24 Easy and Cheap(ish) Date Night Recipes That Are Fancy and Fun

Make shrimp scampi, mushroom risotto, chocolate lava cake and more restaurant-worthy dishes at home.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/article/easy-date-night-ideas

https://archive.ph/HR6g2


Mushroom Risotto With Peas

Date night doesn’t have to mean reservations, crowded restaurants and a huge bill. You can make a night at home feel special with some mood lighting (dimmers! candles!) and delicious food. These easy recipes come together in an hour or less, and are guaranteed to impress without spending a fortune.

1. Classic Shrimp Scampi



Garlic, white wine, butter and shrimp make fast friends in Melissa Clark’s five-star megahit (the recipe has over 17,000 ratings and counting). It comes together in 15 minutes, meaning less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying each other’s company.

Recipe: Classic Shrimp Scampi

2. Marry Me Salmon



I mean … what a recipe title! Eric Kim’s 30-minute take on marry me chicken is the cozy weeknight fish you cook to say “I love you.” Crisp-skinned salmon sits atop a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce with crushed red pepper and dried oregano. Serve with crusty bread or your favorite pasta to sop up that dreamy pink sauce.

Recipe: Marry Me Salmon

3. Steak au Poivre for Two



Make this cozy French bistro dish at home for a fraction of the price. Alexa Weibel’s recipe begins with a piece of beef that is crusted in crushed peppercorns and ends with a glossy, peppery Cognac pan sauce. Instead of two individual fillets, she calls for one large rib-eye steak which is more affordable, more flavorful and easier to cook.

Recipe: Steak au Poivre for Two

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