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70 Easy Dinner Recipes for Two (That Even Beginners Can Master)

Nothing says romance like pasta

easy dinner recipes for two universal
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

You’re finally having a date night, just the two of you (on the couch, but still). Before you order a pizza and call it a night, consider cooking a meal together instead. Not only are the results tastier than takeout, but you’ll have a chance to bond and show off your skills in the kitchen. Plus, you can pop open a bottle of wine to sip while you work to make the task more romantic.

Here are 70 easy dinner recipes for two that you and your boo will love, including lobster risotto, pasta alla norma with eggplant, basil and pecorino, skillet steak with asparagus and potatoes and foolproof cheater’s confit. Some of these recipes make more than two servings, so think of it as built-in meal prep (leftovers FTW).

68 Date Night Recipes That Are Shockingly Simple (and Romantic)


Pasta

1. Pasta Pomodoro with Chicken and Goat Cheese

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, high protein

Honestly, if you can make homemade roasted red pepper pomodoro sauce in five minutes, why would you ever even go to a restaurant, let alone buy jarred marinara? Mangia, friends.

2. Sweet Potato Noodles with Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, <30 minutes

The only time-consuming aspect of this meal is making the peanut sauce, which involves dumping all the ingredients into a food processor and blitzing away. Sounds easy enough, no?

3. Roasted Cauliflower and Black Pepper Ravioli

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy

OK, we’re not making the ravioli from scratch or anything, but adding roasted cauliflower, spinach and white beans on top definitely makes it special enough for date night.

4. Brussels Sprout, Tempeh and Soba Noodle Skillet

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, beginner-friendly, one pan

This meal has everything: our favorite cold-weather veggie, hearty soba noodles and plant-based protein. Did we mention it's vegan to boot?

5. Steak Carbonara

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

Presenting an indulgent pasta dish that will be done almost as soon as you’re finished grating the Parmesan and chopping the basil. The key to the short cook time is using thin-sliced sirloin.

6. Pasta Alla Norma

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, one pan

File this beauty under “looks ridiculously impressive but secretly isn’t.” Here, rigatoni is tossed with herbs, tomato sauce, roasted eggplant and plenty of cheese. You’ll go back for seconds, trust.

7. Ramp Anchovy Carbonara Pasta

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: gluten free, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes

Try this incredibly straightforward wheat-free pasta recipe that packs an epic punch of flavor. It just might make your date think you’re a chef at first bite.

8. Lemony Broccolini Pasta

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, vegetarian

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with dumping store-bought sauce onto your plate...but sometimes we want something a bit more elegant that takes just as little effort to prepare. Enter this 15-minute gem.

9. One-Pot Pasta Limone

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, one pot, <10 ingredients

Throw all of the ingredients in the pot and boil 'em to tender, citrusy perfection. It's that simple. We'll take crushed red pepper flakes on ours, please.

10. Skillet Pasta with Summer Squash, Ricotta and Basil

  • Time Commitment: 55 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, one pan, special occasion-worthy

When the weather warms up, spaghetti and meatballs just don't fit the bill. Try this summer stunner on for size instead (and pair it with your favorite pinot grigio).

11. Zoodles with Summer Vegetables

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, low carb, keto-friendly

Picture this: You just took a trip to the summer farmers market and now have enough zucchini, cherry tomatoes and corn to feed a football team for a week. Well, now you know what to do with it all.

12. Cheesy Kale Farfalle Pasta

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, vegetarian, kid-friendly

We'd happily eat a bowl of buttered noodles for dinner, but it's not difficult to dress up pasta without a ton of effort. This cheesy kale farfalle from Stephanie Nass, chef and founder of Chefanie, is proof.

13. Skillet Gnocchi Bake with Sausage and Kale

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pan, beginner-friendly

Store-bought gnocchi never looked so good. Your kids will be chomping at the bit for the leftovers (yes, even the picky ones).

14. Shallot and Spicy Mushroom Pasta

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy

We love meatballs and crispy pancetta, but pasta can be decadent and filling without the help of beef or pork—and this deeply caramelized dish is proof. Add thin-sliced roasted chestnuts to the mushrooms or swap Parm for tangy grilled halloumi.

15. Rarebit Mac ‘n’ Greens

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian

This twist on traditional mac is inspired by Welsh rarebit, a dish of toasted bread crowned with cheese sauce. There are two whole bunches of greens (your choice of kale, spinach, collards or mustard greens) in the mix too, because balance is everything.

Meaty Mains

16. Turkey-Stuffed Acorn Squash

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: gluten free, high protein, beginner-friendly

Eat your heart out, butternut. Tons of earthy mushrooms and crisp apples make this a fantastic recipe for a chilly evening.

17. Blueberry Balsamic Grilled Turkey Salad

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, high protein

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more colorful salad. This gorgeous meal includes juicy peaches, vitamin C-packed bell peppers and a sweet blueberry balsamic glaze that you can prep ahead.

18. Polenta and Meatballs

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy

Spaghetti and meatballs? Yawn. It’s time to give your weekly dinner staple a much-needed makeover. Enter hearty polenta, a classy twist on an old favorite.

19. Whole30 Stuffed Peppers

  • Time Commitment: 4 hours and 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, gluten free, dairy free

A rich Italian dish with a Whole30 twist. Bursting with cauliflower rice, ground turkey and aromatic basil, these stuffed peppers are beyond filling.

20. Brown Rice Chirashi Bowl

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, high protein

Your favorite sushi joint will miss you. These Japanese chirashi bowls feature high-quality fish, a vinegar-based dressing for the rice and plenty of raw veggies. 

21. Paprika Grilled Salmon Spring Salad

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, dairy free

It’s packed with potatoes, peas, asparagus and salmon, and hearty enough to satisfy even the most salad-averse diners. It'd look great on your Easter table, BTW.

22. Pan-Roasted Trout with Walnut Green Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, beginner-friendly

This aromatic green sauce, a new take on classic German grune sosse, is the ultimate topper for fish. (This recipe is ready in 50 minutes, but 30 of them are for hands-off chilling.)

23. Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

A combination of vermicelli and veggie noodles gives this comforting classic a healthier, more colorful update. Use rice vermicelli to make the dish gluten free.

24. Foolproof Cheater’s Confit

  • Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, gluten free

Complete with endive salad in citrusy mustard dressing. If you use frozen duck legs, be sure to thaw them completely before beginning. (Swap duck legs for chicken legs if you must.)

25. Chicken Kebabs with Pesto Rice

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes (plus marinating time)
  • Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, make ahead

Pairing herb-marinated chicken with nutty, bright pesto is an ingenious way to amp up an Italian dinner (without relying on pasta, as usual). Warning: Plain rice will never hit the same again.

26. Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Honey Mustard Parsnips

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly

A classic one-pan meal for two—we love to see it. Bacon imparts smokiness, while Dijon honey mustard offers up irresistibly tangy sweetness.

27. Lemon Chicken with Sauteed Greens

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy

Why aren't all veggies cooked with bacon? Its rendered fat offers so much more flavor than standard EVOO. The more you know.

28. Easy Keto Tuna Nicoise Salad

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: low carb, keto-friendly, <30 minutes

This keto twist focuses on protein (tuna and eggs) and low-carb veggies (leafy greens and green beans) in lieu of carby potatoes. Très chic, if we do say so ourselves.

29. Roasted Cod with Mint Chimichurri

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, high protein

Transform what some people consider a bland fish into a remarkable meal, bursting with parsley, cilantro, mint and garlic. (You’ll have chimichurri leftover for sandwiches and salads, too.)

30. Saucy Pineapple BBQ Chicken Bowls

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, Instant Pot recipe

Whether you slow cook the poultry for six hours or pressure cook it for eight minutes, you’ll be amazed by how sweet, tangy and easy these BBQ bowls are. We have a sneaking suspicion your kids will enjoy them too.

31. Honey Garlic Salmon with Apple Dijon Salad

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

Here’s a meal for someone who likes to receive praise without doing a ton of work (in other words, all of us). Let the super-simple Dijon, soy sauce and honey glaze do all the talking. 

32. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, make ahead

Tasty Moroccan spices like turmeric, cinnamon and cumin zest up the rotisserie chicken base (add tahini, if you'd like). Trading pita for lettuce cups keeps the carbs low too.

33. Mango Chicken Stir Fry

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: one pan, high protein, beginner-friendly

This stir-fry cooks in just 15 minutes and delivers crunchy snow peas, creamy hints of cashew butter, sweet mango and spicy ginger in every mouthful.

easy dinner recipes for two: oven baked chicken kofta wraps
KRISTEN KILPATRICK/THE DEFINED DISH

34. Oven-Baked Chicken Kofta Wraps

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, low carb

Gluten-, grain- and dairy-free, Paleo-friendly and Whole30-approved, these lettuce wraps are nutritious in every sense of the word. (They're easy on the eyes to boot.)

35. One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Carrots

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, high protein, special occasion-worthy

Cook it all at once on a sheet pan and enjoy dinner without a pile of pots and pans in the sink. Serve the thighs with rice or raw greens.

36. Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

  • Time Commitment: 6 hours and 5 minutes)
  • Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, high protein, kid-friendly

Fact: Making dinner in your Crockpot rocks. So the next time you go to plug it in, pile in the ingredients for this slow cooker chicken teriyaki recipe and let the appliance work its magic.

37. Chicken Quinoa Veggie Bowls

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, <10 ingredients

We're still wondering how something so delicious and nutritious can be this easy to make. Chalk it up to the four-ingredient lemon-tahini sauce.

38. Simple Moroccan Salmon

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

Fire up the taste buds for a pan-seared salmon that's as gorgeous as it is satiating. Five pantry seasonings and fresh orange zest bring your everyday fish to life.

easy dinner recipes for two: lobster risotto
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

39. Lobster Risotto

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients, gluten free

Looking to really impress? This decadent meal for two has date night written all over it. Bonus points for serving the lobster alongside steak, a la surf and turf.

easy dinner recipes for two: honey-lime chicken and veggies in foil
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

40. Honey-Lime Chicken and Veggies in Foil

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, gluten free

Dirty dishes just...ruin the mood. Cook your dinner in foil on the barbecue instead if the weather permits. (If not, lean on a grill pan indoors.)

41. Salmon al Pastor

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly

Inspired by the iconic Mexican pork dish, this salmon is a zillion times better than your usual garlic-lemon-black pepper combo. Serve it over rice or flake it up to fill tacos.

42. Skillet Roast Chicken with Peaches, Tomatoes and Red Onion

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, high protein

Your trusty cast iron skillet has done it again. This chicken main tastes divine as is, but you should really eat it alfresco if possible.

43. Skillet Steak with Asparagus and Potatoes

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, one pan

Make this once and you'll never be too intimidated to cook steak at home again. Don't even get us started on the garlicky herb sauce.

44. Soy-Ginger Salmon Bowls with Coconut Rice

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, special occasion-worthy

The three-ingredient coconut rice is a total game-changer. And the soy-ginger sauce is equal parts zingy and sweet, the latter courtesy of brown sugar.

45. Ina Garten’s Creamy Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Thyme

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, beginner-friendly

This decidedly classy recipe starts on a sheet pan and ends in your go-to skillet. Might we suggest following in Our Lady of Cosmos's footsteps by pairing the dish with cocktails?

46. Smashed Potato and Chorizo Sheet Pan Salad

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, high protein, beginner-friendly

You know what's bound to put your bae in the mood? An empty sink. This sheet pan recipe will leave you with minimal clean-up and spicy, chorizo-soaked spuds. Need we say more?

47. Miso-Honey Broiled Chicken

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes (plus marinating time)
  • Why We Love It: high protein, <10 ingredients, gluten free

Dinner is only six ingredients away, and you likely have most of the necessary components in your fridge right now. Be sure to give yourself at least two hours to marinate the chicken, but don't let it sit for longer than a full day or it'll dry out.

48. Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Soup

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: gluten free, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Nothing says, “Let’s cozy up on the couch for date night while it lightly snows outside” like a creamy, garlicky, bacon-y bowl of soup. Serve it with crusty bread for dunking.

Vegetarian Mains

49. Poblano and Mushroom Tacos with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

  • Time Commitment: 55 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

If your taco night revolves around ground beef, it’s time to expand your repertoire. These are colorful, bursting with flavor, vegetarian and so easy to prepare. (So basically, they’re fantastic in every way.)

50. Grilled Flatbread Pizza with Artichoke, Ricotta and Lemon

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy

Think of this flatbread slathered in creamy ricotta as spinach and artichoke dip's sophisticated cousin. Bonus? Store-bought flatbread means no kneading is necessary.

51. Roasted Cauliflower Grilled Cheese

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly

Gooey Havarti and Gouda share the spotlight with roasted cauliflower and lemon mustard aioli in this grown-up take on grilled cheese. (But honestly, your kids would probably dig it, too.)

52. Lasagna-Stuffed Mushrooms

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, low carb, keto-friendly

Basically, you’re stuffing all the goodness of pizza (cheese, herbs and marinara) into a delicious portobello mushroom cap instead of layering it atop dough. Ingenious, no?

53. Greek Grilled Vegetable Bowls

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, make ahead

Some evenings, you want a nice, light salad. But tonight, you’re too hungry for that. Here, farro, chickpeas and avocado tzatziki will fill you (and your S.O.) right up.

54. Greek Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, gluten free

Too lazy to use a bowl? Yeah, same here. Use a sweet potato as a vessel for these Greek veggies instead to save yourself some dishes.

55. Mango Black Bean Quesadillas

  • Time Commitment: 15 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly,. beginner-friendly, vegetarian

If you have 15 minutes, you’ve got time to whip up these quesadillas. We never thought about putting mango inside our tortillas before, but now we don’t know how we ever lived without it.

56. Chilaquiles with Poached Eggs and Spicy Honey

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, make ahead

This traditional Mexican dish is typically savory, but the above riff has a touch of sweetness, thanks to orange blossom honey. Infuse it ahead to save time before dinner.

57. Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: one pan, vegan, gluten free

Ten minutes prep + seven ingredients = one delicious vegetarian meal (and two happy campers). We'll take extra cilantro-lime cashew cream, please.

58. Beetroot Risotto

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, beginner-friendly, one pan

There’s a definite wow factor to this jewel-toned meal, not to mention the pops of mint and cinnamon that will surprise your taste buds and impress your boo.

59. Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Bowl

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, beginner-friendly

Between the crunchy kale, juicy pomegranate seeds and earthy sweet potato, we bet this will quickly turn into a go-to dinner for you. Make extra of the spicy chickpeas for snacking.

60. Chipotle Zucchini and Corn Tacos

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, gluten free

Veggie tacos don’t need to revolve around beans. These boast roasted zucchini, corn, avocado and a drool-worthy cumin-adobo sauce.

61. Kung Pao Chickpea Brussels Sprout Stir Fry

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, one pan, vegan

Searching for a stir fry with a little extra kick? Look no further than this plant-based dish, made with sinus-clearing kung pao sauce.

62. Easy, Healthy Orange Cauliflower

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

Orange chicken might not be the epitome of health food, but this vegetarian rendition subs cauliflower for meat and uses no oil and only a little bit of sugar in the sauce (use even less, if you insist).

63. Indian Pumpkin Butter Chickpeas

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, one pan, beginner-friendly

Chickpeas are an underrated main, but just two cans of garbanzos create a shockingly protein-packed dinner for two. Swap butter out for coconut oil to make it vegan.

64. Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice

  • Time Commitment: 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, low carb, one pan, keto-friendly

You can whip up this healthier version of fried rice faster than you can say, "delivery, please." That's a win-win dinner situation in our book.

65. Zucchini Pizza

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why We Love It: gluten free, low carb, beginner-friendly

Why do we love this recipe? Not only is this pizza super simple to make, but it's also gluten-free and Paleo-friendly. Add wine for an instant date night (but you knew that already).

easy dinner recipes for two: grilled peach and halloumi salad with lemon pesto dressing
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

66. Grilled Peach and Halloumi Salad with Lemon-Pesto Dressing

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegetarian, beginner-friendly

Now this is what we call a dinner salad. Prepare the whole thing ahead except for the peaches, then grill them right before dinner.

67. Cauliflower Sweet Potato Burgers

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

Forget the dry veggie burgers you've had in the past—these are oh-so moist. Smashed avocado and spicy mayo take the family-friendly handhelds over the top.

68. Crispy, Spicy Cauliflower Tacos with Jicama-Carrot Slaw

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free, special occasion-worthy

In case your boo is totally plant-based. Fair warning: You're going to go gaga for the hemp-rich cilantro crema, which we'd eat all by itself, TBH.

69. Cacio e Pepe Flatbread

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Aka the tastiest white pizza you'll ever make. It stars mozzarella di bufala, which is creamier, richer and higher in fat than standard mozz.

70. White Bean Stew with Marinated Radicchio

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, one pot

The winter blues don't stand a chance against this crave-worthy stew. Marinate the radicchio in lemon, salt and olive oil to tenderize it and curb its bitterness in one fell swoop. (You can swap kale in if you'd prefer.)


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Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...