20 Spring Pasta Recipes That Will Transport You to Italy

Ahhh… the sweet taste of a new season is in the air and we’re salivating over all the spring produce we get to play with in the kitchen. Think asparagus, artichokes, arugula, mint, peas, and radishes—there’s so much to explore. But just because it’s getting warmer doesn’t mean we have to take one of our favorite meals off the menu. Enter: spring pasta recipes. Loaded with all the freshest green vegetables and herbs, these delicious dishes will make you feel just as good as they taste.

There’s something about pasta in warm weather that makes us crave a trip to Italy. I think it’s safe to say we’re all feeling the travel bug (and have been for a while), but who says you need to get on an airplane to be transported to the Italian coastline? Why not book a ticket to the food capital of the world via your tastebuds? It’s as simple as that.

If, like us, you’re longing for an Italian jaunt, then head to the farmers market this week and pack your pasta with all the incredible seasonal ingredients to make these 20 spring pasta recipes. After that, it’s just a matter of closing your eyes and letting your senses take you away. We’ll see you there!

Lemony Swiss Chard Pasta from Love & Lemons

Why We Love It: “Lemony” is my new favorite adjective. If you’ve read my food writing before, then you know that I’m a forever fan of the citrus. Not only does it work with sweet and savory dishes alike, but it’s also a surefire way to bring bright, punchy flavor to your pasta. Consider your carb cravings satisfied.

Hero Ingredient: It’s time we start putting the spotlight on Swiss chard. It can be used across a whole host of recipes. But with this dish in particular, it brings beautiful color to every plate you serve up.

Get the recipe for Lemony Swiss Chard Pasta.

Pesto Pasta Primavera

Why We Love It: I love a good alliteration, especially when it comes to three words that describe my perfect meal. This recipe is always Camille’s answer when the inevitable question What should I make for dinner? strikes. It’s light but satisfying and easy enough to whip up any night of the week. Mondays included.

Hero Ingredient: Frozen peas are the secret weapon of many a simple (but stunning!) weeknight meal.

Get the recipe for Pesto Pasta Primavera.

Easy Mediterranean Orzo Salad from Eating Bird Food

Why We Love It: Is it just me, or does orzo not get the praise it deserves? Often mistaken for rice, orzo is actually a type of pasta that flies under the radar. Well, it’s time to put the rice look-alike in the spotlight—and this recipe is the best way to get started. As the title suggests, it captures all the flavors of the Mediterranean. With sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, oregano, and feta how could it not?

Hero Ingredient: A cup of diced cucumber cools the entire dish down with a lovely refreshing bite.

Get the recipe for Easy Mediterranean Orzo Salad.

Lemony Pasta Carbonara With Peas and Zucchini

Why We Love It: It was during Camille’s first evening in Italy when she twirled a strand of al dente pasta and bit into the most perfect carbonara that this recipe was born. Maybe it was the fact that she was sitting in a vineyard in Italy, or maybe it was actually the perfect spaghetti carbonara recipe passed down from the chef’s Nonna, but she’s been chasing those flavors ever since. Whatever the inspiration, this is the recipe she concocted to replicate that magical pasta.

Hero Ingredient: We recommend you make it with bucatini pasta. It looks like thick spaghetti from the outside, but the inside is hollow, meaning it fills up with sauce. Nope, you’re not dreaming!

Get the recipe for Lemony Pasta Carbonara With Peas & Zucchini.

Creamy Vegan Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil

Why We Love It: Creamy and vegan? Better believe it. Inspired by Amy Chaplin’s gorgeous cookbook Whole Food Cooking Every Day, Camille set out to make her own version of the cookbook’s walnut sauce. With zero dairy required, this sauce still manages to coat every noodle with creamy goodness. Oh, and if you needed any more convincing: the sauce can be made ahead of time.

Hero Ingredient: Garnishing your pasta with just a little lemon zest keeps its final flavor bright and balanced.

Get the recipe for Creamy Vegan Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil.

Easy Caprese Pesto Penne

Why We Love It: Transport yourself to the island of Capri with this spin on the famous caprese salad. Bursting with our favorite fresh flavors, we’ve all made it a part of our weeknight rotations. It literally takes 10 minutes to prep from start to finish. Truly, what’s not to love? (FYI—If you’re looking to build your repertoire of caprese pasta, we’re also obsessed with Half-Baked Harvest’s Caprese Pesto Pasta!)

Hero Ingredient: The key to emulating the Italian version is to use the creamiest, most mouthwatering buffalo mozzarella you can find.

Get the recipe for Easy Caprese Pesto Penne.

Lemony Spring Pasta Salad With Vegetables and Herbs by The First Mess

Why We Love It: This deliciously easy vegan option is perfect for spring holiday gatherings because you can make it ahead of time. It’s also loaded with in-season vegetables, chickpeas, and a lemon dressing. Spring pasta doesn’t get much better than this.

Hero Ingredient: While we’re in love with pretty much every in-season ingredient this recipe uses, it makes the most of everyone’s favorite spring veggie: asparagus.

Get the recipe for Lemony Spring Pasta Salad With Vegetables and Herbs.

Almond-Mint Pesto Pasta

Why We Love It: The secret to taking your pesto to the next level? Blanching the herbs and garlic first before adding to the rest of the ingredients totally enhances the flavor and removes bitterness. I love this recipe’s interpretation of the classic pesto. While the basil helps it retain the original’s recognizable bright bite, the two bunches of mint lend it all a little freshness.

Hero Ingredient: The mint is unexpected but totally brilliant.

Get the recipe for Almond-Mint Pesto Pasta.

Creamy Lemon Basil and Asparagus Ricotta Pasta by Half-Baked Harvest

Why We Love It: If you’re looking for spring pasta recipes that double as comfort food then look no further than this garlicky, creamy, ricotta pasta with caramelized lemon and fresh basil. It’s the perfect easy spring dinner that’s great any night of the week.

Hero Ingredient: Finish things off with spicy breadcrumbs for a delicious crunch.

Get the recipe for Creamy Lemon Basil and Asparagus Ricotta Pasta.

Creamy Asparagus Tagliatelle With Poached Eggs by Sugar Salted

Why We Love It: Low effort, high reward. This is one of the easiest meals to throw together, but according to Sugar Salted, it tastes like a hundred bucks. The trick with this recipe is to cook the asparagus first in a pot of salted water for about 10 minutes, remove it, and toss in the pasta. This allows for the pasta to absorb the asparagus water and thus enhance its flavor. Genius!

Hero Ingredient: PSA: Asparagus season is upon us and we don’t know about you, but it’s all we feel like eating right now.

Get the recipe for Creamy Asparagus Tagliatelle With Poached Eggs.

Creamy Olive and Arugula Pesto Pasta from The First Mess

Why We Love It: While pesto traditionally means basil and pine nuts, I’ll happily taste test any creative take on the classic. Arugula, olives, walnuts, and nutritional yeast give this pesto a complex richness. The resulting sauce is cheesy and fruity with just the tiniest touch of spice. In other words: pasta perfection.

Hero Ingredient: Throughout spring and beyond, arugula is hands down my favorite green. It’s peppery while still feeling light. I love how it wilts and incorporates seamlessly into this pasta.

Get the recipe for Creamy Olive and Arugula Pesto Pasta.

Floral Laced Ravioli With Cheesy Herb-Ricotta Filling from Spoon, Fork, Bacon

Why We Love It: With the warmer weather comes outdoor gatherings, and after two years of shifting guidelines, we’re ready for a party. While this beautiful ravioli does require a little more prep than the other spring pasta recipes on this list, we can say without a doubt that it’s totally worth it. If only to see your dinner guest’s eyes light up at the floral beauty of each ravioli.

Hero Ingredient: Edible herb flowers are the easy upgrade all your spring recipes need.

Get the recipe for Floral Laced Ravioli With Cheesy Herb-Ricotta Filling.

Spaghetti alla Nerano

Why We Love It: After watching Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, CS food editor Suruchi was prompted to create her own version of the famous Apaghetti alla Nerano—and she did not disappoint. This pasta will transport you to the Amalfi Coast and beyond with its delicious coastal-inspired flavors. It’s the next best thing to actually booking a trip!

Hero Ingredient: While we might think of zucchini as only a stand-in for pasta, pan-frying it with shallots and garlic and tossing with your noodles does the veggie justice.

Get the recipe for Spaghetti alla Nerano.

Linguine Con Vongole from Foodie Crush

Why We Love It: Linguine with fresh clams in a garlic white wine sauce is one of those dinners that sounds totally chic and fancy. And while it’s all of that (and more!), this is actually one of the easiest and most budget-friendly Italian pasta recipes you can make. So what are you waiting for?

Hero Ingredient: Red chile flakes give your pasta just the right amount of heat.

Get the recipe for Linguine Con Vongole.

Simple Buttery Spring Pea and Burrata Pasta With Prosciutto from Half-Baked Harvest

Why We Love It: While we haven’t ever met a pasta we didn’t like, our favorite recipes are the simple, fast, and delicious ones. This perfect-for-spring pasta is all of that. But it’s also on our list of top spring pasta recipes because it has plenty of things we love: butter, burrata, fresh spring peas, watercress, and basil. We guarantee you’ll eat it with your eyes first.

Hero Ingredient: Prosciutto—otherwise known as the ultimate accompaniment to almost all cheesy Italian dinners.

Get the recipe for Simple Buttery Spring Pea and Burrata Pasta With Prosciutto.

Basil Tahini Pasta With Mushrooms and Burst Tomatoes from The First Mess

Why We Love It: At first glance, tahini might seem like an odd addition to a pasta sauce. (We’re not making hummus here, after all.) But it’s thanks to the Middle Eastern condiment that you get an umami-filled, super smooth “cream” that’s 100% plant-based. And that color!

Hero Ingredient: I’ll never stop being obsessed with mushroom pasta dishes. Rich in antioxidants, fiber, and potassium, cremini mushrooms not only add nutritional bulk to this meal, but their meat-like texture offsets the more delicate tomatoes to perfection.

Get the recipe for Basil Tahini Pasta With Mushrooms and Burst Tomatoes.

Gluten-Free Pasta Primavera from Fed+Fit

Why We Love It: Loaded with fresh veggies, this gluten-free pasta primavera is a seriously satisfying meal with a healthy twist—perfect for springtime. The vegetables you include here can be totally seasonal (and completely up to your tastebuds). Simply mix, experiment, and have fun with the fantastic spring produce that’s available right now.

Hero Ingredient: Even if it’s not the primary flavor, a few tablespoons of lemon helps enhance all the many flavors this pasta packs.

Get the recipe for Gluten-Free Pasta Primavera.

Creamy Mushroom and Asparagus Pasta from Minimalist Baker

Why We Love It: Using the vegan cream cheese from the best vegan gluten-free Mac ‘n’ Cheese recipe, this delightful spring pasta recipe has all the flavors of the season with a carby, comforty twist. Oh, and it takes just 30 minutes to make from start to finish. Have we convinced you yet?

Hero Ingredient: If the vegan cream cheese doesn’t do it for you, rest assured the plant-based parmesan sends this recipe over the top.

Get the recipe for Creamy Mushroom and Asparagus Pasta.

Goat Cheese Pasta With Spring Vegetables from Life as a Strawberry

Why We Love It: Meet the new favorite hybrid pasta recipe. A cross between a rich fettuccine alfredo sauce and a veggie-forward pasta primavera, this easy fettuccine pasta is loaded with spring veggies (asparagus, onion, and peas with herbs) in a light and creamy lemon goat cheese sauce.

Hero Ingredient: Arguably underrated, but adding the pasta water just a splash at a time keeps your sauce smooth and silky.

Get the recipe for Goat Cheese Pasta With Spring Vegetables.

Easy Vegan Tomato Sauce Pasta from Lazy Cat Kitchen

Why We Love It: Yes, this vegan tomato sauce is easy, but it’s far from basic. It’s proof that you really don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to make a delicious meal either. This calls for fresh (or dry) spring herbs like oregano, basil, and parsley with a little bit of onion fried with garlic. If you want to level up, use freshly sweet, sun-ripened tomatoes. But know that canned tomatoes also work in a pinch.

Hero Ingredient: I love how the briny bites of kalamata olives play up the rich and fruity tomato sauce.

Get the recipe for Easy Vegan Tomato Sauce Pasta.

This post was originally published on April 15, 2021 and has since been updated.