Date night is something that every couple looks forward to. When we’re in a healthy relationship, we love to devote quality time to one another, and date night is always a great opportunity to hang out and enjoy one another. When everything goes well, date nights strengthen relationships and give us happy memories. One of the most popular date night ideas is to cook together! It is therefore essential to find the right date night dinner recipes. A great recipe is one of the best ways to pamper the person you care about most.
Date Night Dinner Recipes
Here are our top 21 date night dinner recipes you need to try. Bon Appetit!
1. Ricotta Gnudi With Lemon and Sage Sauce
Gnudi is an alternative to gnocchi that is made from ricotta cheese instead of potatoes. Gnudi with lemon and sage sauce is a special dinner recipe that has a pleasant flavor profile and works like a charm on date nights. The recipe includes a unique blend of ingredients that play off one another. The lemon and sage sauce pairs perfectly with the sumptuous ricotta gnudi.
2. Steak Au Poivre
Steak Au Poivre is one of our favorite date night dinner recipes. This delicious dinner recipe elevates your basic steak to a whole new culinary experience. The trick is in the sauce, which includes fun ingredients like cognac. Hint: serve a little cognac on the side. It’s delicious! The rich blend of black pepper, cream, dijon, and cognac will make this meal a memorable experience.
3. Fried Zucchini With Cheese and Pepper Dipping Sauce
Fried Zucchini with cheese and pepper dipping sauce might seem intense, with a whopping 18 ingredients. Don’t let that scare you off! The recipe revolves around the lip-smacking cheese and pepper dipping sauce that pairs perfectly with the fried zucchini. If you want fancy flavors served up in a relaxed and fun way, this recipe is a must-do.
4. Creamy Chicken Piccata
Creamy chicken piccata is a classic among date night recipes. It is relatively simple to cook and very rewarding to eat. This dish features a rich sauce made from creamed white wine, garlic, chicken stock, and lemon juice. Who needs to go to an overpriced Italian restaurant when you can make food this good at home?
5. Salmon With Avocado Salsa
When you’re looking for seafood-themed date night ideas, you should consider cooking salmon with avocado salsa. Salmon is a nutritious dish to eat, and as an added bonus, it has a distinctive flavor that most seafood lovers enjoy. The creamy avocado salsa, made with avocado, bell peppers, cilantro, and lime, is a perfect accent for this rich fish.
6. Mushroom and Arugula Salad Pizza
What couple hasn’t included pizza in their date night ideas? It’s the perfect food! Mushroom and arugula salad pizza is a brilliant take on traditional pizza that is absolutely worth a try. You can enjoy a pizza while sneaking in some healthy foods — and as a bonus, this recipe won’t leave you feeling bloated!
7. Homemade Bloody Marys:
A nice cocktail makes a great accompaniment to your date night. Homemade Bloody Marys are delightfully spicy and juicy. Plus, you’re drinking tomato juice and eating celery; it’s practically a salad if you think about it. This fun cocktail would be great with pasta or seafood.
8. Seafood Fra Diavolo
There’s nothing better on date night than feasting on the bounty of the sea. Seafood Fra Diavolo is a wonderful mix of scallops, shrimp, shellfish, and pasta that is blended with a mix of herbs to make a sublime meal that will find its way to the top of your list of date night dinner recipes.
9. Lemon-Thyme Chicken
Lemon thyme chicken is a simple but flavorful recipe that is relatively easy to make and often finds its way onto your menu as a favorite. Light, flavorful, and gluten-free, this dish is good and good for you. Who said that a cooking date had to be complicated? Sometimes, the simplest pleasures really are the best. Try pairing this with a lovely white wine to enhance your date night experience.
10. Roasted Beet Salad
Many of us might not think “date night” and “roasted beet salad” in the same thought, but this recipe is an absolute winner. Roasted beet salad is healthful, colorful, and delicious. The secret is in the dressing, which is a tangy mix of balsamic vinegar and feta cheese that plays nicely with the flavor of the beets.
11. Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Pasta:
Autumn is many people’s favorite season. This recipe has a fabulous autumnal flavor that comes from the butternut squash. Despite being relatively simple to make, it is sure to make you feel like you’re dining at a fancy bistro, even when you’re on an at-home date night.
12. Ham and Brie Quesadilla
Remember that finger foods are excellent for any event, especially date night. This fun take on a ham-and-cheese quesadilla is certain to become one of your go-to date night recipes. Brie is a rich and flavorful cheese, and the mix of whole-grain and dijon mustard adds a nice zest to this recipe.
13. Mustard-Crusted Lamb
A dish like mustard-crusted lamb might sound like something you’d get at a fancy restaurant, but it can easily be made at home. Mint, broccoli rabe, and dijon perfectly accent the subtle flavor of the lamb, making this one of the best gourmet date night ideas we’ve come across.
14. Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp scampi is always a winner. The zesty lemon and garlic sauce mixed with the flavor of shrimp is a crowd-pleaser and will give you and your date something to rave over while you eat. The best part is that this dish can be cooked in about twenty minutes, so you can enjoy a savory and satisfying dinner without needing hours of prep work.
15. Summer Squash, Mint, and Pecorino Pasta:
You might cock an eyebrow when you think about mint and pasta but trust us: this summer squash, mint, and pecorino pasta is a flavor explosion. The fresh flavor of mint mixes well with the summer squash, and when tossed with fresh pasta, the flavors are sure to please. This recipe is a date night must!
16. Lobster Mac and Cheese
Lobster is always a classy choice on date night. Macaroni and cheese might not sound like date food, but this recipe is not your average mac and cheese. Savory seafood and a rich cheese sauce make this dish a simple yet elegant experience, and you can enjoy a flavorful cooking date without feeling pretentious.
17. Spinach Stuffed Salmon in Garlic Butter
Spinach Stuffed Salmon with garlic butter is another excellent dish for date night. This preparation will elevate your salmon to the next level. The fish is pan-seared, caramelizing the outside while melding the delicious spinach filling with the flavors of the sea. You’ll want seconds and thirds after making this dish!
18. Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
Beef tenderloin is a highly sought-after cut of meat, renowned for being tender and rich. Adding a red wine sauce takes this luscious cut to the next level: the flavors of the sauce and the meat are heavenly and well-balanced. This will almost certainly become one of your favorite date night recipes.
19. Baked Eggplant Parmesan
Baked eggplant parmesan is a wonderful and earthy dish that will take your palate to the gardens of Italy. The crispy, fried eggplant adds a pleasant crunch to the dish, and the marinara sauce and cheese bring the whole thing together. This dish is vegetarian-friendly for those who prefer not to eat meat.
20. Seafood Pasta
The sea is a bountiful source of food, and almost everyone enjoys a tasty seafood meal. This seafood pasta is a blend of shrimp, mussels, clams, and scallops all tossed together in a homemade tomato sauce! While this recipe calls for spaghetti, you could consider using angel hair pasta to give the dish that light touch that many people enjoy.
21. Winter Squash Lasagna
Making lasagna takes some time, but it is worth it. This winter squash lasagna is big enough to feed a family, but it’s tasty enough to be a perfect date night recipe. You and your partner will love building this dish together and then savoring the wonderful flavors when it comes out of the oven!
Conclusion
Cooking together is one of the best date night ideas out there. You and your partner get to work together as a team to make something that is inherently rewarding: delicious food! This list of recipes is only scratching the surface of what you and your romantic partner could cook together. After you’ve made these, you can always explore new cuisines or even re-make a favorite from this list. Whatever you decide to cook, and whoever you decide to cook it with, we wish you fun dates and happy eating. Bon Appetit!
