60 Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas That Feel Fancy (but Not Cheesy)

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

Homemade dumplings in 35 minutes? Consider your date wooed. (Feel free to make extra to sprinkle with breadcrumbs and sugar.)

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, dairy free

Pork takes a backseat to quick-cooking salmon in this Mexican-inspired dinner (which only takes 40 minutes to prepare, BTW). Think warm ancho chile powder, fresh citrus juices, diced pineapple and pickled onions.

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

Pop the mushrooms in the oven while you cook the polenta and dinner is halfway done. (Psst: You don't have to stir it nonstop, either!)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Pop quiz: A bouquet of phyllo dough rosettes or a bouquet of long-stem roses? (FYI, there’s a right answer.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients, gluten free

Risotto feels sophisticated and chic, but it’s actually just as easy to make as regular rice (albeit with a bit more stirring). This one gets jazzed up with a frizzled leek topping that’s *chef’s kiss.*

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, gluten free

Intimidated by the thought of cooking shellfish at home? Don’t be. These scallops require just two minutes of cooking per side.

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

Don’t tell Julia Child, but we took some shortcuts with this elegant dish to make it doable in under an hour. We think she’d give us a pass for Valentine’s Day.

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

The key to our heart is homemade gnocchi. Luckily, the pasta in this dish only needs five ingredients and nine minutes to come together.

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

It tastes like chicken and is just as easy to make, but also has a certain je ne sais quoi that’s ideal for a cozy night in with bae.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients

Fact: There’s no more surefire way to impress your dinner date than with lobster.

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

Cooking steak at home doesn’t have to strike fear in your heart. Just turn to your trusty cast iron skillet for guidance.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours, 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, low carb

Few things are as romantic as an impeccably cooked bird. Just ask Ina Garten. (Plus, with just four ingredients, it’s surprisingly simple to pull off.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly, special occasion–worthy

When you pull this beautifully burnished chicken out of the oven, you won’t be able to stop yourself from swooning.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pan, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Easy? Check. Gorgeous? Double check. And don’t even get us started on how it tastes.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, gluten free, dairy free

Dressed in an effortless five-ingredient glaze, these lamb chops are ready for their Instagram closeup.

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

A six-ingredient, 20-minute bowl of pasta is better than a box of chocolates in our book. (But we’ll take the chocolates, too.)

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

You don’t have to hop a flight to Provence to be romantic. Just make this rustic seafood stew and serve it with lots of crusty bread.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly, make ahead

Impossibly juicy, fork-tender duck meat and crispy skin? We didn’t think it was possible to have a crush on a meal, but here we are.

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

Craving warm and fuzzy feelings? Look no further than this buttery, melt-in-your-mouth bowl. The only thing it's missing is a glass of red wine.

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

Traditionally, this hearty Spanish rice dish isn’t exactly easy to cook at home…but we made a few tweaks so dinner can be foolproof.

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

The whole thing goes from fridge to plate in less time than you would have to wait for a table at your favorite restaurant.

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

Roses are red, tomato sauce too…if you’re eating this pasta, we’re jealous of you.

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

If pizza is our first love, potatoes and burrata are both tied for second.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

What’s better than mac and cheese? (Hint: nothing.) These baked bites are crispy on top and chewy on the inside, just how you like ’em.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pot, <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, vegetarian

The best part (beyond having just one pot to clean)? Once you’ve mastered this version, you can customize the recipe to your heart’s content.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, <10 ingredients, gluten free

Because a no-fuss, no-mess dinner is exactly what a romantic night in calls for.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, dairy free, <10 ingredients

This recipe is rich but totally virtuous, and the whole meal takes just 30 minutes to prepare. (Cue the singing angels.)

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

Cashews and lemon create a cream sauce that doesn’t use any actual cream for this way-too-easy-to-eat pappardelle.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pan, <10 ingredients

This hearty and delicious dish is super simple, but tastes like you spent all day making it.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

It begins with store-bought puff pastry and ends with you enjoying every bite.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories

This one takes only 35 minutes and is oh so impressive (and healthy to boot).

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: <500 calories, gluten free

Plump, juicy strawberries and buttery avocado are tough to beat.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser

You might want to make a second batch…they’re that good.

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

Few things are more satisfying than a plateful of ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, dairy free, gluten free

For big, bold flavor, marinate the steak before it hits the grill pan. Then, serve it with fresh herb sauce for an extra boost.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pan, vegan, gluten free, dairy free

This dish, starring squash, bell peppers and zucchini, is traditionally cooked low and slow on the stove, but we roast it in the oven to minimize the cooking time.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy

You only need five ingredients and 80 minutes to pull this stunner off. Color your beau impressed.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, sheet pan recipe

Chalk the crunchy, flavorful breading up to pistachios, garlic, rosemary and cayenne.

• Time Commitment: 5 hours, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, <10 ingredients

Throwing everything in the Crockpot and calling it a day is almost as convenient (and way less expensive) than having a private chef cook your dinner.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, gluten free

We’ve never met a sheet pan recipe we didn’t like love. This one cooks your protein (read: flaky, tender salmon) and sides in one shot.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegetarian, <500 calories, one pan

Meet the creamiest, dreamiest vegetarian bake ever created. It’s got parsnips, sweet potatoes and butternut squash, plus lots of fresh herbs, Parmesan and Gruyère.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients

Make sure you thoroughly dry the scallops before searing them in the skillet to ensure a gorgeous outer crust.

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

A 20-minute dinner = more time for watching romantic movies with your S.O. Because the pork cutlets are thin, they’ll cook quickly on the stovetop.

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

Warming ginger, zingy lemon and sweet honey make for the most delectable sticky marinade of all time.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, vegetarian, low sugar

How do we love thee, frozen puff pastry? Let us count the ways. This vegetarian version of a classic is filled with earthy mushrooms and spinach for a twist.

• Time Commitment: 6 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: make ahead, special occasion–worthy

Nothing says “I love you” like fall-apart-tender beef over herbed mashed potatoes.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: vegan, <500 calories

Capers, green peppercorns and Dijon mustard give the dressing all the umami of traditional anchovies.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, dairy free, gluten free

Steak says fancy, tacos say casual. Give your boo the best of both worlds with these handhelds (and maybe a side of chips with fresh guac).

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: gluten free, special occaison–worthy, vegetarian

Homemade pasta? In under an hour? From buffalo “wings” to pizza crust, cauliflower really can do anything.

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

Trumpet mushrooms are affordable, easy to prepare and an uncanny vegetarian substitute for scallops.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, crowd-pleaser, gluten free

Pro tip: Marinate the salmon and cut the veggies while the oven preheats to save time.

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

The key to this ingenious hack is using a large store-bought focaccia for the base.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: one pan, special occasion–worthy

This skillet delight is festive, seasonal and super hands-off. Glazing the chicken in a zingy marinade and roasting it at a high temperature for the last few minutes of cooking guarantees a crackly outer crust.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy

Believe it or not, this restaurant-caliber meal only requires ten minutes of prep and ten minutes of cooking. (Oh, and the side salad will change your opinion of parsley forever.)

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

Consider this recipe an ode to citrus season. Opt for navel oranges, or mix it up with grapefruit, blood oranges or cara cara oranges.

• Time Commitment: 5 hours, 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pan, <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy

The buttermilk brine is a hack on its own, but so is this tip: Position the chicken's legs in the back corner of your oven so the breast, thighs and drumsticks finish cooking at the same time without the breast meat drying out.

• Time Commitment: 8 hours, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: slow cooker recipe, make ahead

Think of this comforting classic as an edible hug. (The mashed potatoes make it twice as romantic, if you ask us.)

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, sheet pan recipe

Fancy enough for date night, simple enough to add to your weekly rotation. Serve it with a side of rice or atop a bed of pasta.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: <15 minutes, <10 ingredients, no sugar

If you always keep V-Day casual (like, order in a pizza casual), this 15-minute gem is right up your alley. Have dinner rolls on hand to soak up all the leftover lemon-garlic butter.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: one pan, special occasion–worthy, low carb

This Contessa creation is easy enough to prepare, yet fancy enough to serve for a special occasion. Make it for your Jeffrey.