Want to cook up something romantic and delicious for Valentine’s Day? I’ve got you covered. From rose truffles to a special risotto recipe, there is something for everyone on this list of amazing Valentine’s Day food ideas.
21+ Delicious Valentine’s Day Food Ideas to Wow Your Loved One
1. Valentine’s Day Ravioletti
How gorgeous are these ravioletti? The secret to their beautiful presentation is in the pasta dough, which uses roasted beet puree to give these ravioli a lovely, rich pink color. The recipe’s author gives you two pasta dough recipes for light and pink pasta. If you’re feeling intimidated by making your own pasta, don’t be — it’s so easy! All you need are basic pantry ingredients, a pasta maker and a ravioli mold.
Although this recipe is a little more complex and involved, it’s so worth it, especially on Valentine’s Day.
2. Pansy Salad Rolls
These salad rolls are almost too pretty to eat. They’re packed with purple vegetables, like red cabbage, currants, purple carrots and purple sweet potatoes. The recipe also calls for fresh pansies or violets to take the presentation over the top. If you can’t find any fresh flowers, don’t worry – these rolls will be just as delicious and pretty without them. I love the purple velvet sauce served with these, which features blueberries, cashews, basil and other delicious ingredients.
3. Persian Love Cake
A simple cake with a secret ingredient that changes everything: rose water. A rich glaze, crushed pistachios and edible roses make this cake perfect for Valentine’s Day. Make sure that you’re using cooking rose water for this recipe, and you’ll also need a bundt pan. The recipe itself is super simple, so even beginner bakers can make this cake.
4. Homemade Purple Dumplings
One of the prettiest Valentine’s Day food ideas on this list! These dumplings get their rich purple color from red cabbage powder and purple sweet potato powder. The dumpling dough is so easy to make. Just mix your colorful vegetable powders with all-purpose flour, water and salt. The recipe calls for a tofu filling, but you can use any filling you like. The homemade sweet soy sauce is divine and pairs perfectly with these dumplings.
5. Creamy Tuscan Salmon
Salmon is a classic choice for Valentine’s Day dinner, and this creamy Tuscan take is sure to impress your loved one. While it looks and sounds complicated, the recipe is really simple. The salmon cooks in a creamy sauce with sundried tomatoes, garlic, onion and fresh herbs. You can serve this with rice or steamed vegetables on the side, topped with some of this delicious creamy sauce.
Related: 27+ Fancy Dinner Recipes That Are Incredibly Easy to Make
6. Cheese Manicotti
Manicotti is the perfect comfort food, but it’s also a great choice for Valentine’s Day. Classic manicotti shells stuffed with a delicious herbed ricotta filling and topped with gooey mozzarella cheese and homemade marinara sauce. Just bake for about 45 minutes, and you’re ready to eat. If you’re in a hurry, you can use jarred marinara sauce, or you can use the tutorial below to learn how to make your own sauce.
7. Hazelnut Puff Pastry
These pastries are so delicious, and using frozen puff pastry will save you so much time. You can use any brand of chocolate hazelnut spread you like, but Nutella is the simplest choice. One sheet of puff pastry dough will make six pastries. I recommend using a heart-shaped cookie cutter to get the perfect shape for your pastries.
Assembling and baking is so easy. I recommend adding powdered sugar and a drizzle of chocolate fudge sauce to the top of your pastries.
8. Heart Shaped Dumplings
These heart-shaped dumplings are beautiful and perfect for your Valentine’s Day meal. While this recipe calls for red food coloring, I recommend using beetroot powder instead. You’ll need to add a little bit more water to the dough, but it’s a natural way to add color and flavor. I love that the author of this recipe also offers options for vegan and pork fillings, so anyone can enjoy this recipe. To make life easier, use a bamboo steamer to cook your dumplings and serve them with the dipping sauce of your choice.
9. Pink Cacio & Pepe
Here’s a fun twist on the traditional cacio and pepe recipe. To get the pretty pink color, you’ll add a few drops of red food coloring to the pasta dough. The dough recipe is super simple, and the sauce is a simple butter-based one with Parmesan cheese. Follow the directions carefully, and you’ll enjoy an unforgettable meal that’s sure to wow your loved one.
10. Chocolate Raspberry Tart
How about a little dessert? This chocolate raspberry tart is as sweet as your loved one. The crust is made from crushed Oreos, and you’ll fill the tart with a chocolate ganache. Top with raspberries and powdered sugar to complete this dish. Want some variations? You can use chocolate graham crackers or shortbread cookies instead of Oreos. You’ll need a tart pan for this recipe and a few basic ingredients.
11. Rose Truffles
One of the most unique Valentine’s Day food ideas on this list. It’s a blend of white chocolate, butter, rose water, freeze-dried raspberries and powdered sugar. The raspberries give these truffles their pink color and tasty berry flavor that pairs well with the rose water. This is a simple treat recipe that’s impressive and easy to make.
12. One Pot Chicken with Cranberries Recipe
Chicken and cranberries are a great combination because the berries add a bit of tartness to the dish. This recipe uses chicken thighs, which adds more flavor and a richness to the dish. Fresh herbs, olives and spices round out the recipe to make it a meal fit for Valentine’s Day.
Related: Easy Valentine’s Day Recipes for a Romantic Dinner
13. Beet Pasta Mushroom Tortellini
Fresh beet pasta is vibrant and flavorful, but you must be a fan of mushrooms to appreciate this dish. You’ll make a wild mushroom filling out of maitake mushrooms, garlic cloves, butter, salt and pepper and creamy goat cheese.
A garlic sage sauce is made from garlic cloves, olive oil and sage leaves.
And since you’re making the pasta from scratch, allow yourself about two-and-a-half hours to make this dish.
14. Pomegranate Molasses Chicken
I couldn’t keep this dish off of our Valentine’s Day food ideas list because pomegranate molasses chicken tastes so good. But the prep time for this dish from start to finish is a bit long – almost three hours total time.
You’ll need to source your pomegranate molasses, which is a bit tricky unless you have a Middle Eastern store in town. I did find one on Amazon that’s rated very well.
15. Beetroot Crepes with Cream Cheese
Vibrant colors are perfect for Valentine’s Day. You will need five ingredients for your pink crepes:
- Beetroot
- Eggs
- Milk
- Plain flour
- Vegetable oil
And for the filling, you have a variety of options, such as cream cheese and sour cream, but the author shares options for smoked salmon, whipped feta and an orange and honey ricotta.
16. Prosciutto Pizza with Basil and Blackberry
Prosciutto pizza with blackberries and basil comes together so well with this recipe. Pizza lovers who want to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their love for dough and cheese will appreciate this recipe.
The author even provides her own recipe for pizza crust and sauce.
17. Strawberry Risotto
Saveur’s strawberry risotto is an unusual Italian-inspired recipe, but it looks and tastes amazing. Start by boiling your chicken stock before adding in your berries (leave them for 25 – 30 seconds) and transferring the berries from the pot to a food processor with a slotted spoon.
Add the butter to a large pot, wait until it’s melted and stir in your rice and cook. When the rice is lightly toasted, add your wine and cook until the rice fully absorbs it.
Stir in your favorite cheese and the puree before serving.
18. Beet and Goat Cheese Pasta
Pasta with a twist makes for one of the best and most aesthetically pleasing Valentine’s Day food ideas on this list. Pink pasta with chunks of goat cheese, pistachios, mint leaves, cayenne pepper and beets mixed in with a mouthwatering rigatoni tastes as good as it looks.
Related: 21+ Impressive Valentine’s Day Appetizers for a Cozy Night In
19. Roasted Sweet Potato and Halloumi Salad
Toasted pecans, honey, thyme and a handful of other ingredients are key to the unbelievable dressing that you’ll drizzle on top of your salad. You’ll cut two sweet potatoes into wedges and leave the skin on.
For the bulk of the salad, you’ll add:
- Avocado
- Salad leaves
- Pecans
- Fresh herbs
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Halloumi
And the great thing about halloumi is that it’s a versatile cheese that you can grill or cook up any way that you like.
20. Pistachio Cardamom Rose Loaf
I hope someone makes this rose loaf for me this Valentine’s Day. You’ll make everything from scratch – the cake and frosting – and you’ll need a lot of ground pistachios to get started. Oat flour, salt, baking powder, plain flour, cardamon, coconut yogurt, maple syrup, cashews, milk, maple syrup, beetroot powder (a healthy way to add a splash of color), vanilla and rose water are on this recipe’s ingredient list.
And you’ll also dress up the rose loaf with pomegranate seeds.
21. Oysters with Mignonette Granita
Fans of oysters will absolutely love this dish that requires only six ingredients to make:
- Oysters
- Shallots
- Peppercorns
- Sea salt
- Sugar
- Red wine vinegar
If you don’t know how to clean the oysters, the author walks you through the process step-by-step, but this YouTuber (she’s a chef) does a great job showing you what to do, too:
22. Herby Couscous Stuffed Eggplant Rolls
Couscous and eggplant bring an abundance of flavor to this dish that looks like it was cooked by a Michelin star chef and only takes a little over 30 minutes to make. You’ll start by cutting the eggplant lengthwise before grilling them up in your favorite frying pan.
While your eggplant is cooking, you’ll start with the couscous filling, which includes mint, olive oil, parsley, pine nuts, red wine vinegar, and garlic.
The best part? The tahini and lemon sauce—it’s so easy to make yet delicious.
