:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/steak-au-poivre-red-wine-pan-sauce-hero-01-FT-RECIPE1222-c9e1da15f33f4076986b6ce37ae5bbb0.jpg "10 Special Valentine’s Day Recipes From Dinners to Dessert")
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Valentine’s Day is notoriously a tough night for dining out at a restaurant. Even if you’re able to snag a reservation at your usual spot, it might be overpriced, crowded, and rushed as your server tries to make room for the next two-top. Instead, we suggest opening a bottle of wine at home and making one of the recipes below, chosen by our editors. From cooking projects like beef stew to an easy chocolate dessert, these recipes are all delicious ways to show your love — no reservation required.
Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Miso-Garlic Butter
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
As a former restaurant cook and server, I never dine out for Valentine’s Day — I have too many memories of balancing longstem roses atop quails (aka, “lovebirds”). My husband and I will probably make pasta, like we did on our first Valentine’s Day together. My local grocery has some nice wild mushrooms in stock, so we’ll make my Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Garlic-Miso Butter. Making pasta by hand is not too much work, and it’s a fun dinner project. We sip wine and play music while we use our hand-crank pasta maker to roll and cut long ribbons of pasta dough. It’s a cooking project that feels like a date, and that’s the most important thing. — Chandra Ram, associate editorial director, food
Julia Child’s Best Beef Stew
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee
Nothing says “I love you” like individually drying each piece of an entire stew’s worth of beef with paper towels. Many an occasion I’ve marked with labor-intensive beef stews — perhaps the least photogenic of foods — because in the hands of Julia Child (my maîtresse of stew), they always become more than the sum of their parts. Warm, nourishing, and perfectly delicious care is apparent in each well-browned piece of beef. — Molly McArdle, updates editor
Birria Tacos
Every night is a good night for tacos, no matter the occasion. These birria tacos from chef Claudette Zepeda are loaded with slow-cooked, deep, earthy chile flavor from the adobo sauce. The best part: The braised and shredded beef mixture can be made a day in advance, so you’re not stuck hovering over the stove on Valentine’s Day. When it’s time to eat, simply assemble the tacos, crisp them on a griddle, and crack open a couple beers. — Paige Grandjean, food editor
Pasta Puttanesca
This year marked the end of a six-year relationship with someone who hates olives. So you know what I’m making for Valentine’s this year? Puttanesca: a tomato sauce packed with the briny flavors of kalamata olives, capers, and anchovies. Tossed with some spaghetti, this meal only takes 40 minutes to make, leaving me enough time to grab some post-dinner cocktails with some friends. Self love, baby! — Amelia Schwartz, associate editor
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
Valentine’s Day happens to be three days before our anniversary, so I like to go all out and make something I know he’ll love: a dish that’s seasonal and comforting, but still steamy and heartwarming. I start a couple of weeks beforehand, heading to the Asian grocery store an hour away from home to restock some Chinese cooking essentials: doubanjiang (spicy bean paste), wheat noodles, and pickled mustard greens. The week of, I’ll pick up beef shank and chuck, scallions, ginger, and lots of greens like baby bok choy. And the day of, I fill the apartment with the aromas of a slow-cooking Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. By the time the noodles are boiling, we’re both hanging out at the kitchen counter, pulling out the bowls, spoons, and chile crisp. This is the type of meal that demands that the TV is turned off, the dinner table is set, and your significant other is close by your side. — Dillon Evans, update writer, commerce
Simplest Chocolate Mousse
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee
Valentine’s Day is just an excuse to eat copious amounts of chocolate, right? Classic chocolate mousse starts with an egg custard that can be a little finicky, but this recipe from Justin Chapple relies on a much easier method: melting chocolate in hot heavy cream. The foolproof results will impress whoever you’re serving. — Audrey Morgan, senior editor
Steak au Poivre with Red Wine Pan Sauce
Cara Cormack
As a Midwesterner, I'm always craving a good steak meal. It’s indulgent and usually relies on just a few ingredients, making it a great option for a quick yet impressive romantic dinner. This classic steak au poivre recipe comes together in just 20 minutes, making it as easy to prepare as it is to devour. — Manichanh Naonady, newsletter editor
Pink Squirrel
Tim Nusog / Food & Wine
The Pink Squirrel is blush pink, surprisingly boozy, and luxuriously indulgent. What more could you want from a Valentine’s cocktail? The classic dessert in a cocktail glass originated in the 1940s at Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it remains a popular order today. Made with only three ingredients — almond-flavored crème de noyaux, white creme de cacao, and heavy cream — the result is like a rosy-hued, nutty Brandy Alexander. — Prairie Rose, senior drinks editor
Muffuletta
Since we have twin toddlers at home, making a romantic dinner in our kitchen would involve putting up baby gates to keep the kids out and turning on the TV to distract them — neither of which are relaxing. Instead, my husband and I like to go on a day date where we pack lunch and head on a snowy hike up to our cabin in the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont. The meal is always the same: a Muffuletta sandwich, salt and vinegar chips, and a flask of Jameson. By the time we sled down the two miles back to the car, we’ve laughed so much, we’re ready for dinner. — Breana Killeen, senior food editor
Baltimore-Style Crab Cakes
There are a litany of reasons you should make crab cakes for Valentine’s Day, not the least of which is that they are just plain delicious. (Who doesn’t like crab cakes?) They feel luxurious and worthy of a special occasion, don’t take hours to make, and are more unexpected than the typical steak dinner. This version from celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern was named one of Food & Wine’s all-time 40 best recipes in 2018, and it still holds up several years later. The ingredient list is very short, which will make your life a lot easier and also allow the crab meat to really shine. If you need another reason to try this recipe, it pairs perfectly with a bottle of bubbly. — Merlyn Miller, editor, news & trending
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