If you’re busy brainstorming ideas for your next date night or simply inviting your best friend over to catch up, these pasta recipes are sure to make the night a memorable one. Perfectly portioned for two, these simple dishes range from elegant meals to our favorite comfort dishes. Grab your partner and get ready for a fun team activity and a dinner you won’t forget!
Start popping bottles! We’re kicking our list off with this mouthwatering scallop and champagne pasta recipe from
The Food Charlatan. Perfect for celebrating big milestones and small moments, this pasta is tossed in a champagne (or white wine) cream sauce and topped with pan-seared scallops, bacon and cheese. A generous handful of spinach is also included to help you get your veggies.
Date Night Pasta Carbonara
Creamy pasta carbonara, loaded with parmesan, garlic and bacon, is the ultimate comfort food. This quick and easy recipe from Broma Bakery takes only 20 minutes to prepare, giving you plenty of time to relax and enjoy each other’s company. The creaminess in this recipe comes from lightly cooked egg instead of cream but tastes just as decadent.
Squash and Spinach Fusilli with Pecans
For the perfect hearty vegetarian pasta, BBC Good Food created this recipe for fusilli pasta with butternut squash, courgette (aka zucchini) and spinach. Seasoned with garlic and sage then topped with crispy roasted pecans, this dish strikes just the right balance of flavors and textures. It’s also a great low-fat and low-calorie meal, so you don’t have to feel too guilty about splurging for dessert.
Lobster Mac and Cheese
For a romantic dinner, this melt-in-your-mouth lobster mac and cheese from Dessert for Two is the perfect pasta recipe. Combining rich flavorful Gruyere and cheddar cheeses, this silky sauce coats delicate pasta and fresh lobster, cooked in butter. Topping it all off is a generous topping of crispy, buttery breadcrumbs. Serve in individual baking dishes for added rustic charm.
Date Night Pasta with Miso Mushrooms
Take a vacation from the ordinary with this Asian inspired pasta dish from Hungry by Nature. This naturally vegetarian recipe can also be gluten-free if made with chickpea linguine. Full of mushrooms, kale and parmesan, the linguine is smothered in an earthy homemade miso mushroom sauce. With so many components, you may think this would be complicated to make – that’s not the case! From start to finish, the entire recipe takes only 20 minutes!
Classic Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs
Sometimes, nothing can beat the classics. Don’t pass on this spaghetti and meatball recipe by PBS or the opportunity to share in a “Lady and the Tramp” moment. This easy dish is full of flavor with parsley, garlic, onions and parmesan cheese baked into each meatball. As a plus, this is a great recipe to prep together for a fun date night activity.
Engagement Pasta
This creamy pasta recipe from Dessert for Two is so good, you’ll want to put a ring on it! This creamy sauce gets its unique flavor by soaking up all the caramelized flavor from seared chicken and mushrooms, white wine and cream cheese. Whether you’re making this for date night or a dinner with a friend, you’re both guaranteed to fall in love with this dinner recipe.
