31 Recipes for an Extra-Special New Year's Eve Dinner

This is no ordinary recipe for mussels in white wine sauce—the broth for these bivalves is made by sautéing chorizo (a spicy Spanish pork sausage) in a pan with shallots and garlic, followed by dry white wine, cherry tomatoes, and cannellini beans.

Serving pasta with tomato sauce is so last year. Celebrate the arrival of the new year with this totally innovative pasta dish. The sauce uses an entire bottle of red wine, which cooks with pancetta, shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, and plenty of Pecorino Romano.

These flavorful, Mediterranean-inspired chicken legs are sure to make jaws drop. The meat roasts along with chickpeas and shallots for two hours until it's crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

Want to really wow your family on New Year's Eve? Start by making our homemade eggless pasta dough, then toss it with short-rib ragu that is fork-tender and rich as can be.

Breaded and pan-fried pork chops are a fabulous dinner for New Year's Eve. After being pan-fried, they're topped with a vinegar sauce and bright salad made with thinly sliced radishes, sliced shallots, fresh parsley, and dill leaves.

This hot and hearty Italian-American recipe is spectacular for serving on New Year's Eve. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are first pan-seared, then finish cooking with sweet Italian sausage, hot pickled cherry peppers, and plenty of herbs.

In under one hour, this extra-special New Year's Eve dinner recipe will be on the table. Instead of heavy cream, the sauce is made by whisking pasta water into an egg yolk; the mixture is added to a pot with unsalted butter, more pasta water, and grated Pecorino Romano.

The ultimate special occasion meal, seared duck breasts are served over a combination of roasted golden and red beets, sliced grapefruit, and pomelo—it's the perfect use of winter produce.

Saffron instantly elevates any meal, which is why it's just the spice to cook with for an occasion as special as New Year's Eve. This seafood stew gets plenty of bonus flavor from grated orange zest, fennel, cherry tomatoes, and clam juice.

You might not have the time to make this Italian beef recipe on a typical weeknight, and that's why it's just the thing to make for New Year's Eve dinner. A filling made from a combination of pimiento-stuffed green olives, raisins, parsley, and Parmigiano-Reggiano makes for a flavorful, memorable meal.

Sea bass is already a special cut of fish, but it's a real stunner for a New Year's Eve dinner. In this recipe, the fish is cooked in a skillet until crispy, then topped with a sauce made from vermouth, butter, and capers.

Celebrate the New Year with this old-fashioned favorite. Let all of the ingredients simmer in a Dutch oven for about three hours—it's the perfect make-ahead recipe.

Upgrade meaty swordfish with an aromatic sauce made from garlic, lemon juice, red-wine vinegar, capers, oregano, and peperoncino. Serve alongside roasted vegetable or a light citrus salad for a dazzling New Year's Eve dinner.

Looking for a quick and easy New Year's Eve dinner recipe? Try this: Thinly pounded chicken breasts are wrapped with sage leaves and prosciutto, then pan-fried until crisp.

Go all out with this recipe for short ribs cooked with aromatic ingredients like allspice, bay leaves, thyme, fresh ginger, and orange zest.

This is no ordinary dinner recipe, which is why it's ideal for serving for your New Year's Eve main. Lamb loin chops, which are rubbed with crushed black peppercorns and salt, are pan-seared and served alongside roasted potatoes and broccolini.

Inspired by traditional trout almondine, this broiler-friendly, 45-minute meal makes a fabulous dinner recipe for New Year's Eve.

Wait for the ball to drop as you twirl strands of flavorful spaghetti around your fork. In a meal that pleases both kids and adults, our version of Shrimp Scampi is even more remarkable thanks to a homemade concentrated shrimp stock.

Take a tour of the South with this pimiento-cheese-inspired version of macaroni and cheese. Chopped bell pepper, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce bring authentic Southern flavor to this New Year's Eve dinner recipe.

There's arguably no recipe that's more apt for a holiday meal than a perfect roast chicken. The chicken is nestled between a mixture of carrots, shallots, fingerling potatoes, and lemon and everything roasts together.

Seared scallops are delicious on their own, but they're even better when served over pasta with grilled fennel. It's a meal that will instantly transport you to summer even on New Year's Eve.

Inspired by her Polish roots (and her impressive cabbage garden!), this recipe is one of Martha's favorites for cooking on a cold winter's night—we guarantee you and your loved ones will want you to make it for New Year's Eve.

Make your last meal of the year one to remember with this seafood stew that features a mouthwatering array of small clams, striped bass fillets, large shrimp, plus white beans for extra heartiness.

If you're looking for a lighter New Year's Eve dinner recipe, how about poached halibut with an assortment of flavorful vegetables? It's sure to please. 

Vegetarians and meat lovers alike will love this interpretation of a Shepherd's Pie for New Year's Eve dinner, which is made with cremini mushrooms and green lentils in place of the usual ground beef.

Spiral-glazed ham is a top-tier holiday meal on its own, but we amped it up even more with a glaze made from molasses, brown sugar, honey, mustard, and allspice. It cooks with cipollini onions, which absorb the flavors and caramelize in the bottom of the roasting pan.

We're calling this our ultimate lasagna recipe—the meat filling is made with ground beef and sweet Italian sausage (because one variety certainly isn't enough). A trio of ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, and eggs make for a super creamy filling.

An all-American classic, pot roast serves as the perfect New Year's Eve dinner recipe. Make it easier than ever by cooking it in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot so you can set it and forget about it.

Turn store-bought gnocchi into an amazing New Year's Eve dinner by building a sauce made from butter, garlic, chicken broth, and a little bit of flour (just to thicken it). Toss with torn cooked chicken, broccolini, and plenty of cheese and bake until bubbly.

Let winter greens like Tuscan kale shine in this hearty and healthy New Year's Eve dinner. Pork tenderloin is served alongside a salad made from roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, and kale for a satisfying meal.