April> Healthy Recipes of the Month

Healthy Recipes of the Month

Spring Pasta Recipes

Spring warmth brings the first farm-fresh vegetables, and some of the year's best at that. Pair vegetables with pasta for simple and delicious dinners that celebrate this lovely season.

Pasta makes an ideal partner for the lightest, most delicately flavored veggies of the year. These dishes showcase fresh, vibrant items like snappy green peas, earthy asparagus, peppery radishes, sweet spring onions, and nutty fava beans. The job of the noodles is to make them a substantial, but never heavy, meal. It's also fitting to celebrate the season's produce bounty with pasta that's just as varied: tidy farfalle bow ties and fluted garganelli tubes; long, hollow bucatini noodles and broad, elegant pappardelle ribbons. We chose dried pastas, rather than fresh—they're pantry-friendly and offer a more satisfying chew when cooked al dente.

Most of these recipes are vegetarian, but they're easily transformed for seafood or meat eaters by adding some sautéed shrimp or even a little crumbled bacon.

Bucatini with Green Peas and Pancetta- Use frozen, thawed green peas if fresh are unavailable. Linguine can substitute for bucatini, which is a thick, spaghetti-like pasta with a hollow center. View Recipe: Bucatini with Green Peas and Pancetta

Orzo Salad with Radish and Fennel- Lemony dressing and fresh mint add vibrant flavor to this pasta salad. Serve chilled or at room temperature, and garnish with pretty mint leaves, if desired. View Recipe: Orzo Salad with Radish and Fennel

Have a healthy recipe? Share it with us at livingwell@utsystem.edu

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