6 Romantic Dishes to Make for Your Single Self on Valentine’s Day

Being single is great. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, and there’s nobody that you need to compromise with or meet halfway on any particular decision. The autonomy! It’s phenomenal. It is this liberty, especially in the kitchen, that I love most about my life of singularity. We singles tend to throw ourselves a pity party on February 14th because we’re hung up on the fact that we do not have a special someone to share a Hallmark holiday with. I would like to beg to differ—V-day for a single person should be a reason to celebrate! Making plans is easy because you there’s only one person calling the shots, the company is great because it’s your fine self, and the food is plentiful because there’s no one there to limit (or judge) your desired portion size. Now that sounds like the perfect dinner to me.

The only question that remains is, what will you make to celebrate your beautiful, carefree life of unapologetic independence? I’ll tell you what—something freaking incredible. Because you’re awesome, kind, smart, and my God, you deserve it. Some of these recipes make a single serving, and some of them make multiple. Don’t worry—you can halve (or quarter) the recipe (while celebrating the sweet, sweet liberation that comes with not having to feed another human), count on leftovers, or eat for a family of four because it’s your life and you can do whatever you want without the input of anybody else. Alright, let’s get cheffin’, you wild thang, you.

Sara Tane

Self care comes in a lot of forms; exercise, face masks, singing in the car, a long bout of Netflix—those are all great. But you want to know one of the most underrated forms of self care? New. York. Strips (the cut of meat, you filthy, filth dog). Yes, I know, it’s a little bit on the pricier side. But you bet your bottom dollar that you’re worth every penny, so why don’t you go ahead and make this surprisingly easy dinner for ~uno~?

While we’re on the topic of red meat, let’s talk about this Rosé Butter Sauce. Not only is it undoubtedly appropriate for any lovey dovey occasion (a lighthearted conversation with yourself counts), it’s also to die for. If you don’t feel like stepping outside of your budget for an expensive cut of meat, then buy a cut that you’re comfortable with and splurge on the sauce. You don’t need to buy an expensive rosé, just pick one with a cute label, a price that you can get down with, and one that you’re excited to have multiple glasses of alongside your dinner. Look at you, you’re on your way to Millennial pink glory.

Pasta is love. And if you love yourself (you better, you fine reader, you), this classic Cacio e Pepe is a low-key dinner that feels exceptional. Since the recipe serves two, you can of course halve the ingredients for an easy-peasy single serving situation, but pasta and cheese are really good things, so why limit them, you know?

Valentine’s day is all about matches made in heaven, and let’s be real here, the only match that’s truly worth getting excited about in this world is sweet and savory. That, my friends, is the genius behind this easy pork dinner. The juicy, tartness from the Honeycrisp apples liven up the Brussels sprouts and crispy pork chop. Coming together in less than 20 minutes, this dinner will leave you plenty of time for a movie marathon and a few extra glasses of wine.

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Some like it hot, and that’s definitely you, so what’s stopping you from going all out and making yourself a big, bad curry for your intimate dinner for one? Throw in as much garlic and as much spice as you like, because tonight is about you and nobody else. You could scale the recipe down to accommodate one serving, but I’d recommend making both servings, because you know those leftovers are going to taste even better the next day. See, if you had an S.O., they would be preventing you from eating a delicious lunch tomorrow. Now isn’t that selfish of them?

You want to talk about seductive? Well alright then, let’s talk about scallops. These succulent bivalves are about as good as shellfish get, and the tangy, briny mustard-caper sauce is an easy win, too. Serve it alongside a bed of hearty greens, atop a pile of your favorite grain, or with a side of creamy mashed potatoes. Remember, it’s your choice. The day and this meal is yours and yours only. There’s no way that anybody else can get in the way of that one-of-a-kind self love.