Romantic Recipes for Valentine's Day

Tomatoes need a little extra love during winter. This pasta uses them in two ways: first melted into the pancetta drippings for a saucy base, then sautéed until gently blistered with the kale and garlic. Vary the green depending on what you have on hand; shredded Brussels sprouts, chard, or spinach would work. Orecchiette ("little ears" in Italian) have a catcher’s mitt shape that’s ideal for holding the crispy bits of pancetta. You could also use whole-grain shell pasta or rotini.

This bountiful plate comes together in a snap thanks to savvy finds from the supermarket like frozen precooked butternut squash, olives from the olive bar, and spiralized beets (available in the produce section). If you can’t find the beets, you can add 1/3 cup precooked, sliced beets to the cooked and drained green beans. Cutting the steak in half will also speed up cooking; be sure to let it rest a few minutes before slicing.

Crushed whole spices create a beautiful crust on a seared and roasted pork tenderloin. You don't need a spice grinder or mortar and pestle; place the peppercorns and coriander seeds in a ziplock bag and crush gently with a small, heavy skillet until very coarsely ground. Refrigerated potatoes are parcooked, saving you oven time. Coat and sear the pork while the oven preheats. Make the yogurt sauce while the pork and potatoes bake.

Bake and refrigerate this dessert the night before, so all you need to do is add and caramelize the sugar topping before serving dinner.

Job’s tears are a gluten-free whole grain, distinctly large, with a mild corn-rice flavor that’s versatile enough to use in countless dishes. Find it at health food stores and Asian markets. While the salad stands before serving, the warm vinaigrette will slightly tenderize the thinly shaved vegetables. If you use a mandoline to slice the beets, deal them into the salad like playing cards so they don’t clump together in stacks. Red beets are fine in this dish as well, though they will color the grains pink.

To make your next steak night a success, watch over the temperature of the meat with a thermometer. This works best on steaks of 1-inch (or more) thickness; it’s hard to get a good reading on anything thinner. We marinate the meat with lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil—but no salt, because the marinade will get discarded. Instead, we sprinkle on a little kosher salt before pan-grilling and finish the sliced steak with gorgeous flaky salt so that it hits your tongue first and offers a beautiful crunchy kick.

Feel free to add your own touches—such as swapping in whole-grain pasta for a nutrition boost or trying goat cheese in place of feta—to make this dish personal for your preferences. If you don't have dry vermouth on hand, you can substitute dry sherry or a dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay). Or you could skip the alcohol altogether and use more chicken stock instead; stir in a teaspoon or two of white wine vinegar to balance the flavors with a little acidity.

Just three minutes is enough to brown the topping and perfectly cook the delicate oysters.

Pucker, punch, and crunch abound in this gorgeous salad. Grapefruit and green apple are high in vitamin C, which lowers stress-inducing cortisol.

We swap traditional red sauce for this light spring pasta, which delivers fresh flavor thanks to green peas, Parmesan, and fresh mint.

Impress your sweetheart with a restaurant-quality dessert in the comfort of your home. You'll never believe how easy it is to whip up a batch of our sexy, foolproof chocolate soufflés. Prepare for a taste of heaven.

Vanilla, fig, vodka, and cinnamon combine with champagne for a delicious seasonal beverage that's perfect for toasting with your special someone.