You have two choices for Valentine’s Day dinner: Jockey for a reservation or make a meal from scratch. If you decide to cook, we’ve gathered a few elegant recipes to help fill out your menu. Think earthy mushroom and truffle pasta, Nobu’s classic black cod with miso, and fragrant Thai-spiced rib eyes, with a few salads and vegetable sides to match. Add a nice bottle of wine and some candles, and you’ll be glad you stayed in.
Lobster Thermidor
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
A rich cremini mushroom and wine-infused sauce balance the natural sweetness of lobster in this classic French recipe, with Parmesan cheese adding a golden brown crust. We can’t think of anything more impressive (and delicious) for date night.
Moroccan-Style Lamb Shanks
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Slow-cooked, tender lamb shanks are warmed with complex flavors such as harissa, mint, and cilantro. Serve over fluffy couscous for a simple yet hearty dinner.
Farro Mafaldine with Black Truffle Butter and Mushrooms
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Truffles are undeniably a special-occasion ingredient, and there’s no better time to use them than for a decadent Valentine’s Day dinner. Creamy butter and wild mushrooms lend maximum flavor to nutty farro pasta studded with black truffle.
Prakas’ Rib Eye
Aubrie Pick
Few dishes would make for a more ideal Valentine’s Day dinner than rib eye steak, especially when marinated in Thai seasoning sauce, white pepper, and soy sauce. This recipe doesn’t just celebrate grated Parmigiano-Reggiano but also plump cherry tomatoes.
Oysters with Yuzu Kosho Mignonette
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Karin Olsen
This simple appetizer is perfect for romantic special occasions. The dish combines fragrant and slightly spicy yuzu kosho with briny oysters on the half shell to kick things off.
Venetian Shrimp with Polenta
Victor Protasio
David McCann’s recipe comes together in less than an hour, starting with creamy polenta, then followed by buttery shrimp simmered in chicken stock and white wine and cooked until they turn pink.
Cocoa-Spiced Steaks with Red Wine–Chocolate Sauce
Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Chocolate is often served as a sweet treat; however, these indulgent steaks are rubbed in a cocoa powder spice mix and finished in a red wine pan sauce, giving the ingredient’s savory side a chance to shine.
Scallop Grenobloise
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
It doesn’t get simpler than these seared scallops elevated by a grenobloise sauce made of lemon and briny, tangy capers. Pair with your favorite pasta, and you’ve got the ultimate couples’ dinner.
Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon with Oranges, Olives, and Herbs
Antonis Achilleos
Rich salmon is brightened up by winter citrus, paired with tartness from pomegranate molasses and butteriness from Castelvetrano olives.
Roast Chicken with Hot Honey
John Kernick
A salt and spice mixture ensures these chicken legs retain all their flavor and tenderness. Save any leftover hot honey from this recipe to drizzle on pizza, cheese plates, and more.
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Strawberry–Merlot Sauce
Victor Protasio
Tasty pork tenderloin is dressed in a sweet-tart strawberry sauce. Serve with Pinot Noir and whatever sides suit your fancy.
Grilled Lobster Tails with Stelline and Lemon
Antonis Achilleos
Paula Disbrowe loves to make grilled lobster tails for Valentine’s Day, serving them over stelline (a small, star-shaped pasta) with a nice glass of white wine on the side.
Black Cod with Miso
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Flaky miso cod delivers all the elegance and flavor you’d come to expect at a five-star restaurant — only here, you get a delicate fish dish without booking a reservation or elaborate cooking.
Gnocchi with Roast Chicken, Bacon, and Kale
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Roast chicken, crispy bacon, tender kale, and sweet red onion are tossed with gnocchi and topped with lemon zest and Parmesan for this sophisticated and easy meal.
Thousand-Layer Duck Fat Potatoes
Victor Protasio
Duck fat lends richness to these crispy, fluffy potatoes, a worthy labor of love for an elegant dinner.
Roasted Beet, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Warm Honey Salad
Christopher Testani
If you’re going for a red and pink theme for dinner, look no further than this roasted beet and grapefruit salad.
Cauliflower Salad with Yogurt Sauce and Pomegranate
Greg DuPree
Cookbook author Reem Kassis tops fried cauliflower with toasted nuts, pomegranate arils, and lemon-and-garlic-laced yogurt for this pretty salad. Cut the recipe in half if you’re only cooking for two.
Baked Goat Cheese Salad
Greg DuPree
Don’t be put off by the long timestamp on this recipe — almost all of it is devoted to letting the goat cheese rounds refrigerate overnight. Besides, the end result is so good that we named the dish one of our 40 best recipes of all time.
Seared Scallops with Pomegranate and Meyer Lemon
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Lemon, orange, and pomegranate juices complement sweet and fresh scallops in this sophisticated dish that’s perfect for special occasions.
Brown Sugar–Glazed Salmon with Buttery Roasted Squash
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Another salmon recipe you’ll want to add to your dinner menu, this dish is paired with roasted squash dressed in a sweet ginger- and honey-based glaze.
Pan-Roasted Chicken with Grapes, Garlic, and Rosemary
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
You only need one pan to bring this chicken dinner to life on Valentine’s Day. Cut a whole chicken into eight pieces before frying and roasting with grapes, garlic cloves, and fresh rosemary sprigs.
Shaved Beet and Carrot Salad With Citrus-Scallion Dressing
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
A bright, beautiful salad of peppery arugula, shaved beets, colorful carrot ribbons, and juicy clementine makes for a quick and easy starter, side, or main for two.
Opulent Grilled Cheese
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Though foolproof, a grilled cheese doesn’t have to be basic. Take Margaret Eby’s elevated sandwich recipe, for example. It has the typical buttery exterior and melted combination of cheeses for the interior but gets a fancy upgrade with smashed briny capers mixed into sweet strawberry preserves.
Choucroute Pizza
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Pizza is perfect for date night. Naturally, it should be considered as an option for your Valentine’s Day menu. Even better than melted fontina and mozzarella cheese, pistachios, and mortadella deli slices topping this Alsatian choucroute garnie–inspired pizza is that the recipe makes enough for two personal pies.
Sheet-Pan Chicken with Sourdough and Bacon
Con Poulos
All-in-one dinner? Yes, please. Justin Chapple’s juicy chicken legs are cooked on a bed of potatoes, red onion, and crispy croutons.
Petite Beef Wellington
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
As delicious as they are cute, the mini beef Wellingtons in chef Sean Brock’s iteration encase four small tenderloin steaks, mushroom duxelles, and country ham in a buttery puff pastry.
Roast Chicken with Sauce Chasseur
Victor Protasio
This roasted chicken recipe with the classic sauce chasseur (a French-style sauce typically made with wine and mushrooms) swaps in cream that helps to envelop the chicken and also the rich flavors of the herbs, tomatoes, and wine.
Steak Frites with Black Garlic Butter
Victor Protasio
Restaurant-worthy steak, crispy fries, and creamy sauce make up the classic French bistro dish. Our version is topped with umami black garlic butter.
Pan-Roasted Lobster with Chive Beurre Blanc
Justin Walker
Forewarning: The sauce is lemony. However, you’ll enjoy every forkful of cooked linguine, lobster, and beurre blanc.
Salad of Pink Radicchio, Citrus, and Mushroom Bagna Cauda
Gentl & Hyers
This pink radicchio-filled salad is almost too pretty to eat, but when dressed with the Italian dipping sauce bagna cauda, how could you resist?
Pork Chop au Poivre with Red Wine–Shallot Sauce
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
No need to spend most of your Valentine’s Day in the kitchen. This tender pork chop comes together in less than 45 minutes, simmered in a red wine and shallot sauce.
French Seafood Bisque with Baguette
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
A rich, creamy bisque filled with fresh seafood is the perfect soppable start to your Valentine’s Day dinner.
King Oyster Mushroom Steaks with Pesto and Almond Aillade
David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero
Chef Julia Sullivan’s rendition of mushroom steaks employs two cast-iron skillets as roasted almonds are used to balance the lemony French sauce.
Soppressata Pizza with Calabrian Chiles and Hot Honey
Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Sweet meets heat in this pizza covered in hot honey, Calabrian chiles, soppressata (Italian salami), and the typical fixings and sauce.
Caramelized Onion and Bread Soup with Brûléed Blue Cheese
Greg DuPree
A cozy meal for two that lends itself to leftovers beyond Valentine’s Day, this vegetarian take on the traditional French onion soup keeps things bright and flavorful with sherry, caramelized onions, and crumbly cheese.
Dining and Cooking