This past week has been a festive one—from preparations for Lunar New Year to Mardi Gras celebrations, our readers were saving some unique recipes to reflect the confluence of occasions. Take, for instance, “Italian Love Cake,” a charming layered pudding cake that includes chocolate cake, whipped topping, and creamy ricotta cheese, which collected over 3,000 saves—just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Other popular recipes last week included an easy but restaurant-worthy chicken dinner, a buttery scallops recipe perfect for two, and a spicy Cajun-inspired pasta recipe that includes both smoky sausage and spicy shrimp. Read on to see the recipes that Allrecipes members have been saving more than any others.
Italian Love Cake
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
This chocolaty Italian love cake is easy to make and delicious too!
“I had a Italian themed dinner for friends and I was looking for a dessert. This recipe sparked my interest specially cause they had just got engaged! I did everything according to the directions except I used a heart shaped spring form pan & baked for only 60 minutes. I made the cake the night before & iced it a hour before guests arrived. I topped it with shaved chocolate and some strawberries. Such a hit, It was delicious!” —KZRod
Easy Garlic-Lemon Scallops
Photographer: Jen Causey / Food Styling: Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling: Christina Daley
“AH-MAZ-ING!!! And hit the seafood craving I’ve been longing to satisfy! Made exactly except added the garlic AFTER removing the scallops from my cast iron. Simple but wonderful! Licked the serving plate clean! Cannot wait to make again! Thank you!” —DREGINEK
Chicken au Poivre
Allrecipes / Julia Hartbeck
This chicken recipe is racking up saves and rave reviews among our community, thanks to its “secret sauce”: cracked peppercorns add a punch of spice to a velvety cream sauce for chicken thighs.
“Excellent recipe! Restaurant quality for sure. I just used cracked pepper and dried thyme and it was super yummy,” says Heather Cullen. “I served it with rice cooked in chicken broth and green beans.”
Mardi Gras Pasta
Allrecipes
Save time making this Cajun-inspired Mardi Gras fettuccine pasta with store-bought Alfredo sauce. Shrimp and andouille sausage make it a restaurant-worthy dish at home—quick enough for home cooks to cut corners easily, but flavorful enough for experienced cooks to swap in homemade sauce.
3-Ingredient Cottage Cheese Bites
Photographer: Robby Lozano / Food Styling: Isabelle Easter / Prop Styling: Josh Hoggle
These three-ingredient cottage cheese bites are essentially egg bites with extra protein from the cottage cheese—but reviewers are adding all sorts of flavors and additions to suit their tastes.
“I made this yesterday and the texture is amazing. Felt like I was eating a desert, almost like the custard of a cream brulee but a little savory,” says Kathy in HB. “This is like an empty canvas with so many possibilities.”