If you are inviting friends over for a dinner party, you don’t want to cook the same old meals that you normally eat during the week. It’s a special occasion and you want to impress everybody, but if you’re not that advanced in the kitchen, you may be wondering what you should cook. 

However, there are some great simple recipes that people always find impressive. They never have to know that they’re not really that difficult once you know what you are doing, so all of your dinner party guests will be in awe of your culinary skills. These are some of the most simple but impressive things to cook for your dinner party guests. 

Homemade Pasta 

Homemade fresh pasta is one of those things that a lot of people never attempt because they assume that it’s really difficult. But the reality is, it’s not that hard as long as you have the right equipment. You can make a simple dough using semolina flour, or even regular flour, and some eggs. If you have vegan guests, you can still make some great pasta dough with water instead. The trickiest bit is rolling it out and you will need a pasta rolling machine, but it’s not as hard as you might think as long as you use plenty of flour to stop it from sticking. As long as you have a practice run before your dinner party, you can make some incredibly fresh pasta that will impress your guests. 

A Rack Of Lamb

A rack of lamb is one of those dishes that looks great as a centerpiece on the table, so it’s sure to wow your guests. With lamb, it’s important that you don’t overcook it because it will be tough, so if you have guests that don’t like rare meat, maybe avoid this one. However, if you learn how to cook a rack of lamb properly, it’s a great recipe to have in your repertoire. Lamb works great as a traditional roast with some potatoes and steamed vegetables but you can also get a bit more experimental and try it with some Mediterranean flavors or a pistachio crust if you want to make it extra special for your guests. 

Whole Roast Fish

If you are looking for healthier meal options but you still want to host an impressive dinner party, you might be stuck for ideas. But you don’t have to compromise on taste if you want to go for something healthy. Whole roast fish is a brilliant dinner party meal that looks very professional when presented on a large platter with all of the sides. The thing is, it’s so simple to do so even a novice cook can manage it. You can buy the fish ready-prepared, and then you just need to stuff it with some lemon and fresh dill and get it in the oven for around half an hour until the skin is nice and crisp. 

You don’t need to be an expert in the kitchen to impress at your next dinner party. Just try these simple recipe ideas and your guests will be blown away.