20 Dinner Party Recipes That Celebrate Harvest Season

Although we are obviously sad to see summer disappear for another year, the prospect of a warm, golden fall isn't really so bad. With the cooler weather, the cozy evenings, and the golden leaves, fall is one of our favorite seasons, and it's definitely the best time of year for fresh produce.

Creamy risotto studded with sweet, roasted acorn squash, salty bacon, and crispy, fragrant sage leaves makes the ultimate comforting fall entrée.

For the Acorn Squash Risotto With Smoked Bacon and Fried Sage Leaves recipe, click here.

Don't keep all the autumnal apples for dessert: Apples and pork make a perfect match, as this orchard pork roast will prove.

For the Apple Orchard Pork Roast recipe, click here.

With a chill in the air, it's the perfect time for warming bowls of soups and stews. This seafood-filled pumpkin bouillabaisse is just what your hungry guests will be craving on those beautiful, breezy days.

For the Autumn Bouillabaisse recipe, click here.

For a relaxed dinner party with close friends, some good old-fashioned comfort food is in order. You can't beat a plate filled with this sweet, cheesy, baked pasta dish on a happy, red-wine-filled night.

For the Baked Pasta With Butternut Squash and Ricotta recipe, click here.

Show off your chef skills by swapping the store-bought ravioli for a homemade version. These butternut squash ravioli are beautiful, delicate, and a perfect show-off dinner party dish.

For the Butternut Squash Ravioli recipe, click here.

This one-pot Levantine rice dish is packed full of many, many spices, making a meal that is so much more impressive than the sum of its parts.

For the Cauliflower and Chicken Makloubeh recipe, click here.

We don't think there's a dessert more comforting or satisfying than a bowl of apple crumble, still warm from the oven — especially when it's served with a boozy Irish whiskey cream.

For the Celtic Apple Crumble With Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce recipe, click here.

Though an iced granita may not be your idea of the perfect fall dessert, this refreshing dish perfectly captures that bold concord grape flavor.

For the Concord Grape Granita recipe, click here.

Swap the fresh, light, spring vegetables typically found in pasta primavera for all your favorite autumnal ones, as well as plenty of spices, cheese, and roasted hazelnuts.

For the Fall "Pasta Primavera" recipe, click here.

Beginning a dinner party with soup is always sensible: You can prepare it entirely ahead of time, place bread on the table, and simply heat the soup up whenever you're ready to serve it.

For the Golden Beet Soup recipe, click here.

This chicken may not contain any fresh harvest produce, but this spiced roast will be the perfect centerpiece for all your favorite fall side dishes, such as Brussels sprouts and roasted root vegetables.

For the Lemongrass and Turmeric Chicken recipe, click here.

Brussels sprouts are one of our favorite fall vegetables. We love them most when they're roasted with sweet maple syrup and chestnuts.

For the Maple-Glazed Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Chestnuts recipe, click here.

This salad is the perfect appetizer or side dish for your dinner party: It's sweet and salty flavors, and soft and crunchy textures, balance each other perfectly.

For the Pear, Spinach, and Blue Cheese Salad recipe, click here.

End your meal with this beautiful, decadent, and fall-perfect pumpkin roll filled with a rich, fluffy, pumpkin spice-inspired cream cheese filling.

For the Pumpkin Roll With Spiced Cream Cheese Filling recipe, click here.

The classics are always popular for a reason: These beautifully colored poached pears are perfect when served with vanilla mascarpone cream and warm chocolate sauce.

For the Red Wine Poached Pears With Vanilla Mascarpone Cream recipe, click here.

We can't get enough of those deep, woody, mushroom flavors. Here, they really impart their flavor onto the pork loin to create a hearty party centerpiece.

For the Roast Pork Loin With Porcini Mushrooms recipe, click here.

Apple pie, apple tart, baked apples... We'll be eating apples in all their sweet forms throughout the season. But when they're cooked in this simple tart with plenty of caramel, we lose all our self-control.

For the Rustic Caramel Apple Tart recipe, click here.

Seafood stews are the perfect way to ease into the coming season of soups and stews without turning immediately to the hefty bowls filled with meat and root vegetables.

For the Seafood Broccoli Rabe Stew recipe, click here.

This elegant tarragon chicken dish, covered in a rich mushroom cream sauce, is a classic dinner party entrée and perfect for the cooler months.

For the Slow-Cooker Tarragon Chicken With Mushroom Cream Sauce recipe, click here.

Making your own gnocchi may sound complicated, but we promise that it really isn't. You'll be everybody's favorite new host, especially when you top the bright, autumn-colored gnocchi with a nutty, brown butter sauce.

For the Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Brown Butter and Sage recipe, click here.