Spring Pastas

For a simple spring dish, chef Cindy Pawlcyn folds penne with asparagus and sweet English peas, then adds a little cream for richness.

Cooks usually reserve dark, tough leek greens for stock. Here, Grace Parisi sautés them until they’re soft and supple, then folds them into a luscious macaroni and cheese made with nutty Manchego.

Ready to go at a moment’s notice, this asparagus-embellished classic is not only creamy, quick, and delicious, but it dirties only one pot.

Chef Douglas Monsalud serves hyper-seasonal dishes like this lemony pasta salad with lots of green vegetables and herbs.

Make-ahead Tip: The pasta salad can be refrigerated overnight in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Use this filling to make Easy Ravioli.

This simple vegetarian pasta combines the flavors of spring—mushrooms, peas and asparagus—in a luscious creamy sauce.

American chefs are busy riffing on this Italian classic. Here, F&W's Grace Parisi shares her own tasty variation on the traditional potato gnocchi. Serve the gnocchi with one of her two superfast sauces: Brown Butter and Sage or Parmigiano-Reggiano Cream.

Melissa Rubel Jacobson combines roasted almonds, parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for a nutty, fresh-tasting pesto. This pasta dish is terrific served warm, but it can also be refrigerated and served as a cold pasta salad.

F&W's Kay Chun takes pasta salad to a new level with sweet grilled corn, zucchini and a creamy lime dressing spiked with chile powder. She uses fresh cilantro to add brightness and then tops the whole salad with tangy slivers of fresh goat cheese.

Tossed with sweet acorn squash and roasted tomatoes, this whole wheat pasta from Eric Chopin is packed with fiber and vitamins A and C. Olives and toasted pine nuts add heart-healthy fats.

This pasta is a little creamy, with smoky bacon flavor and an appealing pop from the mustard seeds in the greens.

This light and flavorful pasta from Andrew Zimmern is an F&W favorite.

At Josephine Estelle in New Orleans, chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman serve this sublime, buttery crab pasta with homemade tajarin, a ribbon-type noodle. Thin spaghetti works nicely, too.

This spring pasta is buttery and rich but still feels light from the lemon zest and fresh herbs.