This post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a commission if you purchase from these links, but there is no additional cost to you.
We wanted to celebrate our besties with a fun and festive Galentine’s Day party. We decked out our table in red and pink and created a menu with delicious foods to share! To make our gals feel extra special, we treated them to Galentine’s Gift Bags filled with some of our favorite things.
Galentine’s Day Party
Our Menu
- Sparkling Elderflower Drink
- Heart-Shaped Cucumber Sandwiches
- Strawberry & Arugula Salad
- Creamy Shrimp Rose Pasta
- Dark Chocolate Mousse
Decorations
For the table, we layered wrapping paper from Home Goods with red & white stripes and X’s & O’s. Then we added our gold chargers, white plates, and glasses. For napkins, we used these soft pink velvet ones and then added these beautiful pearl napkin rings. For our centerpiece, we created a Pom Pom Flower display. We filled the outer vase with pink, white, and peach pom pom balls. Then we filled the thinner vase with water and fresh flowers.
Sparkling Elderflower Drink
Our signature drink for the party was Sparkling Elderflower. Elderflower syrup is refreshing and floral with citrusy notes. For our Galentines, we added heart-shaped ice cubes and garnished with pretty edible flowers. We used Noughty’s Dealcholized Sparkling Chardonnay to make this drink alcohol-free.
In a champagne flute, add heart-shaped ice cubes and 1 oz of elderflower syrup. Top with sparkling NA wine and gently stir. Garnish with an edible flower.
Heart-Shaped Cucumber Sandwiches and Strawberry & Arugula Salad
For appetizers, we started with these adorable Heart-Shaped Cucumber Sandwiches. Our special ingredient is Lake Shore Drive Shallot & Herb Seasoning from The Spice House. The mix of salt, shallots, onion, garlic, chives, and pepper give the perfect seasoning to the cream cheese spread. For easier mixing, we recommend setting the cream cheese out to come to room temperature.
Thinly slice Persian or mini cucumbers on a mandolin. Be very careful with this step! After spreading the cream cheese mixture on your choice of bread (we recommend a thin white bread), layer the cucumbers in a basketweave pattern. Cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter and sprinkle with flake sea salt before serving.
We served a simple Strawberry & Arugula Salad to complement the pasta dish. We hulled the strawberries to keep their heart shape, which looks beautiful on top of piles of green arugula. Dress the salad with high quality olive oil, balsamic glaze, flake sea salt, and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and serve. We recommend this Strawberry Huller, which works great on tomatoes, too!
Creamy Shrimp Rose Pasta
For our main course, we made this dreamy and decadent Creamy Shrimp Rose Pasta. The pink sauce and the shrimp arranged into hearts were a perfect touch for our Galentines!
Ingredients
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb spaghetti
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, diced
3 Campari tomatoes, diced
1 c tomato sauce
1 c heavy cream
4 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Method
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add in 1 tsp kosher salt. Cook pasta just shy of al dente (about 1 min less than cook time). Drain pasta and set aside.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
In a large pan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1-2 mins. Add in onion and tomatoes. Cook for a few mins until onions start to soften.
Add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 mins and then flip. Add in the tomato sauce and heavy cream. Bring to a boil.
Add in the pasta and mix well. Top with Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Cookerru.
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Finally for dessert, we served incredible Dark Chocolate Mousse in these pretty pink parfait cups! We topped the mousse with freshly whipped cream and sweet Valentine’s sprinkles.
Recipe: Dark Chocolate Mousse on Food Network
