It’s a spring pasta party! Here are 5 recipes to add to your dinner menu

We LOVE spring pasta!

We’re celebrating spring with a pasta party! Only the best noodles get invited. They’ve got to be light, bright, and bursting with color… a spring pasta you’d want to twirl your fork into. 

We asked our foodie friends to bring their very best spring pastas to our table. These are recipes you’ll want to repeat all spring long.  

Pasta Primavera

Marguerite Henderson shared a recipe that fits right in. Pasta primavera literally means ‘spring pasta’ in Italian. It’s rich, full of fresh produce, and so spring! Top it with basil leaves, cheese, and chives for a beautiful presentation. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced lengthwise, cut into 2” lengths 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 4-6 small carrots with stems, peeled and cut in half lengthwise 
• 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half lengthwise, cut into 2” lengths 
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin strips 
• 1 cup petite frozen peas, thawed 
• 1 cup fresh snow peas 
• 1 bunch fresh Swiss chard, washed, tough ends removed, cut into 2” widths 
• 1 cup vegetable broth 
• ½ cup half and half 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

• Ground black pepper to taste 
• 1 cup grated Romano cheese 
• ½ cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped 
• ¼ cup chopped fresh chives 
• 1 pound imported 2” length pasta (penne, mostaccioli, ziti, etc.), cooked “al dente”, drained 

METHOD 

1. While the pasta is boiling, cook sauce. In a large skillet, large enough to hold the pasta and vegetables, heat the butter and olive oil. 
2. Add the leek; sauté for 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add the garlic, carrots, and asparagus. Toss well. Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat, stirring often. 
4. Add the bell pepper, peas, snow peas and Swiss chard. Simmer on low for 2-3 minutes, stirring often to allow the chard to cook evenly. 
5. Add broth, half and half, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute so the sauce thickens slightly. 
6. Toss the drained pasta into the sauce, stir well to combine, and transfer to serving bowl. 
7. Sprinkle with cheese, basil leaves and chives. 

Serves 6 

Find more from Marguerite on Instagram, @mangiabene801. Find the full article here.

Lemon Chicken Pappardelle

This pasta is light and bright, and loaded with one especially spring flavor: lemon! Suzy Robertson shared her recipe for lemon chicken pappardelle. This pasta is fresh and non-traditional. The chicken marinades in a lemon-cayenne mixture, which plays so well with the other flavors of this dish. 

(feeds 6-8) 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 pound pappardelle (could use linguine, spaghetti, or noodle of choice) 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon) 
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1-2 medium lemons) 
• 2 to 3 green onions, finely chopped (white and green parts) 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tbsp. dried parsley 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper 
• 1/2 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Marinade 

• 1/2 cup olive oil 
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced 
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• ½ tsp. Cayenne pepper 
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 medium lemons) 
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size pieces 

METHOD 

1. For the marinade, combine the olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, cayenne, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Toss the marinade and chicken together in a shallow dish or Ziploc bag. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour or up to 12 (better flavor the longer it marinades). 
2. For the pasta, zest the lemon, then combine juice of one lemon, zest, olive oil, green onions and fresh parsley together in a small bowl. Set aside. 
3. Cook pasta in lightly salted water until al dente according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot off the heat. Pour the lemon juice/olive oil/green onion mixture over pasta and toss lightly to combine. 
4. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat; add the marinade AND the chicken to the skillet, moving the chicken pieces so they are in a single layer. Cook over medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked through, 4-5 minutes. 
5. Add the pasta to the skillet with the chicken OR pour the chicken and cooked marinade over the pasta in the pot (whichever will fit the mixture best). Toss with Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

Find more recipes from Suzy on Instagram, @cook_healthy_with_suzy, or on her website, learntocookhealthy.com. Find the full article here. 

Blackened Chicken Alfredo 

It’s one of the most popular pastas of all time. Everyone loves a creamy fettuccine alfredo, but this sauce is putting on a spring show. A few star ingredients make this a lighter and brighter alfredo. 

Lindsey Hargett shared her recipe for chicken alfredo. Since this sauce is made up of just a few ingredients, they all have to be stellar. Lindsey recommended using full fat cream, unsalted butter, and a good quality parmesan—that you grate yourself. 

INGREDIENTS 

Blackened Spice Rub 

• 1 tablespoon paprika 
• 2 teaspoons oregano 
• 2 teaspoons thyme 
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• ½ teaspoon onion powder 
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder 

• 2 teaspoons kosher Redmond Real Salt 
• ½ teaspoon black pepper 

Chicken 

• 2 large chicken breasts, about 1 lb 
• 3-4 tablespoons blackened spice rub 
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

Fettuccine Alfredo 

• 16 ounces fettuccine pasta 
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 2 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
• 2-3 cloves garlic, grated or minced fine 
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested 

METHOD 

1. Combine the spices for the rub. Rub thoroughly onto the chicken (save any extra seasoning for another time). 
2. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat (do not use nonstick), then add the olive oil and coat the bottom of the pan. 
3. Place the chicken into the pan. If you don’t hear a sizzle right away, then it’s probably not hot enough to give you a good sear, so quickly remove the chicken and try again after another 30 seconds. 
4. Cook on each side for 5-6 minutes, until the outside is lightly browned but not cooked through. Transfer to a baking dish, then finish in the oven at 375℉. Remove from the oven when the internal temperature is 158℉ (it will continue cooking on the pan out of the oven!) or when the chicken is cooked all the way through. Let it sit for about 5 minutes out of the oven before slicing. 
5. While the chicken is in the oven, cook the pasta according to package directions and make the alfredo. 
6. In the same pan that you made the chicken in, melt the unsalted butter. Whisk in the heavy cream, then bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low. 
7. Add in the parmesan, whisking constantly. Add in garlic, lemon juice and zest as desired. Once it’s all combined, toss your pasta in and coat with the sauce. Serve with chicken. 

Find more from Lindsey on Instagram, @lkcooking, or on her website, lkcooking.com. Find the full article here.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta 

A lemon ricotta pasta sings of spring! With pockets of gooey ricotta and a fresh pop of zesty lemon, it’s a simple but oh-so spring. This pasta is a fancy restaurant-worthy dish, that comes together in just 20 minutes. 

Elena Davis shared her recipe for lemon ricotta pasta. Elena says it’s important to use high-quality whole-milk ricotta cheese. Wait until the end to add the ricotta in, so each pasta plate gets a pocket of ooey gooey cheese. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 cloves garlic, cut in quarters 
• 1 pound asparagus (cut into pieces and stems removed) 
• 1 pound campanelle or farfalle pasta (or other desired pasta) 
• 1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) finely grated parmigiano (parmesan cheese) 
• 1/3 cup olive oil 
• Ground black pepper 
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus more to taste 
• 8 leaves of fresh mint and (torn with hands to prevent them from getting brown- metal knives are harsh on fresh leaves) 
• 8 leaves of fresh basil (torn with hands to prevent them from getting brown) 
• **If you using dried herbs use 1 tablespoon of each since herbs are more potent when dried 

• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese 
• Salt for pasta water 

METHOD 

1. Mix parmigiano cheese with zest of one lemon in a small bowl- set aside. 
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add garlic to boiling water. Let boil 3 minutes. Add the cut asparagus to the boiling water and garlic. Add the pasta to the boiling water, garlic, and asparagus. Cook pasta according to package instructions- al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before straining. 
3. Strain the pasta, garlic and asparagus. 
4. Quickly add them back to the empty pot with 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, grated parmigiano and lemon zest mixture, olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook on medium heat for one minute (not more!), tossing constantly. Add a splash more cooking water if pasta looks too dry. 
5. Turn heat off, dollop ricotta all over in large spoonfuls and, without stirring, tip pasta mixture into a wide serving bowl. 
6. Drizzle pasta with a small amount of olive oil, fresh ground black pepper, then squeeze lemon juice over the whole dish, sprinkle with mint and basil and finish with an extra sprinkling of parmigiano. Gently toss right before serving. 

Find more from Elena on Instagram, @cucinabyelena, or on her website, cucinabyelena.com. Find the full article here.

Sweet Pea Pesto Pasta

This gorgeous green pasta is brought to you by one daring veggie. And, you probably already have it in your freezer! It calls on a bag of frozen peas and gives a nod to one of the best pasta pairings: pesto. Wendy Paul introduced us to sweet pea pesto sauce, and we are forever grateful. 

Top with arugula, burrata, and a little salt and pepper before serving. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 cups frozen baby peas or petite peas 
• 1 lemon zested and juiced 
• 1 tbsp. dried basil 

• 1/2 cup fresh basil 
• 1 tbsp. dried parsley 
• 1 cup raw cashews 
• 1/2 cup Napa Valley Olive Oil lemon olive oil 
• 1/4 cup (approx.) Napa Valley Olive oil 
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt 
• Arugula 
• Chicken tenders, breaded and cooked 
• Burrata (if desired) 
• Pasta cooked al dente (spirals are best, or pasta with ridges- to hold this sauce) 

METHOD 

1. Blend together until smooth, 1-3 minutes. 
2. Cook your pasta. Reserve 1 cup pasta water to thin out your sauce. 
3. Stir together the pasta, sauce and some pasta water. 
4. Add the cooked, sliced chicken tenders, a handful of arugula and top with burrata just before serving. 

 Find more from Wendy on Instagram, @therealwendypaul, or on her website, wendypaulcreations.com. Find the full article here.