becoming increasingly hungry.

This is a simple plan for two: a little bowl of olives, fresh filled pasta with tomato sauce and salad, then something chocolate from a good bakery. Most of the ingredients can be bought ready to serve or ready to cook. The small amount of preparation is part of making the evening feel easy.

Tonight’s menu

To begin: olives and bread.

For the table: fresh ravioli or another favourite filled pasta, tomato sauce and a green salad.

Something sweet: two small chocolate pastries, cupcakes or other favourite desserts from the bakery.

To drink: sparkling or still water, with a drink you both enjoy if wanted. A good alcohol-free option belongs on the table just as comfortably.

If you have dietary requirements, choose the exact pasta, sauce, bread and dessert accordingly. A dish described as plant-based is not automatically suitable for every allergy. Check the labels of the products you buy and keep their storage and cooking instructions.

One shopping list for two

• Fresh filled pasta: enough for two main-course portions according to the packet.
• One jar or carton of tomato sauce, enough for the chosen pasta.
• One small bag of salad leaves.
• Olive oil and lemon, or a salad dressing you already like.
• A small loaf or baguette.
• A small pot of olives.
• Two individual bakery desserts, or one generous dessert to share.
• Water and any other drinks.
• Optional grated cheese or an appropriate alternative.
• Optional flowers and candles in stable holders.

Check the cupboard before you go out. You probably already own the glasses, napkins and plates needed to make a perfectly good bistro.

Set one small table

Clear the workday away from the part of the room you will use. Put out the plates, two glasses, water and napkins. A single flower in a small vase leaves more space for dinner than a large arrangement.

Warm lamps work particularly well in the evening. If you use candles, keep them clear of flowers, curtains and napkins, and extinguish them when you leave the room. You can use battery candles if that makes the evening simpler.

Put the music on quietly enough for conversation. Choose it beforehand so that the first course does not turn into a lengthy search through playlists.

The order of events

Earlier in the day

Buy the food. Refrigerate anything that needs it. Read the pasta and sauce instructions, especially if they have different timings. Check whether the dessert needs refrigeration or any preparation before serving.

Write a little menu card if you enjoy that sort of detail. A free blank card is included in the Little Notes collection. Three handwritten lines are enough.

About twenty minutes before you want to eat

Set the table and put out the water. Wash the salad if needed and prepare the dressing. Put a pot of water on for the pasta, allowing time for it to come to the boil. Start warming the sauce according to its instructions.

One person can deal with the food while the other handles the table and drinks. Swap for clearing up later.

When you are ready

Put the bread and olives on the table. Cook the pasta according to its packet and drain it as directed. Combine with the warmed sauce, or spoon the sauce over the portions. Dress the salad close to serving.

Cooking times vary between products. Use the packaging as your timing guide; there is no need to turn this into a precision exercise based on somebody else’s brand of ravioli.

After dinner

Clear the main plates, make coffee or tea, and bring out dessert. Leave washing up until a natural pause, or do the quick parts together before you move to the sofa.

The version with very little cooking

Choose a favourite takeaway instead. Order early enough to understand the delivery or collection time. Set the table while you wait, serve the food on plates if you like, and have dessert ready.

The thoughtful part can be as simple as choosing a place you both like and handling the order. If one of you has a demanding week, this may be the most welcome version of the evening.

Make their favourite, if that is what you enjoy

My own Valentine’s dinner is often Bas’s favourite: homemade chips and Belgian beef stew. I enjoy making it, especially with a Sunday ahead of me. This pasta menu is another easy way to make a dinner for two; your own familiar favourite may be exactly what you want. Read about our Valentine’s.

Give the evening a second chapter

Pick one thing for afterwards: a film you have both wanted to see, a board game you already know, music and another drink, or a walk if the weather is inviting. An action film can be just as enjoyable as a romantic one. Decide together; shared enjoyment is more useful than a surprise one person has to endure politely. Browse The Watching Room if you would like a place to start.

You can also each write a note beginning, “One little thing I love about our days is…” Leave it beside the other person’s plate and read it whenever you like.

Open the Little Notes Post Office for a printable card, or return to the Valentine’s Edit for another plan.