64 Easy to Cook Recipe for Two
Parker Feierbach
Looking to impress a date, but not feeling super confident in your cooking skills? These special chicken, steak, and pasta weeknight dinners are for you. All these recipes are a slight step above usual fare while still being totally achievable by even the most novice of home cooks. We also polled our editors (and not just the chefs!) for their go-to date night recipes, and among these are some of their tried and true hits. Get inspired with our list of 52 dinners for two—we know you'll turn out something spectacular.
Don't forget: Everyone loves being cooked for, and it truly is the thought that counts! If you're hoping to serve a meal to your boo, stick with something simple and classic, like pasta or easy proteins. Try our cacio e pepe, our bucatini all'amatriciana, or our penne alla vodka—despite their Italian names, they're all SUPER simple, with flavor that's out-of-this-world good. For protein, you can't beat chicken, like in our sesame seed-crusted chicken Parm, our creamy Tuscan chicken, or our butter chicken (just as good as Indian takeout), but we've also included less standard recipes with red meat or fish that will really impress. Try our Arctic char with pistachio gremolata, our creamy steak fettuccine, our coconut curry salmon, or our filet mignon for ideas. They've got all the sit-down steakhouse flavor, without the price tag.
If you're looking to make a night out of cooking dinner together (we highly recommend this date idea!), try one of our more involved recipes. Check out our homemade pizza, our dragon roll sushi, our Korean fried chicken, or our ginger pork pot stickers for ideas. You'll get to see your date's fine motor skills at work, learn a new skill together, and eat a delicious meal together (no matter how good or badly it turns out 😉).
The best part of these recipes? Leftovers. We know, we know, many of these recipes make 4 to 6 servings. You could halve them and have just enough for two, or do what we do and make extra!
Want more ideas for impressing your date? Try serving a fun cocktail or the perfect bottle of wine with your meal—check out our guides to both reds and whites. And don't forget about dessert!
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Baked Feta Pasta
Obviously roasting a block of feta with bursting tomatoes is going to be amazing. But is it good enough to break TikTok like this one did? Our answer, begrudgingly, is yes. It's genius—super easy, but fancy enough for date night. 😍
Get the Baked Feta Pasta recipe.
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Pad Thai
An easy alternative to takeout, our simplified pad Thai recipe is designed to satisfy noodle cravings fast. We skipped some traditional ingredients (such as dried shrimp, tamarind, pressed tofu, and bean sprouts), opting for ingredients that you can pick up at your local grocery store. Skip the takeout and make it tonight!
Get the Pad Thai recipe.
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Homemade Pizza
Nothing beats a fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza, and once you see how easy it is to make for you and your date, you'll never order delivery again. Switch up the toppings and add your favorites to make it your own. Pepperoni, mushrooms, bell peppers, pineapple? You can have it all!
Get the Homemade Pizza recipe.
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Marry Me Chicken
This simple chicken is one of our most romantic recipes ever. If you (or your boo) is a sun-dried tomato hater (we feel you), use fresh ones instead. It won't have as much of a tangy kick, but it'll still be just as impressive.
Get the Marry Me Chicken recipe.
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Baked Risotto with Lemon, Peas & Parmesan
If you've never made risotto because you didn't want to stand there stirring forever, then this recipe is for you. It packs all the satisfying flavor of a slow-stirred version into a fraction of the hands-on time!
Get the Baked Risotto with Lemon, Peas & Parmesan recipe.
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Lemon Pepper Chicken
If you throw chicken into a pan with salt and pepper and bake it for forever, of course it's going to be terrible. We know this sounds obvious, but it's what so many people trying to "eat healthy" do. On the other hand, when you add layers of bright and fresh flavors (like lemon pepper!), a delicious and easy recipe both you and your healthy-conscious date can enjoy.
Get the Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken recipe.
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Ginger Pork Pot Stickers
Looking for a date night project? We suggest these super-flavorful (and surprisingly easy) pot stickers! Check out the photos of our folding technique, but don't worry too much—these will taste amazing no matter how they look (and you get to see your date's fine motor skills in action 😉).
Get the Ginger Pork Pot Stickers recipe.
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Spaghetti and Meatballs
If you're looking for a super simple, comforting, no-frills bowl of spaghetti and meatballs to impress your date, you've come to the right place. And if you're feeling adventurous, it's also a great jumping-off point to make your own version of this classic dish!
Get the Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe.
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Dragon Roll
Uramaki ("inside out") is a Westernized style of sushi roll where the rice is on the outside of the nori. Uramaki arguably reaches a peak of extravagance with the dragon roll, with its gorgeous "scales" of thinly sliced mango and avocado and drizzle of sriracha mayo. The roll is wrapped in classic vinegar-seasoned rice and filled with crispy shrimp tempura, a mix of buttery avocado, and crunchy cucumber.
Get the Dragon Roll recipe.
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Creamy Steak Fettuccine
Whenever we crave steak, this dish is always what we want to make. It comes together quickly and is so full of flavor, plus the steak makes it feel extra special. It might just make you forget chicken Alfredo ever existed.
Get the Creamy Steak Fettuccine recipe.
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Korean Fried Chicken
Nicknamed "candy chicken," Korean fried chicken is known for its addictively crunchy exterior and its thick sweet-and-spicy sauce. These bites pack a little capsaicin punch, so feel free to decrease the amount of dried chilis that go in. But if you've got a sweetie who likes the adrenaline kick, they'll lose their mind over this.
Get the Korean Fried Chicken recipe.
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Lemon Garlic Shrimp
This garlic butter shrimp recipe requires almost no planning—all you need to do is pick up shrimp. Meaning, it's perfect for a romantic dinner TONIGHT.
Get the Lemon Garlic Shrimp recipe.
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Penne Alla Vodka
This is the best creamy and bright vodka sauce any of us in the test kitchen have ever had. The secret? Tomato paste. Tomato paste has a more concentrated flavor, and texture-wise, it makes for a smoother, almost velvety sauce your date will love.
Get the Penne Alla Vodka recipe.
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Broccoli Rabe & Italian Sausage Lasagna
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Linguine With Clams
When you want a bit of decadence and elegance at the dinner table, but don't have time to make a super-fancy meal, this your recipe. It's so simple, it can be thrown together in about 30 minutes. That wine sauce is perfection.
Get the Linguine With Clams recipe.
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Filet Mignon
Filet mignon is considered the gold standard of steaks, and when it's cooked right, it has a melt-in-your-mouth texture you just can't get from other cuts. Avoid the overpriced, stuffy steakhouse and cook it at home (with our restaurant tips and tricks, of course!).
Get the Filet Mignon recipe.
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Extra Lemony Seitan Piccata
Most piccata sauces use only lemon juice; we opt for whole pieces of the fruit to make use of every last bit of bright citrus flavor. After a simmer in a wine and broth jacuzzi, the lemon loses its sharp bitterness and becomes sweet and tender, pairing perfectly with plant-based seitan.
Get the Extra Lemony Seitan Piccata recipe.
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One-Pan Tuna Pasta
This recipe is a bit of a riff on pasta puttanesca, using familiar ingredients such as capers, anchovies, and olives. But instead of sitting over a pot of simmering tomato sauce, we used sun-dried tomatoes to form a paste that, when combined with pasta water, is transformed into a luscious sauce—and it's all made in one pan!
Get the One-Pan Tuna Pasta recipe.
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Arctic Char with Pistachio Gremolata
This is the kind of recipe that immediately becomes a house favorite. That's because it's easy yet elegant (AKA worthy of date night), it comes together in 30 minutes, and it teaches the foundations of good cooking techniques. (Like how to cook skin-on fish so it gets crispy, not soggy, and how to create an easy herb gremolata to top proteins like fish, chicken, and steak. 😍)
Get the Arctic Char with Pistachio Gremolata recipe.
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Pineapple Baked Salmon
Giving the salmon a quick broil at the end of cooking lets the marinade caramelize. Make sure to keep a close eye on it—a couple minutes is all you need under a hot broiler. Looking for more salmon recipes? This Greek salmon is another foolproof, quick dinner.
Get the Baked Pineapple Salmon recipe.
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Quesadilla Cake
Five layers of quesadilla means five times as much flavor than your everyday beef quesadilla. Don't have a springform pan? A standard cake or pie pan totally works here. You'll just need to serve your cake IN the pan.
Get the Quesadilla Cake recipe.
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Bucatini all'Amatriciana
If you're in a pinch you can sub bacon for the pancetta in this classic pasta dish, but we think it really does make a difference in the outcome. It doesn't take hours to simmer, but still comes out to be one of the best pasta sauces we've ever had. Be sure to top with lots of Pecorino and basil!
Get the Bucatini all'Amatriciana recipe.
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Coconut Curry Salmon
The coconut milk and spice go so well together here, making a rich, but not heavy, sauce that really tastes and feels far more complicated than it is. The salmon simmers in the milk keeping it very tender and flaky and extra flavorful. Spoon the sauce over the salmon a few times as it cooks to give it a nice coating.
Get the Coconut Curry Salmon recipe.
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Sesame Seed-Crusted Chicken Parm
On the road to chicken Parm perfection, we take two unexpected turns. First, we add sesame seeds to the breading for a nutty crust, crunchy enough to stand up to lots of sauce and cheese. Second, marinara gets upgraded with a scoop of harissa—a smoky Tunisian chili paste—for some heat and complex flavor that's sure to impress.
Get the Sesame Seed-Crusted Chicken Parm recipe.
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Chilaquiles Verde
For the ultimate fun breakfast-for-dinner, try this green salsa-smothered take on chilaquiles. How could you go wrong with a dish that's essentially crisped-up tortillas tossed in a brothy salsa? Trust us, you can tell a lot about a person when you're eating from the same skillet.
Get the Chilaquiles Verde recipe.
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Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e pepe literally translates to "cheese and pepper." These two ingredients are usually thought of as small components to a dish but in this pasta recipe, they take center stage. Making this pasta (and toasting the spice) is the perfect way to show off pepper's fruity, spicy, earthy flavor.
Get the Cacio e Pepe recipe.
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Beef Ragu
This easy and delicious ragu is perfect for date night. Don't skimp on the Parm!
Get the Beef Ragu recipe.
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Best-Ever Flank Steak
Our simple marinade has just four ingredients and is the perfect way to prep flank steak for the grill. While acidic citrus juice and salty soy sauce act to both season and tenderize the steak, olive oil helps to keep the meat supple and juicy. A small amount of brown sugar brings out the meat's natural sweetness and helps to create a slightly caramelized crust. Yum!
Get the Best-Ever Flank Steak recipe.
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Source: https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/valentines-day/g4640/easy-dinner-recipes-for-two-for-beginners/
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