Spring Pasta Recipes | Cooking Light

0706 Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

Photo: Randy Mayor

Pasta makes an ideal partner for the lightest, most delicately flavored veggies of the year. These dishes showcase fresh, vibrant items like snappy green peas, earthy asparagus, peppery radishes, sweet spring onions, and nutty fava beans. The job of the noodles is to make them a substantial, but never heavy, meal. It's also fitting to celebrate the season's produce bounty with pasta that's just as varied: tidy farfalle bow ties and fluted garganelli tubes; long, hollow bucatini noodles and broad, elegant pappardelle ribbons. We chose dried pastas, rather than fresh—they're pantry-friendly and offer a more satisfying chew when cooked al dente.

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Pasta with Pea Puree

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Pasta with Pea Puree

We swap traditional red sauce for this light spring pasta, which delivers fresh flavor thanks to green peas, Parmesan, and fresh mint.

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Pretty "Parslied" Spaghetti

Photo: Caitlin Bensel

View Recipe: Pretty "Parslied" Spaghetti

Leftover flat-leaf parsley is likely lurking in your crisper. This unassuming herb has a bright, grassy personality that, combined with cheese, garlic, and good olive oil, makes this dish sing. Try embellishing with lemon zest, toasted nuts, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, or even sardines.

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Pasta with Shrimp in Tomato Cream

Photo: Greg Dupree

View Recipe: Pasta with Shrimp in Tomato Cream

Feel free to add your own touches—such as swapping in whole-grain pasta for a nutrition boost or trying goat cheese in place of feta—to make this dish personal for your preferences. If you don't have dry vermouth on hand, you can substitute dry sherry or a dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay). Or you could skip the alcohol altogether and use more chicken stock instead; stir in a teaspoon or two of white wine vinegar to balance the flavors with a little acidity.

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Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

View Recipe: Spinach Pesto Pasta with Shrimp

Pesto tends to go army green if made ahead. We blanch the spinach and basil to preserve color without diluting flavor. Fresh tomato adds moisture and a mild acidity to the sauce.

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Tortellini, Chicken, and Arugula Salad

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez

View Recipe: Tortellini, Chicken, and Arugula Salad

Quality meets convenience in this speedy springtime main. This salad fits right into your weekday lineup with minimal effort and maximum flavor. Prewashed greens let you grab a handful and go. Build a salad, wilt into sautés, or blend into a pesto. Look to Buitoni pasta packs for quick meals on their own or to help you elevate salads and soups. Rotisserie chicken is one of your best supermarket allies for fast and fresh weeknight meals.

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Herby Pea and Lemon Pasta Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Herby Pea and Lemon Pasta Salad

This verdant pasta salad signals a fantastic start to spring with a shower of fresh herbs. Mini shell pasta and peas are a perfect pair—the pasta serves as a kind of catcher's mitt for the sweet, bright green peas. You could also use orecchiette, an ear-shaped pasta that serves the same purpose.

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Kritharoto (Orzo Pasta) with Peas, Lemon, and Feta

Photo: Iain Bagwell

View Recipe: Kritharoto (Orzo Pasta) with Peas, Lemon, and Feta

Chervil is a much-loved herb in Greece, where it's called myronia. If unavailable, substitute 7 tablespoons fresh parsley plus 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon. You can also sub 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper for Maras. Serves 6 as a main course or 12 as a meze.

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Chicken Stroganoff

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Chicken Stroganoff

If stroganoff could restore its Russian creators 200 years ago, this chicken version will restore you on any weeknight.

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Spaghetti with Spinach-Avocado Sauce

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Spaghetti with Spinach-Avocado Sauce

Move over, pesto: You're not the only sauce worth going green for. Pureed avocado makes this dish positively irresistible. Garnish with extra basil leaves, if desired.

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Charred Lemon Pappardelle with Mushrooms and Shrimp

Photo: Christopher Testani

View Recipe: Charred Lemon Pappardelle with Mushrooms and Shrimp

Juice from charred lemons cuts the density of fat in a silky sauce like this, keeping its richness in check.

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Cauliflower Alfredo

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Cauliflower Alfredo

Cooked cauliflower becomes creamy and luscious when pureed with stock and garlic. It's a simple way to healthier fettuccine Alfredo.

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Creamy Asparagus and Pancetta Penne

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Creamy Asparagus and Pancetta Penne

Fresh spears of asparagus, pancetta, and cremini mushrooms are tossed in a light white sauce. Lemon rind adds a welcomed extra punch of flavor.

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Caramelized Cabbage With Whole-Wheat Penne and Provolone

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Caramelized Cabbage With Whole-Wheat Penne and Provolone

This pasta toss is inspired by a similar dish at Franny's restaurant in Brooklyn. The cabbage caramelizes in the pan and becomes just tender enough to bind with the pasta without losing its toothsomeness. Fresh red chile is a must for a pop of color and heat—don't skip it.

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Spaghetti with Pistachio-Mint Pesto and Spinach

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Spaghetti with Pistachio-Mint Pesto and Spinach

Pistachios lend deep, earthy flavors to this pasta dish that is ideal for potlucks and feeding large crowds.