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 white truffle tagliolini, herbes de Provence-crusted branzino, and steakhouse-style rib eyes, with a few salads and vegetable sides to match, too. Add a nice bottle of wine and some candles, and you’ll be glad you stayed in.
Baked Goat Cheese Salad
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.
Roasted Beet, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Warm Honey Salad
If you’re going for a red and pink theme for dinner, look no further than this roasted beet and grapefruit salad.
White Truffle Tagliolini
White truffles are undeniably a special occasion ingredient, and there’s no better time to use them than a Valentine’s Day dinner. The best part? The whole dish is ready in 20 minutes.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
The grooves in these homemade gnocchi help the sauce cling to every bite.
Roast Chicken with Hot Honey
Save any leftover hot honey from this recipe to drizzle on pizza, cheese plates, and more.
Garlicky Braised Lamb Shanks with Sweet Peppers
This recipe—another one of our 40 Best—can be braised the day beforehand for extra flavorful, tender meat.
Butter, Dijon mustard, salt, and herbes de Provence make a tasty spread for this easy meal. Plus, since it’s all cooked on one sheet pan, cleanup is minimal.
Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon with Oranges, Olives, and Herbs
Rich salmon is brightened up by winter citrus, paired with tartness from pomegranate molasses and butteriness from Castelvetrano olives.
Steakhouse-Style Rib Eyes
Skip the steakhouse and make your own impressive rib eyes at home. All you need is salt and time.
