Credit: Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans
Pasta dishes are an excellent way to highlight seasonal produce; in the springtime, this means asparagus, ramps, peas, artichokes, and more bright, fresh flavors. Of course, pasta primavera is the quintessential spring pasta permutation, and we’ve included recipes here for both classic and plant-based versions. We’ve also got a seasonal mac and cheese with leeks, lemon-tarragon shrimp scampi, and baked rigatoni with mushrooms and prosciutto in creamy pink sauce. Read on for these and even more spring pasta recipes we’re excited to make this season.
01 of 30
Mafaldine with Pea Shoot—Meyer Lemon Pesto
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Elegant, eye-catching, and utterly delicious, this ruffled pasta dish couldn’t be easier to prepare. The bright pesto — featuring fresh pea shoots and herbs, ricotta salata, sunflower seeds, and fragrant Meyer lemon — comes together near-instantly in the blender; the garlicky breadcrumb topping takes just 10 minutes on the stove.
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02 of 30
Farfalle with Prosciutto, Peas, and Tomatoes
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Alexandria Juhl
Instead of a sauce, this pasta dish from chef Alfred Portale derives its flavor from a bright compound butter made with garlic, lemon juice, fresh thyme, and black pepper. Use fresh peas and pea shoots if you can.
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03 of 30
Creamy Ramp Pasta with Asparagus
Credit: Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel
This spring pasta highlights the brief garlicky glory of ramp season, balancing out a sharp, nutty pesto with rich cream and a generous spread of fresh ricotta on the serving plates.
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04 of 30
Pasta with Broccolini, Peas, and Pancetta
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Ruote pazze pasta, which means “crazy wheels,” brings a whimsical quality to this weeknight-friendly dish; a verdant medley of Broccolini, sweet peas, leek, and fresh herbs celebrates the lushness of the season.
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05 of 30
Penne with Asparagus, Sage, and Peas
Credit: Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans
Add rich creaminess to penne, asparagus, and sweet English peas for this simple, 35-minute pasta recipe from chef Cindy Pawlcyn.
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06 of 30
Tagliatelle with Artichokes
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Seared artichokes mingle with garlic, Parmesan cheese, and herbs in a tangle of tagliatelle beneath buttery breadcrumbs for a bright, indulgent dish that’s ready in under an hour.
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07 of 30
Feta Gnocchi with Lemony Yogurt and Spring Peas
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Risha Carnes
Chef Cassie Piuma swaps out potato for fluffy feta cheese in her fabulous take on gnocchi, which also includes both fresh and dried herbs, fennel seeds, and Dijon mustard. She pan-fries it until golden and serves it with two types of peas over a bed of lemon-garlic strained yogurt.
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08 of 30
Spring Puttanesca Pasta
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
F&W’s Justin Chapple incorporates arugula, parsley, fresh spring onions, spicy Calabrian chiles, and Castelvetrano olives into his seasonal rendition of puttanesca that’s ready in just half an hour.
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09 of 30
Lemon-Tarragon Shrimp Scampi with Orzo
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
For this one-skillet dinner, creamy herb-flecked orzo is topped with buttery, garlicky, and lemony shrimp scampi. It’s on the table in just half an hour.
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10 of 30
Rigatoni with Asparagus-Pistachio Pesto
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jason Donnelly / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Joseph Wanek
Made with pine nuts, pistachios, and finely chopped asparagus and carrot, this light and flavorful pesto pasta from chef Andrew Zimmern is especially good topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
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11 of 30
Spaghetti Carbonara with Green Peas
Credit: Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Charlie Worthington / Prop Styling by Natalie Ghazali
Top Chef contestants Elia Aboumrad and Sam Talbot break the rules of classic carbonara by adding cream, peas, and garlic, and swapping Parmesan for the pecorino. The result is a rich, velvety sauce with bright pops of green throughout.
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12 of 30
Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Roast asparagus with a touch of olive oil and reduce balsamic vinegar until it’s thick and syrupy, then toss with cooked penne, butter, and Parmesan for this easy weeknight dinner.
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13 of 30
Italian Wedding Pasta Bowls
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
Pork-and-beef meatballs and carrots roast on the same sheet pan for this easy weeknight dinner inspired by the cozy soup. Tiny pastina and a bright parsley-lemon salad round out each bowl.
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14 of 30
Melted Leek Pasta with Lemon-Dill Breadcrumbs
Credit: Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox
This weeknight pasta starts with sweet, jammy leeks. A shower of citrus-herb breadcrumbs and almonds finishes it off with a pleasant crunch.
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15 of 30
Spinach Lasagna
Credit: Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Layers of spinach-laced ricotta, Mornay sauce, noodles, and mozzarella bake up into a golden, decadent pasta masterpiece that’s guaranteed to please.
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16 of 30
Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This luscious yet quick one-pot wonder is made by adding asparagus spears to the boiling pasta in the last minutes of cooking. Once drained, the fettuccine-asparagus mixture is tossed with butter, cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and Parmesan to form a creamy sauce.
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17 of 30
Pasta Primavera
Credit: Victor Protasio
“This Pasta Primavera is buttery and rich but still feels light from the lemon zest and fresh herbs — it’s the perfect dish to make after a visit to your local farmers market,” says recipe developer Liz Mervosh. “The colorful play of spring vegetables makes it as pleasing to the eyes as it is to your palate.”
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18 of 30
Gnocchi Asparagi e Pancetta (Tuscan Gnocchi with Asparagus and Pancetta)
Credit: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
The key to good gnocchi is good potatoes, and in Tuscany, that means ones from the Bolgheri area. In a celebration of the region’s trademark simplicity, we use Yukon Gold potatoes, tossed with delicate springtime asparagus and a savory, emulsified, pancetta-flavored pan sauce.
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19 of 30
Crawfish Fettuccine
Credit: Alex Lau / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
The spring months are peak season for the juiciest wild-caught crawfish, and this simple dish is a terrific way to feature it. Reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water to emulsify the butter and Parmesan into a rich, velvety sauce.
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20 of 30
Baked Rigatoni with Mushrooms and Prosciutto
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwod
Giada De Laurentiis coats chewy rigatoni in a best-of-both-worlds pink sauce, then stirs in chopped mushrooms and prosciutto before topping it all off with shredded Fontina cheese and baking to perfection. For more spring flavor, swap in oyster mushrooms for the standard white.
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21 of 30
Spaghetti with Ramps, Chiles, and Two Cheeses
Credit: Huge Galdones / Food Styling by Christina Zerkis
When ramps are in season, showcase them in as many ways as possible while you can. This lively pasta dish calls for a half pound of the allium to perfume the pasta with its lovely garlic-onion flavor, though scallions will work too.
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22 of 30
Kale-Artichoke Stuffed Shells
Credit: Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Tender kale is the base for this filling of artichoke hearts, creamy cannellini beans, and spreadable cheese, stuffing pasta shells that top marinara mixed with mildly hot Calabrian chiles and sweet, earthy fennel seeds.
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23 of 30
Lemon-Ricotta Pasta
Credit: Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser
Creamy ricotta cheese is the secret to the no-cook sauce for this 15-minute dish. It’s brightened with lemon zest and juice and tossed with pasta for an effortless, elegant dinner.
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24 of 30
One-Pot White Wine Pasta with Mushrooms and Leeks
Credit: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland
This rich, savory pasta dish comes together in a single pot. Sautéed mushrooms and leeks combine with cream, lemon, and white wine — you’ll cook the dry pasta in this velvety, gently sweet sauce for maximum flavor.
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25 of 30
Creamy Vegan Pasta Primavera
Credit: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
This plant-based pasta primavera from F&W’s Ann Taylor Pittman uses pine nuts and macadamia milk (make sure you buy the unsweetened version) to create a creamy texture, and nutritional yeast in place of Parmesan for umami.
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26 of 30
Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes Melted in Garlic Butter
Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Most fresh tomatoes are lacking in the spring, but cherry tomatoes are consistently delicious all year, making this recipe a great choice if you’re craving something tomato-y before summer’s bounty.
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27 of 30
Bucatini with Mushroom Ragù, Dandelion Greens, and Tarragon
Credit: Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Meaty morel mushrooms bring a special touch to any meal. Here, their earthy umami is bolstered by cremini mushrooms and dry white wine in a rich ragù, which is especially delightful tossed with a tangle of dandelion greens and twirl-worthy bucatini.
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28 of 30
Garganelli with Speck, Peas, and Scallion Cream
Credit: Victor Protasio
Scallions take the front seat in this pretty pasta — four cups of the green tops are infused into cream along with garlic and whizzed in the blender until smooth. A finishing touch of lemon and mint brings bright balance to the dish.
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29 of 30
Leek Mac and Cheese
Credit: Lucy Schaeffer
Though it’s the light-colored part of leeks that are most prized, this recipe makes use of even the dark, tough greens by sautéing them until they’re soft and supple. Once cooked, they’re combined with pasta and a delectable Manchego sauce, then baked to golden, bubbling perfection.
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30 of 30
Carrot-Potato Gnocchi
Credit: Frances Janisch
Adding carrot puree to gnocchi imparts a lovely orange hue and sweet edge that makes it an ideal match for brown butter and sage or a creamy white sauce.
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