A romantic dinner in deserves a bit of luxury and indulgence. You also want to impress your date and move beyond the usual meals with something that is not only unique and delicious, but also quick and simple to cook. We’ve chosen ostrich fillet del aglio oilio to help add a little romance. Although ostrich meat is not exceptionally different, we often forget to include it in our shopping basket despite the fact that it is readily available, affordable and healthier than other red meats.

Ingredients

• 400g ostrich fillet
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 5 cloves of garlic, 3 cloves minced and the other 2 sliced
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh oreganum, finely chopped
• A big handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1 green chilli, sliced
• 1 tsp smoked and dried chilli flakes
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• 1/2 a pack of linguine
• 1/4 cup of freshly shaved parmesan
• coarse sea salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Mix the fillet, wine, rosemary and sliced garlic together in a marinating bag, extract as much air as possible from the bag and seal. Leave overnight or for a minimum of two hours in the fridge.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook your pasta till almost done, take off the heat and drain, reserving a bit of the pasta water, this prevents the pasta from getting dry.
3. Pre-heat your oven to 230˚ C. Heat a griddle pan on a high heat, the pan should eventually smoke a little. Remove the fillet from the marinade and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with some salt and pepper.
4. Seal the fillet in the hot griddle for about 2 minutes a side and then place in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove, cover with foil and allow to rest.
5. While the meat is resting, heat the olive oil in a different pan and add you garlic, chilli and sundried tomatoes. Fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add the butter and pasta, toss the pasta in the oil mixture for a couple minutes.
6. Add the parsley, oreganum and half the basil and mix through the pasta. Slice the rested fillet into thin slices sprinkle some crushed sea salt over the meat.
7. Spoon the pasta into bowls, sprinkle over the remaining basil and the parmesan shavings and top with the slicds fillet. Drizzle some olive oil over the dish and serve.

View more from our ‘Dinner Party Recipes‘ series.

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