Healthy Recipes Healthy Seasonal Recipes Healthy Spring Recipes Healthy Spring Dinner Recipes 31 Pasta Dinners That Are Perfect for Spring By Leah Goggins Leah Goggins Leah Goggins is a digital fellow for EatingWell. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, she is a devotee of old movies, farmers' markets and Ina Garten's tomato sandwich with basil mayo recipe. Leah has a degree in news media and English from The University of Alabama. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 12, 2022 Trending Videos Close this video player Shine a spotlight on delicious spring veggies with these seasonal pasta recipes. Whether you incorporate peas in your pesto, spinach in your cream sauce or mushrooms in your cheesy orzo, these recipes promise to pack in flavor. With healthy dishes like our Spring Vegetable Lasagna and Creamy Spinach Pasta with White Beans on the menu, you're sure to have a crowd pleaser on your hands. 01 of 31 Pea Pesto Gnocchi with Burrata View Recipe Jacob Fox Here we pan-fry gnocchi to get them crispy, then coat them with a pesto-like sauce made with sweet peas, spinach, basil and cashews. 02 of 31 Spring Vegetable Lasagna View Recipe No-boil noodles help get this crowd-pleasing vegetarian lasagna in the oven fast. Using a mandoline isn't essential, but will make quick work of producing thin, uniform slices of roots that cook super-evenly and look stunning. Serve with a mixed green salad with red-wine vinaigrette and crusty bread. 03 of 31 Spinach, Lima Bean & Crispy Pancetta Pasta View Recipe We opt for fresh spinach pasta here--it cooks quickly and adds a pop of color. Cooking lima beans in pancetta drippings infuses them with flavor. 04 of 31 Creamy Spinach Pasta with White Beans View Recipe Here, we whir up fresh spinach and kale with cream cheese and Gruyère for the luscious sauce that highlights this rich pasta dish. Paired with beans, it makes a filling vegetarian meal. 05 of 31 Creamy Boursin Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms & Tomatoes View Recipe Jason Donnelly Boursin cheese adds delicious creaminess to this one-pan, veggie-packed pasta. We use the garlic-and-herbs flavor here, but other Boursin flavors like shallot and chive or cracked black pepper would be just as tasty. 06 of 31 Mushroom Orzo with Lemon & Parmesan View Recipe Photographer / Fred Hardy, Food Stylist / Ruth Blackburn This mushroom orzo with lemon and Parmesan is a creamy dish rich with flavor thanks to mushrooms and a velvety smooth sauce. Enjoy this cozy pasta dish with a glass of wine. 07 of 31 Chicken Sausage & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan View Recipe Jamie Vespa This one-pan pasta combines tasty chicken sausage and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal that's garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. It's a quick and easy weeknight dinner everyone is sure to love. This recipe is a variation on our Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan, which is a super-popular recipe developed by Devon O'Brien. 08 of 31 One-Pot Pasta with Peas & Parmesan View Recipe Victor Protasio A bowl of creamy pea pasta is colorful—and bright in flavor as well, thanks to the addition of lemon zest and juice. Made in just one pot, this easy pasta recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. 09 of 31 One-Pot Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Pasta View Recipe Victor Protasio This creamy chicken and mushroom pasta recipe makes for an easy weeknight dinner. Using store-bought rotisserie chicken saves time when cooking, and leftover chicken would work just as well. 10 of 31 Baked Spinach & Feta Pasta View Recipe Jason Donnelly Feta softens in the oven before it's combined with spinach and pasta, with the pasta cooking right in the baking dish. Enjoy this one-pan dish on its own as a vegetarian main or serve with sautéed chicken breast for a boost of protein. 11 of 31 One-Pot Lemon Asparagus Pasta with Shrimp View Recipe Brie Passano This quick one-pot shrimp and pasta dinner is cooked with asparagus in a lemony sauce. Feta cheese sprinkled over the top adds another savory layer, but feel free to skip it and add additional fresh herbs and a lemon slice instead. 12 of 31 Linguine with Lemon Alfredo Shrimp View Recipe This bright and lemony shrimp pasta dish was inspired by traditional Alfredo but comes in at only a fraction of the fat and calories. Reduced-fat cream cheese adds body to the sauce, while Parmesan cheese adds its signature robust flavor. This recipe calls for brown rice pasta, which is gluten-free, but if gluten is not a concern for you feel free to serve this sauce over regular linguine or fettucine--or any pasta you like! 13 of 31 Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Pasta View Recipe Jennifer Causey Make this creamy mushroom and spinach pasta for an easy, healthy dinner. Be sure to save some of the pasta-cooking water as it helps the sauce emulsify. 14 of 31 One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan View Recipe This hearty pasta dish with bright, fresh flavor is ideal for busy weeknights. The Parmesan adds welcome saltiness and notes of umami and you get added texture from the slight crunch of broccoli and whole-wheat noodles. Add some shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp or crispy chickpeas to punch up the protein. 15 of 31 Skillet Broccoli-Cheddar Mac & Cheese View Recipe Joy Howard Broccoli—just like pasta—makes a tasty pairing with sharp Cheddar. Here, we've combined all three ingredients in a homey casserole that's baked in a cast-iron skillet. Replacing some of the pasta in the dish with vegetables makes it more nutritious and helps you cut down on carbs. 16 of 31 Spaghetti with Baked Brie, Mushrooms & Spinach View Recipe Brie Passano Melted Brie cheese coats pasta and roasted veggies in this rich vegetarian pasta dish. White balsamic vinegar adds tang and a hint of sweetness in this easy weeknight dinner. 17 of 31 Garlic-Anchovy Pasta with Broccolini View Recipe Jacob Fox Here, we sprinkle the final pasta dish with crumbled goat cheese for nice tangy bites throughout. But if you prefer a creamy sauce, stir the cheese into the pasta in Step 3 along with the reserved cooking water. 18 of 31 Spinach & Mushroom Tortellini Bake View Recipe This cheesy tortellini bake is a dish the whole family will love--it's filled with sweet-tasting marinara, mushrooms and spinach and topped with melted cheese. Complete the meal, plus get in another vegetable serving, by adding a side of broccoli or a small green salad. 19 of 31 Creamy Spinach Pasta View Recipe This might be one of the creamiest light pasta dishes you've ever had! The mascarpone cheese adds a richness to the spinach pasta that's unexpected--especially in a healthy pasta recipe. 20 of 31 Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara View Recipe Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don't get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer. 21 of 31 Smoky Shrimp, Corn & Pea One-Pot Pasta View Recipe Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Sammy Mila Make your sauce and pasta all at once with this fast weeknight pasta dinner recipe. By using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta--no colanders here--the starch that cooks off into your pasta water, which you usually drain away, stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results. 22 of 31 3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli View Recipe Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D. Swap out regular pasta for pasta made with chickpeas and you'll more than triple the fiber and double the protein in this simple, satisfying dish. Be sure to save some of the pasta water to make a sauce. Feel free to use frozen broccoli in a pinch (you can blanch the broccoli in the same water you use to cook the pasta). 23 of 31 Lamb & Spinach One-Pot Pasta View Recipe A few stirs with a wooden spoon and only one pot--that's all you need for this quick weeknight pasta recipe. As the starch cooks off into the pasta water, it creates a creamy sauce to coat your vegetables and meat. 24 of 31 Spaghetti & Spinach with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce View Recipe Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Greg Luna To achieve flavor quickly in this pasta recipe, we use the oil from sun-dried tomatoes to create the base of the cream sauce. Meanwhile, the residual heat of the pasta wilts the spinach in record time for a fast weeknight dinner. 25 of 31 Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan View Recipe This one-pan pasta that combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal is garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta" and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love. 26 of 31 Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp View Recipe Yogurt makes a fine substitute for cream in the sauce for this easy pasta recipe. Just warm the yogurt (do not boil) and add some pasta-cooking water to thin it out. Lemon and fresh basil brighten up the whole-wheat pasta and complement the shrimp in this quick dinner recipe. 27 of 31 Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta View Recipe If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare. 28 of 31 15-Minute Salmon & Creamy Orzo with Spinach & Mushrooms View Recipe Brie Passano In this quick salmon dinner, salmon fillets are paired with creamy orzo, wilted spinach and earthy mushrooms. Cooking the salmon at a high temperature helps speed up the cooking in this healthy dinner recipe. Look for pre-sliced mushrooms to speed it up even more. 29 of 31 Lobster Ravioli View Recipe Who says a quick, easy dinner can't feel luxurious? This lobster ravioli recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make. It's quick enough for everyday, but worthy of a special occasion. Whip up this easy dinner on Valentine's Day or double it and serve it on a busy weeknight for the whole family to enjoy. 30 of 31 Lemony Linguine with Spring Vegetables View Recipe Instead of cooking pasta in a huge pot of water, here we use just 3 1/2 cups for this one-pot pasta recipe. When the pasta is al dente, most of the water has evaporated and the bit that's left is thickened with the starch that cooks off the pasta. With just a few add-ins like lemon and Parmesan cheese you have a delicious silky sauce. Want to use up your veggie stash in the freezer? Swap in 8 ounces frozen spinach for fresh. 31 of 31 Lemon-Garlic Chicken Penne with Pesto and Spinach View Recipe Fresh pesto brilliantly compliments the lemon and garlic flavors of this juicy chicken dinner. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit