20+ Pasta Dinner Recipes That Are Perfect for Spring

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 Baked Creamed Spinach Pasta and Creamy Green Pea Pesto Pasta on the menu, you’re sure to have a crowd-pleaser on your hands.

High-Protein Penne with Ground Turkey & Mushrooms

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Lean ground turkey teams up with cottage cheese, which not only boosts protein but also adds creaminess without relying on heavy cream. Mushrooms bring a savory depth of flavor while being low in calories, and whole-grain penne adds fiber for a hearty and balanced meal!

Baked Creamed Spinach Pasta

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Pricilla Montiel, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer

This crowd-pleasing dish combines the velvety richness of creamed spinach with tender pasta, all baked to bubbly perfection. Pair it with a crisp green salad and some garlic bread for a dinner that everyone will rave about.

Baked Brie, Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Pasta

Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Creamy, melted Brie creates a velvety sauce that fills in the ridges of fusilli pasta, ensuring the sauce clings to every bite, while Parmesan cheese adds nutty, savory depth. Sun-dried tomatoes bring a tangy sweetness that balances the richness, and wilted spinach adds earthy notes and nutrients.

Creamy Green Pea Pesto Pasta

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Mint, peas, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese are a natural pairing in this creamy pasta dish. If you have pine nuts on hand, sprinkle them over the top for a little crunch.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta

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.

One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan

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.

Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Natalie Ghazali

This chicken pasta combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a meal that’s garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. It’s a simple dinner the whole family will love.

Spaghetti with Baked Brie, Mushrooms & Spinach

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Addelyn Evans

Melted Brie cheese coats pasta and roasted veggies in this rich vegetarian pasta dish. We bake the Brie on a square of parchment paper so you can remove it from the oven early if it’s melted before your vegetables are done. White-wine vinegar and balsamic glaze add tang and a hint of sweetness in this easy weeknight dinner.

Burrata Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes & Spinach

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

This luscious weeknight pasta dish features burrata cheese—a soft cow’s-milk cheese that looks similar to fresh mozzarella but features a creamy center that melts beautifully. Serve with crusty garlic bread and a green salad on the side.

Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Penne Pasta

Tender penne pasta is combined with garlic, roasted red peppers and spinach and topped with crumbled feta cheese for a fast and easy Mediterranean-inspired meal.

Spaghetti with Creamy Lemon-Spinach Sauce

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Give your veggie servings a boost with this easy spaghetti with spinach sauce recipe. Loosely inspired by the flavors of classic pesto, this vibrant pasta packs in plenty of spinach and basil with a garnish of nutty walnuts and savory Parmesan cheese.

3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli

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).

Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara

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.

Linguine with Lemon Alfredo Shrimp

This bright and lemony 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.

Creamy Spinach Pasta

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 and so delicious.

One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan

Broccoli-Pesto Pasta

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman

This broccoli pesto pasta is a delicious fiber-rich dinner that can help maintain a healthy gut. Savory Parmigiano-Reggiano adds a boost of flavor that pairs well with the veggie-based pesto.

Green Goddess Ricotta Pasta

Photographer: Sara Baurley, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

We take the flavors of green goddess dressing—lemon, anchovy and herbs—and use them as the base for a colorful, bright pasta sauce. Adding ricotta to the sauce creates a luscious, velvety texture, while the acidity from the lemon juice balances out the creaminess.

Cherry Tomato & Garlic Pasta

This easy and healthy cherry tomato pasta recipe takes just 20 minutes to prep, so it’s a perfect weeknight dinner. Cooking garlic cloves whole and then mashing them into the sauce not only saves time, it creates a mellow garlic flavor that melds seamlessly into the silky burst cherry tomatoes.

Lemony Spaghetti with Parmesan & Thyme

Brie Passano

This simple lemony spaghetti with Parmesan and thyme is delicious on its own or jazzed up with leftover cooked chicken or veggies.

One-Pot Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Pasta

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.

Creamy Broccoli Pasta

Brie Passano

If you’re looking for a simple weeknight pasta dish, look no further. This vegetarian dinner is done in only 20 minutes and packs plenty of broccoli along with creamy goodness thanks to mascarpone cheese and low-fat Greek yogurt.

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