Do I need to match a friend's elaborate dinners when I invite her to mine?

My friend served three courses, brought out handwritten place cards and sent us home with little packets of biscuits. It was lovely. When I invited her back, I nearly deleted the words "pasta and a film" because they looked inadequate beside her evening.

She loves hosting. I enjoy having people round, but a pot of something simple is more my style. She hasn't asked me to match her effort. Another guest joked that I'd better get practising, and I have somehow turned that joke into an expectation.

I could make a bigger evening of it. I don't particularly want to, and I'm worried that doing it once will make every future invitation feel like a production. Is a simpler return invitation thoughtful enough? How do I show I appreciated her care without pretending we enjoy hosting in the same way?