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Date Night

Skip the restaurant reservation and make date night at home something special! From cozy pasta dinners to impressive, restaurant-worthy mains, these date night recipes make it easy to plan a memorable evening in. Whether you’re cooking together or treating someone special, you’ll find plenty of delicious date night dinner ideas right here.

date night pasta

A side angle shot of a slice of lasagna that sits atop a brown ceramic plate. The lasagna has been garnished with fresh chopped herbs and grated parmesan. The plate sits atop a light pink textured surface and white linen napkin rests in front of the plate.

Lasagna for Two (Small Batch Lasagna)
Braised Short Rib Ragu Pappardelle shown in a pasta bowl, topped with grated parmesan & fresh parsley. The bowl sits atop a black surface surrounded by a small wooden pinch bowl filled with grated parmesan, a gray linen napkin, & a set of silver silverware.

Slowly Braised Short Rib Ragu
A bowl of pasta with lobster pieces, herbs, and garlic slices, served with a fork and knife on the side.

Garlic Butter Lobster Pasta with Spaghetti (Restaurant-Worthy)
Baked shrimp scampi pasta fills a large double handle braising pan. The pan sits atop a creamy white textured surface. Two wooden serving spoons rest inside of the pan. A cream colored linen napkin rests underneath the pan.

Quick-Baked Shrimp Scampi with White Wine
An overhead shot of pesto pasta topped with whipped ricotta and pine nuts in a large white bowl atop a white surface. A striped cloth and dishes of ricotta and fresh basil sit alongside the bowl.

Restaurant-Worthy Pesto Pasta with Whipped Ricotta
A white plate of spicy rigatoni pasta with tomato sauce, kale, sausage, and grated cheese, garnished with basil leaves. Surrounding the plate are small bowls of grated cheese, pepper, red pepper flakes, and a glass of red wine.

Dangerously Good Spicy Rigatoni with Sausage and Calabrian Chilis (35 Minutes)

date night main dishes

Cooked steak shown on a small black plate. The steak is topped with butter-basted herbs and garlic. The plate is placed atop a light gray surface, next to a bowl of flaky salt, a striped linen napkin and a fork and steak knife.

Herb Butter Basted Cast Iron Steak
Individual Beef Wellington, cut in half, one half facing up, on a white ceramic plate, served with mashed potatoes and roasted mushrooms. The plate is on a black surface, next to a black plaid linen napkin, gold flatware, a glass of wine and twinkly lights.

Individual Beef Wellington
An overhead shot of grilled lobster tails garnished with chives on a bright blue plate. Lemon wedges and a small dish of melted butter sit alongside the tails.

4-Ingredient Grilled Lobster Tails with Lemon Garlic Butter
An overhead shot of an individual pot pie in a white ramekin atop a grey surface. A striped cloth, two gold forks and two additional pot pies sit alongside it.

Individual Chicken Pot Pie with Flaky Herbed Crust
Two servings of Red Wine Braised Short Ribs atop a pile of mashed potatoes on two white ceramic plates. The plate at center has a single silver fork resting on top and both plates have been garnished with fresh herbs. A white and blue striped linen napkin, two glasses of red wine, and loose fresh herbs surround the plates and all items sit atop a blue-gray textured surface.

Seriously Good Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
An overhead shot of prepared osso buco garnished with parsley on a white plate atop an off-white textured surface. The plate is surrounded by dishes of parsley, parmesan and pepper, and a glass of red wine.

Slowly Braised Beef Osso Buco (Restaurant-Worthy!)
A plate of creamy mashed potatoes topped with crispy roasted chicken thighs, caramelized lemon slices, garlic cloves, shallots, fresh thyme, and a creamy sauce, with a fork on the side.

Fall-Apart Tender Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs (No Wine!)
Finished French onion chicken inside of a grey Staub cast iron skillet. The skillet ​sits atop a creamy white textured surface and is surrounded by a white and grey striped linen napkin wrapped around the skillet handle, a small white plate of cheesy toasts, a single cheesy toast, white carnation flowers, and two clear glasses filled with white wine. A silver spoon rests inside of the skillet for serving.

One-Skillet French Onion Chicken

shareable appetizers & sides

Finished baked feta with Castelvetrano olives is topped with fresh sprigs of thyme and a lemon wedge in a small white Staub baking dish. The baking dish sits atop a blue and white striped linen napkin that sits atop a gray and white marble surface. Pieces of crostini and sprigs of fresh thyme surround the baking dish.

Heavenly Baked Feta with Olives & Thyme
An overhead shot of a cheese fondue for two spread is set up on a wooden cheese board. Cheese fondue fills a white fondue pot or caquelon which rests atop the cheese board with bite-sized pieces of roasted carrots, bread, cauliflower, potatoes, chicken sausage, and mini salami for dipping surrounding. One fondue fork holding a piece of chicken sausage is dipped into the fondue while another rests atop the cheese board which sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A bottle of Exquisite Collection Sauvignon Blanc, a red and white striped linen napkin, a glass of white wine, and a red heart shaped bowl filled with roasted baby potatoes rest alongside the cheese board.

Rich & Creamy Cheese Fondue for Two
An overhead shot of Caesar salad on a white scalloped plate atop a white marbled surface.

Perfect Classic Caesar Side Salad (15 Minutes)
A close-up overhead shot of slices of garlic bread on white parchment paper.

Garlic Lover’s Garlic Bread with Parmesan Cheese

date-worthy desserts

An angled shot of tiramisu in a coupe glass. A spoonful of the tiramisu has been removed from the glass.

Creamy-Dreamy Individual Tiramisu Cups
A mini flourless chocolate cake rests atop a white ceramic plate on a creamy white textured surface. The cake has been topped with caramel, whipped cream, crushed freeze-dried raspberries, and flaky sea salt.

Mini Flourless Chocolate Cake
A close-up side shot of a slice of peanut butter cheesecake. A fork has taken a bite from the front of the slice, and the bite rests on the fork on a small white plate atop a white surface.

Chris’s Birthday No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Oreo Crust

AllDate Night

Yukon Gold Au Gratin Potatoes with Gruyère & Garlic-Thyme Cream

Everyday Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette (3 Minutes)

Garlic Butter Lobster Pasta with Spaghetti (Restaurant-Worthy)

Last-Minute Garlic Bread with Sliced Bread (10 Minutes)

Caprese Pasta Salad with Marinated Tomatoes and Mozzarella (25 Minutes)

Strawberry Arugula Salad with Fresh Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (10 Minutes)

Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette with White Balsamic (5 Minutes)

Chris’s Birthday No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Oreo Crust

5-Minute Smoky Chipotle Ranch with Greek Yogurt (Dressing, Dip, or Sauce!)

Roasted Leek and Fennel Salad with Arugula and Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

Fall-Apart Tender Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs (No Wine!)

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Creamy Braised Leeks

16 Date Night Recipes to Make at Home (Meals, Sides, and Dessert!)

Dangerously Good Spicy Rigatoni with Sausage and Calabrian Chilis (35 Minutes)

Foolproof Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary & Thyme

Nancy Meyers’ Christmas Fettuccine (Just Like ‘The Holiday’!)

Truly, the Best-Ever Lasagna Bolognese

Hands-Free Baked Butternut Squash Risotto (No Stirring!)

25-Minute Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta (No Heavy Cream!)

No-Fuss Vegetarian Sheet Pan Lasagna

Everyday Arugula Side Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette (15 Minutes)

Hawaii-Style Garlic Shrimp (30 Minutes)

15-Minute Pan-Fried Dumplings with Bok Choy

Mom’s 2-Minute Dumpling Sauce (5 Ingredients)

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