Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas (55 EASY Romantic Recipes!)

This Cranberry Rosemary Shrub Cocktail has the perfect color for a pre-dinner Valentine's Day cocktaill! A homemade cranberry shrub with hints of black pepper, rosemary, and cinnamon is combined with bourbon and seltzer in this colorful drink!

This Shrub Cocktail recipe has instructions for creating a mocktail for those who don't consume alcohol!

Made with just three ingredients, this Strawberry Mimosa recipe is perfect for special occasion brunches, Valentine’s Day, or breakfast in bed! 

A glass of wine is always a classic drink to serve alongside a Valentine's Day Dinner! I love purchasing my wines from Martha Stewart Wine.

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This Roasted Tomato Crostini with Walnut Almond Pesto and Goat Cheese is delicious and colorful. It would go perfectly with an Italian themed Valentine's Day Menu and it is really simple to prepare.

Shrimp Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms is a scrumptious appetizer to serve before you sit down for your Valentine's Day dinner that's sure to impress your significant other.

They might look fancy but they're actually super easy to prepare!

Another easy way to prepare mushrooms as a Valentine's Day appetizer is this recipe for Balsamic and Thyme Roasted Portabella Mushrooms. Again, keeping with the theme of being super simple!

These Cucumber Feta Rolls are tasty, fresh, and unique. They would go perfect with a Greek inspired Valentine's Day Menu or something like a filet mignon or roast chicken.

They're a little bit more labor intensive, but you can prepare the filling ahead of time if needed.

Puff pastry shells are baked and filled with a mixture of kalamata olives, red bell pepper, fresh oregano, feta, and spinach with a lemony olive oil vinaigrette for a scrumptious puff pastry appetizer perfect for a Valentine's Day pre-dinner bite.

In this recipe, feta cheese is marinated in olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon, and sun dried tomatoes for a delicious and simple appetizer.

The great thing about it being a marinated cheese is that it can be made in advance.

This simple White Bean Bruschetta is another quick make-ahead appetizer to help simplify your Valentine's Day Menu. Prepare the white bean mixture ahead of time, and spread it on the toasted bread just before serving.

With just a little olive oil, some crushed garlic, aromatic herbs and lemon peel you can prepare these Marinated Olives with Garlic, Thyme and Rosemary. Something anyone who likes olives would enjoy!

Creamy Gorgonzola Pasta is tossed with balsamic beef tenderloin for the ultimate pasta dinner! Serve with sautéed greens, a salad, or roasted veggies for a complete meal.

Spinach Mushroom Lasagna is an easy but impressive vegetarian dinner recipe that's perfect if you're choosing to keep your Valentine's Day dinner meatless, and it can be made in its entirety ahead of time.

Serve with a simple green side salad for a complete meal!

This recipe for Shrimp Scampi with Tomatoes and Artichokes is the perfect easy, yet romantic, pasta dinner for Valentine's Day.

It takes a classic shrimp scampi recipe up a notch with the addition of artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes to the recipe. In my opinion, it’s the best recipe for shrimp scampi.

You’ll love dipping crusty bread in the sauce for this shrimp scampi, too!

Instead of simmering for hours on the stove, this easy Bolognese Sauce requires just an hour to develop layers of rich flavor!

Toss this Bolognese recipe with your favorite pasta or use it to make lasagna bolognese. You'll love all the flavor in this meat sauce!

Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet features pan seared chicken tenderloins, zucchini and sliced mushrooms in garlicky herbed tomato sauce.

Such an easy Chicken Skillet Recipe but it has a nice presentation! This is served with pasta.

This recipe for Pasta with White Beans, Tomatoes, and Sausage is a little lighter because it doesn't have a heavy sauce in it and it has plenty of tomatoes, arugula, and white beans to go along with the Italian Sausage.

This Alfredo sauce is a tad lightened up but every bit as rich and creamy. It has mushrooms and broccoli and would be great with grilled chicken or Italian Sausage added for a one dish meal for Valentine's Day dinner.

Ricotta is mixed with a combination of primavera style vegetables, parmesan, and fresh herbs to create a tasty primavera stuffing to fill manicotti pasta.

The manicotti primavera is then baked smothered in homemade marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese for a comforting meal.

Chuck roast is cooked until tender with garlic, herbs, and plenty of tomatoes in this Instant Pot Italian Beef Ragu with Pappardelle for a delicious and hearty Valentine's Day pasta recipe. Bonus: it cooks in the Instant Pot!

A simple, just-spicy-enough sauce you can pull out of thin air! Serve it on pasta with anything from shrimp, to chicken, or sausages.

Preparing Homemade Gnocchi from scratch is a great Valentine's Day recipe to make together with your significant other.

It is served sauted with a little butter and sage, but you can add whatever you want to it or alongside. I think it would be great with some seared scallops.

In this baked Chicken Parmesan, chicken is coated in a parmesan breading, browned in a skillet, then finished in the oven with a sun-dried tomato sauce! I have gotten so many compliments on this recipe!

This veggie lasagna rollups recipe is not one I would call quick, but the flavor makes up for it! Plus, it's so much easier to serve spinach lasagna rolls than cut into a pan of lasagna.

This Citrus and Rosemary Roast Chicken is so tender and flavorful. Prepare the citrus and rosemary mixture in the morning so the chicken has a chance to soak up all the flavors for best results.

Cooking steak using the sous vide method results in perfectly tender, juicy steak every single time! Finish off your Sous Vide Steaks by searing them in a hot skillet and top them with compound butter for a truly decadent, restaurant-worthy dining experience. 

You can easily make this filet with mixed-herb gremolata with a quick trip to the grocery store. You just need a lot of fresh herbs, garlic, and the meat. It's the perfect way to bring a taste of a fancy steakhouse home for Valentine's Day.

This salmon en papillote recipe is essentially a fancy foil dinner. Salmon is cooked in parchment paper with asparagus, potatoes, and herbs — so easy and delicious! Great if you prefer seafood for Valentine's Day or are trying to eat more fish.

This Greek-Style Chicken Skillet Dinner is a tasty one dish dinner. Seared chicken thighs with lemon juice and oregano are cooked with red potatoes, onions, kalamata olives and lemon slices. I would definitely the cucumber rolls as an appetizer to go with this meal. Use bone in, skin on for more flavor.

Another "fancy" dish to make at home that I love is Chicken Marsala. I often order it out at our local Italian place, and I think it would make a great Valentine's Day dinner idea. Serve it alongside these Browned Butter Parmesan Mashed Potatoes.

If you prefer pork to chicken for your marsala, try this recipe for Roasted Pork with Mushrooms in a Creamy Roasted Garlic Rosemary Marsala Sauce.

Asparagus Risotto Recipe is a delicious dish for springtime. This risotto features leeks, fresh asparagus, fresh peas, and mascarpone cheese with a touch of fresh lemon and parmesan cheese.

This recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto is a delicious dish to enjoy during the fall and winter months.

This creamy risotto with squash features leeks, butternut squash, and mascarpone cheese with a touch of fresh thyme and parmesan cheese.

Garlic Bacon Sautéed Green Beans with Roasted Mushrooms are loaded with flavor and make a nice presentation!

This Pomegranate, Orange and Fennel salad is one of my new favorites. It tastes so bright and un-winter-y during this time of year. It takes advantage of fresh winter produce.

Roasted Asparagus is drizzled with a tasty lemon walnut dressing for simple and delicious side dish. This especially goes great with a roast chicken, the Greek Chicken Skillet Dinner, steak.

This is the perfect salad to pair with an Italian entree for your Valentine's Dinner in! A mix of arugula, radicchio and baby kale is tossed with a simple lemon Dijon vinaigrette and topped with crispy prosciutto and fresh shaved parmesan.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic are a fantastic side dish that is full of delicious flavor - caramelized, roasted brussels sprouts, savory bacon, and tangy balsamic vinegar.

Oranges, blue cheese, mixed greens, and balsamic go great with steak for Valentine's Day dinner. Instead of serving steak on the salad, I recommend preparing the Filet Mignon with Mixed Herb Gremolata to go with it. Then, pair the meal with a glass of red wine and some crusty artisan bread.

Thick, creamy, and decadent, this White Chocolate Pudding recipe is made completely from scratch. Pair it with whipped cream and chopped pistachios, or serve alongside fresh fruit.

These Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes are topped with a bright and delicious Raspberry Cheesecake Buttercream. The pink is perfect for your Valentine!

Dark Chocolate Almond Molten Lava Cake Sundaes are the perfect dessert for two this Valentine's Day. Cake, with a center that tastes like the most delicious hot fudge, is topped with ice cream and sliced almonds for a pretty presentation and decadent chocolate richness.

This Chocolate Pecan Tart recipe can be used to make one large tart or 6-8 mini tarts. Skip the pecan pie this year, and make a pecan tart instead!

Layers of chocolate cookie crumbles, rich caramel custard, salted caramel sauce and whipped cream make up this scrumptious Italian dessert. Another winning Italian recipe to go with an Italian themed Valentine's Day menu!

Decadent dark chocolate cupcakes are piped with a salted caramel buttercream and drizzled in homemade Caramel Sauce with Vanilla and Bourbon for a delicious sweet and salty dessert.

In these Raspberry Brownie Parfait with Mascarpone Whip, fudgy brownies are layered with mascarpone whipped cream and raspberries for a delightful dessert! Another great make ahead chocolate Valentine's Day dessert idea!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream and Fresh Raspberry Sauce are the perfect combo of a fluffy, light vanilla cupcake, rich chocolate buttercream, and a tangy, sweet fresh raspberry sauce.

The combination of White Chocolate Pudding and Dark Chocolate Pudding makes these parfaits deliciously rich, but the chocolate pudding takes less than twenty minutes to whip up from scratch!

Prepare it ahead, dish it up in fancy glasses, and store in the fridge until you're ready for dessert!

Learn how make chocolate ganache (hint: it is actually really easy!) and check out these 5 delicious ways to use it for the ultimate chocolate treat.

If you want a super easy dessert for your Valentine's Day Menu, chocolate ganache served with fresh berries is great! Just dip the berries in the chocolate for a simple at home fondue.

Learning how to temper chocolate properly is essential when you want to make chocolate covered strawberries for your Valentine's Day dessert. Follow this how-to for all you need to know about chocolate tempering.

This recipe for Sous Vide Crème Brûlée is made with five basic ingredients and is nearly foolproof! Serve this easy dessert on Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or anytime you need a special occasion dessert. 

No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake Pots so pretty for Valentine's Day and a lot less work that a regular cheesecake. I love the individual serving sizes because it makes for such a nice presentation.

For a fresh and fruity Valentine's Day dessert, make this simple cheesecake mousse that is layered with lemon curd and fresh strawberries.

Homemade crepes are so much simpler to make than you’d think and something fun and different for your Valentine's Day dessert!

Strawberry Fool is an quick fruit dessert recipe made with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. You can also make this easy Valentine's Day Dessert using raspberries if you prefer.