This Valentine’s Day, skip the restaurant and show your sweetheart what true love looks like by making dinner at home! Ivy Tech Community College hospitality administration student and chef-in-training Carl Dalrymple shows us how to make an easy Valentine’s Day dinner you can prepare for your sweetheart. It’s sure to impress!
Here’s how to make it:

Heart-Shaped Sautéed Italian Chicken Breast
INGREDIENTS
- 2 T oil
- 2 – 5oz chicken breast
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp each salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering
- Cut the chicken breast horizontally without cutting completely though so that it makes a heart-shape when unfolded
- Combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic, and Italian seasoning
- Dredge chicken breast in flour mixture
- Place chicken in pan and fry on both sides until golden brown
Pasta w/a vodka cream sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 1/4c chopped shallots
- 28 ounce can Italian style or San Marzano whole tomatoes
- 4 oz tomato paste
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce
- Melt the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and cook for 5 minutes
- Pour the tomato products into the pan
- Add the vodka to the pan. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes over medium low heat
- Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese and simmer for another 5 minutes or until thickened. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste
- Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes (optional), then serve
Pastry Hearts
INGREDIENTS
- One sheet puff pastry
- 1 container fresh raspberries
- 1.5 pints of 40 % whipping cream
- 3 T instant pudding mix
- 1/2 cup sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut hearts out of puff pastry and bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes
- Whip cream, sugar and pudding mix till firm peaks
- Fill hearts with cream and raspberries
For more on Ivy Tech’s Hospitality Administration program, click here.