25 Valentine's Day Pasta Recipes for Two
Valentine's Day pasta recipes for two make an excellent stay at home dinner date idea for the holiday. Plan a delicious meal you and your sweetheart will enjoy with lots of make-ahead options so you can focus on having fun together.
For the past decade+, February 14 has been all about celebrating Valentine's Day dinner with our kids.
I wouldn't change those nights for the world, I love my kiddos so much. But I can totally see the glimmer of Valentine's Day of the future where our table will be leaning more towards a romantic dinner for two instead of a whole-family feast.
Whether your Valentine's date is someone exciting and new, you're celebrating your first Valentine's Day together, or you're just looking for a special occasion in the middle of family life, you can't go wrong with a romantic pasta dinner cooked right at home.
You can make it extra-special if you plan one of these easy Valentine appetizers to enjoy before your pasta course.
Valentine's Day Pasta Recipes for Two
You can absolutely plan a romantic yet easy dinner for two for Valentine's Day right at home.
I think this is the best way to spend your date night because:
- A FRACTION of the Cost: You'll spend so much less than you would at a fancy restaurant on the busy holiday. It's the perfect excuse to spoil yourself with a few extra romantic touches like candles or fresh flowers.
- Quieter and Cozier: Turn the lights down, light the candles. You'll have no rude interruptions from anyone around you.
- Exactly How You Like It: You can hand-select a menu that is just right for your Valentine with all their favorites.
- Easy to Scale: All my pasta recipe suggestions below can be easily scaled for just two for dinner. In some instances you may want to make the whole batch because you can freeze the leftovers for another wonderful meal together another time.
Pick a Pasta Sauce
Planning your Valentine's dinner for two is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
- Pick one of the easy pasta sauce recipes below.
- Add a protein like chicken, shrimp, or salmon on top. Or pair it with a filet mignon or grilled steak as a separate course.
- Keep it meatless or consider adding additional veggies for a pop of color and flavor.
You'll find all the mix-and-match tips listed under each pasta recipe along with my favorite protein topper recipes listed below.
Then just add a bottle of red wine (or white wine if you prefer) and skip the dinner reservations altogether.
Alfredo Sauce with Cream Cheese
One of my favorite homemade pasta sauces is this rich and creamy alfredo sauce made with cream cheese, it's the ultimate comfort food!
Though I make mine with a block of cream cheese, you could substitute creamy mascarpone for a more traditional Italian recipe.
I toss it with a thicker fettuccini pasta and it is delicious with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and parsley over the top.
You could pair it with Italian-seasoned baked chicken or air fryer shrimp if you want protein on top.
Rich Bolognese Sauce
If I'm making pasta as a special treat for my husband, this rich and meaty bolognese sauce would be an indulgent way to show him I care.
I serve it over thick rigatoni pasta that captures all the delicious bits of ground beef and chunks of tender vegetables.
No need to add an additional protein here, everything you want is all in the one batch of sauce.
Creamy Lemon Garlic Pasta
If my husband were going to spoil me with a pasta dinner for two, I'd be begging for a bowl of this perfectly al dente creamy lemon garlic pasta with seasoned shrimp on top.
I made it with the Meyer lemons he grows for me on our patio but regular lemons from the grocery store would work great, too.
Farfalle Primavera
My creamy farfalle primavera recipe does make a pretty large batch for a big family dinner but it would be very easy to adjust for just two people.
I recommend stocking up on the pre-chopped veggie blend from the grocery store so you could use a smaller quantity but still get the variety of flavors involved. Our local spot offers a mixed vegetable kit that has carrots, peppers, and something green like broccoli or zucchini depending on the time of year.
Or go ahead and roast the entire batch of primavera veggies in olive oil yourself. You don't need to use all of them in this pasta, you could easily save some for other dinners this week.
Chicken Bolognese
If my beef bolognese is a little too rich for your Valentine's Dinner plans, lighten things up with this delicious chicken bolognese instead.
No need to add an additional protein, just ladle this sauce over your favorite spaghetti noodles and sprinkle some grated parmesan on top.
Fresh Tomato Pasta Toss
If you like a delicate pasta sauce, my fresh tomato pasta would be an excellent choice to pair with an angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti.
This vegetarian pasta recipe is great for a meatless Valentine's Day that falls on Ash Wednesday and you need to observe your Lenten fasting.
But you could also pair it with any of the proteins I've mentioned below, too.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
The wonderful thing about this Tuscan chicken pasta recipe is that you make the creamy sauce right in the Crock pot and add the pasta later.
This means you could make the chicken and sauce ahead and then only use as much as you need for your dinner for two. Reserve the rest to serve with fresh pasta another night.
Pasta Rosa with Sausage
Our daughters made this savory pasta rosa with sausage for our at-home anniversary dinner one year and it was the sweetest gesture ever.
If you make the recipe for just two people, you'll definitely have leftovers but it would reheat well or you could freeze it for another dinner later.
Alternatively, you could cut the recipe in half and only use half a pound of sausage and half a pound of pasta.
Creamy Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus
This creamy orzo with chicken and asparagus cooks right in the skillet for a one-pot meal. Just what everyone wants on Valentine's Day -- less dishes to wash later.
This decadent pasta recipe is loaded with tender chicken and bright bursts of tomato in a rich pasta sauce. It would surely be an elegant choice for your special meal.
Garlic Butter Scampi
Does your Valentine's sweetheart love all things Olive Garden but you need to stay home?
How about my copycat chicken scampi recipe with tender chicken tenderloins over the top?
Or mix things up and add some seasoned shrimp instead. Don't forget my copycat Olive Garden garden salad.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Channel your inner Lady and the Tramp and plan a romantic spaghetti dinner for two.
The beauty of these homemade Italian meatballs is that they are freezer-friendly and you can cook just the ones you need for your dinner.
Pick a Protein to Add on Top
If you chose one of the above pasta sauces and you're looking to add a meaty main dish or a protein topper on top, here are my favorite meat recipes that pair well with a pasta dinner:
Whole Roast Chicken
Skip the potatoes underneath this easy roast chicken recipe and double up on the veggies -- carrots, onions, or even add some chopped bell peppers.
The lemon and fresh thyme that is stuffed inside the chicken before it is roasted pair perfectly with the creamy alfredo, garlic scampi, garlic lemon, or fresh tomato pastas I mentioned above.
Baked Chicken Parmesan
Spoil your sweetheart with two chicken breasts turned into my easy prep-ahead baked chicken parmesan. This recipe is so easy to scale down for just two people.
Pair it with any of the pastas I've mentioned above, especially if you serve it as a fancy Italian restaurant would: as a secondi (second course)!
Baked Chicken Breasts
You can easily season just two chicken breasts in an Italian herb blend and bake them.
Let them cool slightly so the juices redistribute and then chop them for adding to your pasta dishes.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins
Season a batch of chicken tenderloins and pop them into the air fryer.
This could even be done in advance. Just chop the chicken meat up and add it to your sauce to warm through with the pasta before serving.
Air Fryer Shrimp
Shrimp cook in just minutes in the air fryer and get a slightly grilled / charred flavor to them that adds so much to a pasta bowl.
Roasted Shrimp
I love to toss shrimp with olive oil and roast it in the oven. This would make an excellent part of a surf and turf pasta dinner with a filet mignon and a garlic butter pasta.
What to Serve with Pasta
When you're cooking a date night dinner at home, the most important thing to remember is that this is a very special meal, not your average weeknight dinner.
To elevate your menu to a restaurant-quality experience at home, always add a starter, a salad, and some fresh bread.
None of these need to be complicated or difficult. Here are a few of my favorite fast picks:
Fresh Bread that Pairs Well with Pasta
And then be sure to fill up that bread basket (with an elegant cloth napkin lining it, of course) with one of these freshly warmed breads for dunking into that delicious pasta sauce:
More Valentine's Day Ideas
Whether you're planning a quiet night for two or want to celebrate Valentine's Day with the kids, here are my favorite sweet ideas for the holiday:
