Romantic Dishes

By Food & Wine
Updated September 21, 2017
© Nicole Franzen
No need to brave a crowded restaurant this Valentine's Day--impress your loved one with an indulgent homemade meal. Whether you're a pro in the kitchen or need super easy recipes, we've got you covered. From luxe lobster pasta with cream sauce to earthy mushroom risotto, here are our most romantic dishes.
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Ricotta Crêpes with Honey, Walnuts and Rose

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Cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi invented these delicate crepes to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent, which is also called Pancake Tuesday in England. Their floral, aromatic sweetness comes from rosewater and honey, two Middle Eastern ingredients that Otttolenghi grew up with. The rose petals sprinkled on top make this one of our most romantic dishes ever.

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Lobster Capellini with Leek-Tarragon Cream Sauce

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A lobsterman in Maine supplies the Angles with the very best shellfish, right off his boat. This recipe was created to use those terrific lobsters, as well as some of the butter from the dairy on the family's private island.

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Scallops with Chestnut Sauce and Crisp Sage

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“In 1994, when I enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, I had to catch up on so much—it was like I had a virgin palate for food and wine,” says Rajat Parr. “For instance, I’d never had a scallop before; I didn’t even know what they were. I had never seen a chestnut before, either. So cooking school was an eye-opening experience.”

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Oven-Roasted Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri

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For this playful twist on British roast lamb with mint jelly, Luke Mangan serves lamb chops with a piquant condiment of fresh mint and jalapeño.

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Oysters on the Half Shell with Rosé Mignonette

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Great oysters are delicious "naked," as Island Creek founder Skip Bennett says, but sometimes chef Jeremy Sewall dresses them up with a mignonette (vinegar sauce) like this one, made with sparkling rosé.

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Vetri's Almond-Ricotta Tortellini with Truffle Butter

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Marc Vetri's exquisite tortellini combines subtle toasted almonds and sweet ricotta. Start the recipe a day ahead to allow time for the ricotta to drain and the pasta dough to rest.

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Tagliatelle with Mussels and Tarragon

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This simple, strikingly black-and-white seafood pasta gets a double hit of anise flavor from Pernod and fresh tarragon.

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Pan-Roasted Veal Chops with Cabernet Sauce

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Chef Robert Wiedmaier serves elegant dishes, like this veal chop. To make the wine sauce even more complex, use demiglace (concentrated veal stock) instead of beef stock and flour. Demiglace is available from dartagnan.com.

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Porcini Risotto

James Merrell
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10 of 31

Linguine with Shrimp and Creamy Roasted Tomatoes

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11 of 31

Chocolate Soufflé Cakes with Vanilla-Thyme Ice Cream

These soft, chocolaty sponge cakes are a cross between angel food cake and a firm soufflé. Adolfo Muñoz bakes his soufflé cakes in individual cake rings with parchment-paper collars. We simplified the recipe by using ramekins and had good results.

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Black Pepper-Raspberry Sorbet with Prosecco

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Chef James Holmes topped raw oysters with this sweet-savory sorbet before deciding it would make an excellent cocktail with Prosecco. A good-quality, store-bought raspberry sorbet is a fine shortcut.

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Whole-Wheat Pancakes with Roasted Berries

© Christina Holmes
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F&W's Justin Chapple uses a resealable plastic bag to mix his pancake batter and pipe out perfect pancakes--resulting in one less bowl to wash.

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Goat Cheese Mousse with Red-Wine Caramel

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This crostini from Karen Small at the Flying Fig in Cleveland, topped with goat cheese mousse, red-wine caramel and strawberry compote, is a delightful example of a dish that combines sweet and savory. Each component can be used in a variety of sweet and savory ways: The caramel, for instance, is great drizzled over pecorino cheese or vanilla ice cream.

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All'Amatriciana with Extra Umami

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Top Chef finalist Sarah Grueneberg makes her amatriciana sauce with anchovies, so it's extra-savory.

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Spaghetti with Clams and Braised Greens

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To give spaghetti with fresh clam sauce more flavor, chef Ashley Christensen purees sweet roasted bell peppers into the spicy, briny broth.

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Skillet Pork Chops with Warm Escarole Caesar

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While the juicy pork chops roast, you can make this quick and flavorful side dish of escarole, radishes and anchovies.

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Puff Au Chocolat

© Chris Court
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To keep the buttery puff pastry base here flat and easy to eat, Lynch bakes it between two cookie sheets until golden and crisp. She then tops the pastry with a gooey dark- and milk-chocolate ganache, fresh fruit and toasted hazelnuts.

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Milk-Chocolate-Frosted Layer Cake

Con Poulos
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This cake from pastry chef Karina Gowing is perfection for anyone who loves frosting. The ultracreamy icing, which is almost like a milk-chocolate ganache, gets spread liberally over layers of light, delicate, cocoa-flavored cake.

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Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze

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Many Bundt cakes are heavy and buttery, but this one is surprisingly light and incredibly moist under its silky chocolate glaze. Strong-brewed coffee in the batter intensifies the chocolate flavor while cutting the sweetness.

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Chocolate-Buttermilk Snack Cakes

© David Malosh
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In her update of the classic chocolate Hostess cupcake, Chicago pastry chef Mindy Segal uses mascarpone in the rich and creamy filling.

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Roast Chicken with Pickled Fennel and Candied Walnuts

© Tara Pearce
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The tart fennel and sweet walnuts here make this roast chicken especially good. The orange dressing has nutty flavor, too, because it's spiked with walnut oil.

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Swedish Sugared Sweet Pretzels

© John Kernick
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A coating of butter and sugar makes these tender pretzels especially delicious; they're excellent with tea or coffee.

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Cacio e Pepe Soufflé

© Christina Holmes
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Chef Laurent Tourondel's heavenly souffle has copious amounts of finely grated Parmesan cheese, which makes it sturdier than most souffles.

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Beet Poke with Avocado-Wasabi Mash

© Con Poulos
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This cold salad has a bright, earthy, and sweet taste to it thanks to fresh ingredients like oranges, sweet onions, and of course - beets!

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Whipped Vanilla Ganache Toasts with Pear and Pomegranate

© John Kernick
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Whipping a rich and delicious white chocolate ganache makes it light and fluffy. Spread on pain de mie bread toasts, it becomes a delicious dessert.

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Pumpkin Soup with Creole Lobster

PETRINA TINSLAY
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Most Thanksgivings include pumpkin in some guise. The Rushings' version is a pumpkin soup topped with lobster bathed in a spicy butter. The natural brininess of the lobster helps bring out all the deep, earthy flavor in the soup.

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Spiced Short Rib Tagine

© Fredrika Stjärne
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Lior Lev Sercarz, chef and owner of the spice company La Boite in New York City, uses North African flavorings to make a delicious sauce for luscious short ribs.

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Potato Gnocchi with Wild Mushroom Ragù and Hazelnuts

© Eva Kolenko
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This mushroom-and-herb ragù is extremely versatile; it's as good on rigatoni or cheese ravioli as it is on gnocchi.

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Lemony Apricot Clafoutis

© Nicole Franzen
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This custardy apricot clafoutis from F&W’s Justin Chapple is equally perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

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Garlicky Clams with Confited Potatoes

© Nicole Franzen
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At The Perennial in San Francisco, chef Chris Kiyuna confits potatoes, then serves them with garlicky braised clams. The potatoes are braised in a good amount of oil; Kiyuna reserves the cooking oil for the clams and for shallow frying other ingredients.

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