Penne alla Vodka

As the retail world has been reminding us since Christmas, Valentine’s Day is on the way! This makes some people cringe, but I get all kinds of excited butterflies. Valentine’s Day is all about love — and not just romantic love! If you love your friends, your family, your pets, whoever, this is just another reason to let them know!

In my early teens, Valentine’s Day was spent trying to cheer up all my miserable friends in the hallways at school. Most of the THS girls spent the whole day moaning about what a stupid holiday it was, but I liked to bring chocolate and Hello Kitty Valentines and do my best to make someone (anyone?) smile.

As I got older, Valentine’s Day still meant consoling the grumps of the world…but it also meant dates! A few awkward, one fabulous surprise, two snowed in, one girls night at a garlic-themed restaurant, and on one, I even had mono! Dates can be fun, too…which brings me to this recipe. We do happen to be in a recession, and staying in and cooking can be way more romantic than a fancy dinner out.

Cooking for someone you love – this includes friends and families, folks! – is one of the biggest gestures of love there is. I love love. I love spoiling people. I like pink, too, so V-day works out well for me. Penne alla Vodka is pink! Perfect!