50 Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas For A Special Night In
Skip the stress of a dinner reservation.
Hate crowds? Missed the boat on a reservation? Want to show off your cooking skills? Don't stress! Instead, make one of our special chicken, steak, seafood, or pasta dinners and have a cozy night in this Valentine's Day . All these recipes are a step above usual weeknight fare without being too complex or time-consuming, so you can instead put all your energy into making sure your sweetheart feels extra loved. This Valentine’s Day, get inspired to cook something spectacular at home with this list of our 50 best romantic dinners. They're certainly a recipe for romance, that's for sure. 😉
But what if you're not a chef? Don’t worry, we got you. Everyone loves being cooked for, and remember, it’s the thought that counts! Stick with something simple and classic, like our baked feta pasta, our honey-garlic glazed salmon, or our chicken Alfredo, or make a night out of cooking something more involved together. No matter the outcome, if you put some love into it, your meal will come out delicious and memorable.
Hoping to give your boo that nice steakhouse experience but without the sit-down meal upcharge? Check out our filet mignon, our lobster risotto, or our steak au poivre. They only look difficult to pull off at home.
Craving comfort food? V-Day is smack dab in the middle of winter, after all. Try our one-pan cheesy sausage gnocchi, our spaghetti & meatballs, or our creamy Tuscan chicken. They’re sure to warm your bones (and your heart!).
Got a vegetarian or vegan sweetie? They’ll be so impressed at how thoughtful you are when you serve them something like our mushroom piccata pasta, our polenta with wild mushroom ragu, or our Thai red curry coconut noodles. These dishes are also a little lighter than your average fare, meaning you can really go all out for dessert. 😍
Want more ideas for impressing your beloved this Valentine’s Day? Try serving a fun cocktail or the perfect bottle of wine with your meal—check out our guides to both reds and whites. And don’t forget about snacks and apps to keep your bae busy while you cook too.
Marry Me Chicken
This simple chicken is one of our most romantic recipes ever. If you (or your boo) is a sun-dried tomato hater (we feel you), use fresh ones instead. It won’t have as much of a tangy kick, but it’ll still be just as impressive.
Get the Marry Me Chicken recipe.
Creamy Steak Fettuccine
This steak dish comes together quickly and is so full of flavor. It makes us forget chicken fettuccine Alfredo ever existed. If you want the steak without the pasta, may we suggest Cajun butter steak?
Get the Creamy Steak Fettuccine recipe.
Lobster Risotto
Here, a simple combination of fresh aromatics, white wine, and seafood stock transforms humble Italian rice grains into the dreamy, cheesy, luscious rice porridge that we’ve all come to love. Adding fresh, faintly sweet lobster meat is all that’s needed to take your risotto over the top.
Get the Lobster Risotto recipe.
Polenta with Wild Mushroom Ragú
Make this showstopper with a custom blend of your favorite funghi! If wild mushrooms are not accessible, creminis or button mushrooms would also work perfectly. If serving for a dinner party or event, the ragú can be made up to three days in advance; just reheat gently on the stovetop while you make the polenta.
Winter Rainbow Panzanella Salad
Panzanella is the kind of salad that deserves to be eaten all year round, but it can be hard to achieve peak panzanella with watery, flavorless winter tomatoes. Enter this winter rainbow panzanella salad. It's packed with in-season veggies, crisp and crunchy sourdough croutons, and coated in a tangy grapefruit vinaigrette, making it the perfect way to brighten a bleak winter day. It’s time to toss the tomatoes and cucumbers (for now) and fall in love with beets and squash instead.
Get the Winter Rainbow Panzanella Salad recipe.
One-Pan Coconut-Lime Chicken
If our creamy Tuscan chicken is a mainstay at your house, this recipe is going to be just the thing to shake up your date night. We paired quick-cooking chicken cutlets with a spicy-sweet coconut milk sauce that’s out-of-this-world tasty. Tomatoes (and tomato paste) bring it back down to Earth, so you can make this over and over (and over!) again. Not convinced? Did we mention this comes together in just one pan, in less than thirty minutes?! Your Valentine is going to be SO impressed.
Get the One-Pan Coconut-Lime Chicken recipe.
Steak Diane
A little bit of Cognac makes this steak extra special. In our recipe, no torch is required, but the final flambé still adds flair!
Get the Steak Diane recipe.
Creamy Penne With Sausage & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
If you’re looking for an easy pasta recipe that will make anyone fall in love with you, look no further. This creamy penne with sausage and sun-dried tomatoes could not be more delicious or easy. Go for hot Italian sausage here if you like things spicy!
Get the Creamy Penne With Sausage & Sun-Dried Tomatoes recipe.
French Onion Gnocchi Soup
Forget bread and croutons, we found an even more delicious way to enjoy French onion soup—by adding gnocchi! Marrying the French classic with the convenience of store-bought gnocchi means you can have the most comforting dinner on the table in just under an hour. It’s sure to warm you up on even the coldest of nights this Valentine's Day.
Get the French Onion Gnocchi Soup recipe.
Perfect Chicken Alfredo
Oh, chicken Alfredo: It's the classic pasta we just can't seem to get enough of. Of course there are tons of jarred pasta sauces you can buy, but making Alfredo sauce from scratch is actually so easy.
Get the Perfect Chicken Alfredo recipe.
Carbonara Pizza
If you can't get enough of Rome's famous spaghetti carbonara, then we have a sneaking suspicion you'll love this extra-cheesy pizza version. Keep it simple with a side of peppery arugula dressed with olive oil and lemon juice to cut the richness of the pie!
Get the Carbonara Pizza recipe.
Filet Mignon
The days of only having an excellent steak at a steakhouse? Over. Whether you're looking to simply treat yourself or plan a fancy date night this Valentine's, you can't go wrong with filet mignon. With our recipe, you can recreate the steakhouse classic in the comfort of your own home—no bougie restaurant required.
Get the Filet Mignon recipe.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
When it comes to chicken breast recipes, it's hard to beat this one. The sauce is simple but so flavorful thanks to garlic, tomatoes, and most importantly, cream. It's bright, easy, and comforting, while still being fancy enough for date night.
Get the Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe.
Mushroom, Spinach & Gruyere-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
This ultra-stuffed mushroom, spinach, and Gruyère pork tenderloin is already jam-packed with vegetables, so we suggest pairing it with a carb-y side like our jeweled saffron rice or our best mashed potatoes.
Get the Mushroom, Spinach & Gruyere-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin recipe.
Brie Spaghetti
Nutty, buttery brie is one of our favorite cheeses because it’s approachable yet fancy, and it goes with a wide variety of other flavors. We used it here to make a simple yet impressive pasta dish that's perfect for Valentine's.
Get the Brie Spaghetti recipe.
Chicken Saltimbocca
In Italian, saltimbocca means "jumps in the mouth," and this delightful and sinfully simple recipe does just that. Saltimbocca also refers to the Roman style of preparing cutlets of meat, where the cutlet is pounded thin and wrapped in prosciutto and hearty, herbaceous sage. Though it can be served straight-up, we added a delicious and easy white wine sauce that pairs beautifully with the chicken.
Get the Chicken Saltimbocca recipe.
Miso Bolognese
Miso may sound intimidating at first, but trust us, you’re going to love how it elevates this Bolognese sauce to new heights. The strong flavors of miso alongside coconut milk and sherry wine melt right into the fettuccine, creating something both new and exciting and familiar.
Get the Miso Bolognese recipe.
Pesto Chicken
Ready in under an hour, this chicken breast recipe gets a flavorful upgrade with homemade pesto and melty cheese. This dish is extremely versatile with what’s in season, meaning you can keep it simple, or add extra veggies and sides to make it extra special.
Get the Pesto Chicken recipe.
Homemade Shoyu Ramen
Braised pork belly, aka a little slice of heaven, is the star in this amazing homemade ramen. Making ramen from scratch is pretty darn elaborate, but we promise your patience will be more than rewarded.
Get the Homemade Shoyu Ramen recipe.
Chicken Parm Pasta
Cooking everything here in one pan layers the flavors, building a complex, delicious dish by the end. With a recipe this flexible, any sauce you like will do just fine, as long as you jazz it up with our recommendations, like the addition of slightly spicy, Italian-seasoned everything bagel seasoning on top.
Get the Chicken Parm Pasta recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
75 Weeknight Seafood Dinner Recipes
24 Brilliant Buttermilk Recipes
25 Best Noodle Recipes
21 Sheet-Pan Chicken Recipes