Cooking for two sounds romantic, but it can be a challenge. Not only do you have to decide what the two of you want to share, but many meals are portioned to feed a crowd, or call for so many components that it’s too much work for just two.
Whether you’re planning a date night, roommate dinner, or just cooking for someone you love, we compiled dinner ideas for two that don’t demand you spend most of the evening in the kitchen. Most of these recipes serve four, but you can accommodate just the two of you by halving the recipe or making room in the fridge for leftovers to enjoy one more time.
Italian Dinner Ideas
When you think of Italian dinners for two, pasta certainly comes to mind, but there’s more to this popular cuisine than a bowl of noodles.
Fast Italian Fish Stew
This stew topped with halibut is healthful, elegant, and packed with flavor. Loaded with cannellini beans and cherry tomatoes in a chicken broth, it comes together in just 30 minutes, so the two of you can get on with…whatever.
Cacio e Pepe
Once you master this peppery, cheesy spaghetti recipe for two, you’ve found a new Italian staple. Make sure your pasta is al dente and you’re ready to eat as soon as you’re done mixing the ingredients together, because cacio e pepe tastes best when it’s fresh.
Soppressata Pizza With Arugula and Honey
Making pizzas side-by-side is the perfect Italian-inflected, at-home night for a duo of cooks. This arugula-topped pizza calls for store-bought dough to save some time, but you could also make your own if you’re feeling ambitious. Get creative with toppings, or stick with Soppressata, baby arugula, and honey.
Pesto Orecchiette With Chicken Sausage
This recipe features store-bought chicken sausage and orecchiette—a pasta that translates from Italian as “little ears” to describe its shape—for a quick, easy, one-dish meal. Fresh green beans, frozen peas, Parmesan, and your favorite pesto round out the dish, which comes together in just 20 minutes.
Slow-Cooker Squash Lasagna
This vegetarian version of the Italian classic replaces the familiar tomato sauce with frozen winter squash puree, giving it a deep, rich flavor. And don’t let the 4¼-hour prep time put you off! It takes only 15 minutes to assemble the layers, and then the slow cooker does the rest. The recipe serves six but, in this case, you’ll look forward to leftovers.
Eggplant Parmesan Panini Sandwich
This vegetarian staple takes longer to prepare than most of our recipes here (total time is 50 minutes), but isn’t a toasty, cheesy, tomato-y panini worth the wait? Most of that time is spent passively roasting eggplant slices,and then assembling the panini for grilling. Cut into bite-sized pieces and pair with your favorite red wine for an understated date night.
Healthy Dinner Ideas
Fill your body with nutritious superfoods such as quinoa and sunflower seeds, courtesy of these healthy dinner ideas for two.
Red Lentil Soup With Lemon And Dill
Victor Protasio
A pot of this bright, healthy lentil soup is perfect for a cozy dinner, especially if you only have 15 minutes of hands-on time to spare. Red lentils combine with carrots, onions, fire-roasted tomatoes, and spices in a rich vegetable broth. Top with yogurt, lemon zest, and dill.
Superfood Lentil Salad
This salad is so delicious, you’ll forget it’s good for you! Zucchini quick-charred in the broiler and a sunflower-seed vinaigrette are just two nutritional powerhouses that give this salad depth, texture, and of course, plenty of health benefits.
Broiled Salmon on Rice With Broccoli
This classic combo of salmon and rice gets all dressed up with a brown sugar-soy sauce drizzle that livens the whole dish. The salmon is broiled (not baked), saving you time, and the white rice and broccoli florets cook together, leaving you one less burner to manage and one less pot to wash.
Balsamic Steak With Radicchio and Pears
When you’re cooking to impress, you can’t go wrong with a grilled steak dinner, and for this one, the flank steak isn’t alone on the grill. It’s joined by radicchio quartered lengthwise and pear halves, which we bet you didn’t know you could grill. Top everything with a vinegar-shallot-mustard dressing and blue cheese crumbles for a coherent, low-carb, stay-out-of-the-kitchen dinner,
Summer’s End Ratatouille
How about French food for dinner? This traditional dish from the south of France combines bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and tomato for a summery blend that’s as refreshing as it is nutritious. Garlic, herbs, and olive oil also mix together for a flavor profile the whole family will enjoy. It takes work to individually sauté each vegetable, but the end result is a massive batch of veggies that you can serve on the side of steak or chicken, use in sandwiches, mix with pasta, and more—and they’ll last days.
Easy Dinner Ideas
Who doesn’t love an easy meal? These dinner ideas for two are filled with bold flavors and varying textures, yet require 30 minutes or less of hands-on prep.
Hanger Steak with Buttery Mashed Carrots
While steak and mashed potatoes are a match made in culinary heaven, this recipe has a surprising side. Tender hanger steak is served with buttery mashed carrots. Once you try them, you won’t even miss the potatoes.
Thai Peanut Butter Ramen
Made from pantry staples you probably already have, these instant noodles with peanut sauce are super easy to whip up and fully open to interpretation. Add protein or fresh veggies, make them spicy, or add some crunch on top.
Slow Cooker Coq au Vin
Bold and rich in flavor, this slowly braised chicken dish comes together slowly but easily for a special dinner for two, plus leftovers that taste even better the next day after they’re reheated in the sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes, noodles, or a baguette.
Hanger Steak With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Greg DuPree
This simple but hearty recipe makes enough for four, but you’ll definitely be going back for seconds. Juicy hanger steak paired with bright green beans and crispy potatoes served over an elegant roasted red pepper sauce might be the definition of a “complete meal.” Jarred roasted red peppers shave time off of the sauce (but don’t skimp on flavor!). If you’re not in the mood for steak, substitute your favorite protein.
Harissa Salmon and Potatoes
In this easy-to-make meal, the salmon and potatoes roast in the same pan, making cleanup easy, too. If you’re unfamiliar with harissa, you won’t be for long. This newest “it” condiment, which usually comes as a paste, is sometimes referred to as the ketchup of Northern African and Middle Eastern cuisine. It lends a sweet-hot flavor that turns any meal into a special occasion.
Cold Peanut Noodles
In the time it takes to cook a package of rice linguini noodles, you can prepare this meatless dish. While a pot of water is coming to a boil on the stove, mix peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, and garlic to make an Asian-style sauce. Top the cooled al dente noodles-and-peanut butter-sauce mixture with herbs and peanuts for a refreshing yet satisfying bowl.
Quick and Easy Shepherd’s Pie
When you think about quick-and-easy meals, shepherd’s pie doesn’t readily come to mind, but this recipe proves an exception. This ground-beef version of the rustic Scottish-English pie is loaded with shortcuts—namely frozen mixed vegetables and ready-made mashed potatoes—resulting in a total prep time of only 20 minutes.
Saucy Shrimp and Noodle Stir-Fry
Shrimp cooks quickly, and so do rice-stick noodles and stir-fry dishes, so you probably won’t be surprised that this Asian-inspired bowl comes together in 20 minutes. Bok choy adds color, shiitake mushrooms bring earthy flavor, and a sweet-and-spicy sauce coats everything for an umami-rich dish.
Vegetarian Dinner Ideas
Don’t eat meat? We’ve got you and your plus-one covered with these meat-free meals that taste delicious.
Curried Eggplant With Tomatoes and Basil
Many vegetarian recipes, like this one, feature eggplant as a meat substitute. Loaded with fiber and nutrients but low in calories, it gives a meaty bite and mild flavor to any dish. This recipe pairs eggplant with protein-packed chickpeas, another vegetarian staple, along with curry seasoning and an optional topping of Greek yogurt.
Grilled Halloumi Salad
Grilled cheese takes on a whole new meaning when it’s the cheese that hits the grill. In this case, it’s halloumi, a firm cheese that tastes salty like feta and withstands the heat of a grill. This high-protein salad makes for the perfect outdoor meal and is even good leftover.
Roasted Root Veggie Quinoa Bowls
Victor Protasio
This dinner for two is packed with so much flavor, yet it comes together in under 30 minutes. The recipe uses shortcuts like store-bought hummus and quick-cooking quinoa to take some pressure off, and you won’t have to worry about chopping the butternut squash because it calls for pre-cubed. If you’re not a fan of the recommended quinoa, pair it with your favorite grain, like farro or barley.
Eggplant and Tofu Stir-Fry
With hearty eggplant and protein-packed tofu, you’ll never miss the meat in this stir-fry dish. A hoisin-and-rice vinegar sauce brings flavor and jalapeño brings the heat. Swap out the white rice with your favorite grain or pasta, or omit it altogether for a low-carb meal.
Japanese Dinner Ideas
Skip takeout and whip up a Japanese-inspired meal on your own.
Spicy Summer Squash Stir-Fry
Zucchini and yellow squash join Japanese eggplant to star in this stir-fry packed with summer vegetables. A Japanese-inspired sauce of soy (or tamari) and rice vinegar adds flavor and coalesces this meatless dish. Add slices of fresh jalapeño and red pepper flakes for a kick and peanuts for crunch.
Japanese-Style Shrimp Salad
This healthy meal, which comes together in 15 minutes, is packed with rich, tangy, and spicy flavors. A mayo-based dressing with tamari or soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil brings that Japanese influence. Purchase pre-cooked shrimp to make prep time even shorter.
Salmon Nigiri
Make a date with this nigiri recipe that requires no special equipment, no precarious rolling, and no brittle sheets of seaweed. Not a fan of salmon? Swap it out for grilled shiitake mushroom caps or slices of mango. For the full Japanese experience, serve with miso soup, seaweed salad, steamed edamame, and sake.
Japanese Cabbage Pancake
This rustic savory dish is also vegetarian and healthy. The pancake “batter” is made up of shredded cabbage bound with a flour-and-eggs mixture. The “Japanese” part comes from an infusion of tamari sauce in the batter and in the mayo-based “syrup” that’s drizzled on top.
Mexican Dinner Ideas
Mexican-inspired recipes are always crowd-pleasers, even when you’re cooking for a crowd of two.
Skillet Chipotle-Pork Enchiladas
Victor Protasio
This recipe delivers the taste of enchiladas without the meticulous (and messy) filling and rolling. It also cooks and serves in one oven-safe skillet, making cleanup a breeze. Starting with a ground pork base, it layers red enchilada and adobo chili sauces, tortilla wedges, and a Mexican cheese blend, topped with avocado slices and sour cream.
Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs With Salsa Verde
A sheet-pan chicken dinner for two ready in 30 minutes? Winner, winner! Salsa verde and queso fresco or (cotija cheese) give this dish flavor, creaminess, and a Mexican-inspired flair. Serve with warm tortillas, lime wedges, and classic margarita.
Mole-Spiced Black Bean and Quinoa Bowl
Mexican mole (pronounce mo-lay) is a complex sauce made with over a dozen ingredients simmered over a long time and then blended until smooth. Well, not tonight! This recipe uses a jar of store-bought mole to effortlessly bring bold flavors to a bowl of cauliflower, black beans, and arugula. Top with creamy cotija cheese (or queso fresco) and roasted pumpkin seeds for a high-protein crunch.
