There is nothing more romantic than the first time you prepare a meal at your home for your special someone. Women will melt at the thought of a man slaving away over the stove just for her, and everyone knows the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!

Of the types of cuisine that you could make at home, Italian yields so many choices (besides pizza and spaghetti with meat balls) – many of which are actually quite easy to make. As long as you stay away from the idea of making pasta from scratch, you’ll be able to make a memorable meal in just an hour or two.

So where do you begin? We suggest you begin by making a plan and then going shopping for some very top-shelf ingredients and a perfect accompanying wine to make your romantic dinner complete.

Pick Easy-To-Make Recipes

When you’re planning for your romantic evening, you need to choose some easy-to-prepare recipes. You can get an Italian cookbook or just take notes as Giada De Laurentiis makes Italian meals on Everyday Italian on the Food Network.

Or you can search for recipes on-line or you take your favorite family recipes, if you happen to be Italian, or your Mom just made some great Italian meals when you were younger.

Whatever method you choose to find your recipes, you must have a plan. Get your recipes together and then make a list of necessary ingredients and get ready to shop!

Shopping For Fresh Ingredients

You must go that day for the freshest ingredients. Get fresh bread – Italian, of course. And plan to do something simple for a salad; fresh arugula or perhaps even mixed Italian greens that are pre-washed and bagged would be the easiest. You can make a very easy vinaigrette or lemon dressing (using a fresh lemon – no bottled lemon juice, please) or you can buy a pre-made gourmet dressing. Either way, make sure whatever you buy is the best. Soggy greens won’t be good. Crisp and fresh – that’s the way to go.

You should have some type of pasta, but let’s leave it as a side dish or perhaps as an appetizer. You can buy a very good pasta that is fresh, frozen or boxed (no cans, please) and a sauce that is pre-made. A few cheese raviolis with marinara sauce served as an appetizer with fresh parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top (you can even buy that pre-shredded), or perhaps just some penne with marinara as a substitute for a potato with the meal will do the trick. You can buy some fresh basil to take a sprig or two and put them on the top of whatever you serve, and it will make a very nice impression.

As for the main course, you should plan to serve a meat or fish dish and at least some sort of vegetable. So plan to go to a full-service grocery or make a special stop at the local butcher.

Pick up a bottle or two of Italian sparkling or still water, depending on the size of the bottles. This will add a little ambiance to the dinner. And some pre-made biscotti will be enough for dessert. After all, you’re aiming for kisses, not calories for dessert!

And don’t forget cheese and olives. You will want to pick up some cheese that you can serve with some fresh olives (even regular grocery stores are importing fine fresh olives; no cans or bottles for these, please), while you’re waiting for the meal to finish cooking.

If you can pick up fresh herbs, like rosemary, oregano and thyme, that’s great, but if not, the ones in the jar will be acceptable, and you can even short-cut things by getting an Italian blend in a jar that contains all the ones you want for the Italian taste. Just make sure you get some olive oil – not regular vegetable oil – as most Italian recipes call for olive oil.

Remember – Italians eat late, so if you don’t get home from the grocery store until 7:00, you still have plenty of time to make the meal and begin eating it by 9:00. The later the better for some – provided you have some wine and cheese to tide you over until the main event.

Choosing A Great Wine

Before you get home, don’t forget to stop at the local wine store. If you’re going to serve Italian, you should ideally serve an Italian wine, but there are many California wines, for example, that go well with Italian food, so the choice is yours.

If you’re going to go with Italian wine, then try to think beyond just Chianti; there are so many types of Italian wine from which you can choose. The Italian Trade Commission has a website, which is very helpful, if you want to know all about what types of wine are being made and imported into the U.S. and elsewhere. But, of course, the easiest way to pick a good wine is to go into your best local wine shoppe, describe what types of wine you like and what you’re planning to serve that evening to the person designated to help you and then take his or her recommendation for a great bottle of vino!

Watch out for alcohol overload... If you don’t want to have a situation where you are forced to have your dinner guest spend the night because he or she drank too much (even though it won’t be on an empty stomach), use small wine glasses and pour in moderation. And of course, unless you want to make other sleeping arrangements, be sure to have that spare blanket and pillow sofa-ready, just in case you do go overboard. You know the old adage: Don’t drink and drive!

Making Your Meal

Get your main course in the oven before starting with your sides. The salad should be prepared last, so it is crispy when served.

Watch the clock. If you need to turn down a temperature or uncover or cover something, don’t forget to do that. A dry chicken or a burned fish isn’t what you’re aiming for.

Have a plan. Know what you have to do and when. Once you get the food on, you can get changed and then focus on your significant other who has presumably arrived just in time to watch you put the finishing touches on the meal and to enjoy some wine and cheese as a starter.

Serving The Meal

Use your nicest dishes, glasses and flatware. If you only have one set of dishes, that’s okay, so long as we’re not talking paper plates. And make sure you’re not using plastic cups and utensils either. If you don’t have the right tools, you won’t get the best result. Worst case scenario, stop at a Target, Kmart or Walmart and pick up a few things!

Set the table. Turn down the lights. Light a candle. Turn on some soft music. And serve the first course….

Congratulations: You’ve just successfully prepared a romantic meal for two. Pat yourself on the back and enjoy!