The Best Food for Spring? Pasta, Of Course

Name a season where it’s wrong to eat pasta. Struggling? That’s because, just like Paris, pasta is always a good idea. There’s a pasta recipe to suit any sort of weather, whether it’s the searing heat of the summer, the cool months of the fall, the chilly evenings of winter, or, of course, the breezy, sunny days of spring. In this list, we’re focusing on the latter, so expect to find plenty of spring greens in these vegan pasta recipes. Stomach rumbling? Let’s go.

What do Italians eat in spring?

Spring meals in Italy are all about fresh, seasonal ingredients, and pasta is no exception. Leafy greens, like kale and spinach, are popular choices, and vegetables like asparagus, spring onions, and peas are all springtime favorites, too. Fruits like cherries and strawberries are also common ingredients at this time of year, and, in early Spring, lemon is a go-to, as well (although it’s important to note that like tomatoes, lemon is a year-round staple for many people across Italy).

RELATED: The Best Way to Cook With Asparagus, a Spring Classic

The best spring pasta recipes

While certain ingredients are more common in spring pasta dishes, there are no real rules about what to include and what not to include. In fact, if there was a rule, it would be to follow your heart (or rather, your stomach). Below, we’ve included just a few of our favorite vegan pasta recipes, which we think are perfect for enjoying al fresco on a pleasant spring day.

Jackie Sobon 

1 Vegan Lemony Spring Pasta

Bright lemon juice and zest take the spotlight in this tasty pasta dish from the Vegan Buddha Bowls cookbook, but they’re complemented beautifully by peppery arugula, crispy vegetables, and savory mushrooms.
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2 Vegan Angel Hair Pasta With Lemon, Kale, and Feta

Laden with fresh tomatoes, leafy greens, and white beans, this light, flavorful angel hair pasta dish from the 15-Minute Vegan Meals cookbook is perfect for a spring dinner. For a little extra, add a sprinkle of vegan cheese, some vegan chicken, and a splash of white wine to the sauce.
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Francesca Bonadonna

3 Vegan Buttery Lemon Pasta With Cashew Cream

This creamy, buttery, zesty pasta dish, from the Plantiful cookbook, is delicious as-is, but it can also be easily customized with fresh seasonal vegetables like asparagus, peas, or spinach.
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Sam Turnbull

4 Garlicky Vegan Tuscan Bean Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Taken from the Fast Easy Cheap Vegan cookbook, this simple, nourishing recipe, which is ideal for meal prep, is great for those busy spring days when you want a delicious meal without spending too much time in the kitchen.
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Michelle Siriani

5 Lemon Chili Bucatini With Asparagus

Featuring asparagus, a quintessential spring vegetable, lemon zest, and fresh basil, this garlicky chili-spiced bucatini is packed with flavor and nutrients. Plus, it’s simple and quick to make (leaving you more time to sit in the spring sunshine!).
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6 Linguine With Vegan White Clam Sauce

Instead of clams, jackfruit is the star of this deliciously light, lemony, white wine pasta dish, taken from the Vegan Pasta Night cookbook. But if you don’t like jackfruit, you could also opt for mushrooms or hearts of palm, too. 
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Luke Albert

7 Vegan Roasted Lemony Broccoli Rigatoni

Arguably, broccoli is at its best when it’s been roasted, and then mixed together with chili, garlic, and lemon juice, before being served with rigatoni. Don’t believe us? Let this delicious recipe from Five Ingredient Vegan convince you otherwise.
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Alison Bickel

8 Vegan Scampi in Lemon Garlic White Wine Sauce

Just like clams, hearts of palm can stand in for scallops, too. This recipe from The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook is a delicious, refreshing linguine dish, perfect with fresh parsley, a splash of white wine, and plenty of lemon juice.
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Sam Turnbull

9 Spiced-Up Vegan Cajun Pasta Salad

This flavorful salad—taken from the Fast Easy Cheap Vegan cookbook—features short pasta tossed with Cajun-seasoned croutons, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, red onion, vegan mayonnaise, and lemon juice. It’s the perfect spring picnic dish.
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Nazlı Günaydın

10 Vegan Herbed Mermaid Orecchiette

This recipe is simple, tangy, and bursting with flavor. It’s an elegant dish, ideal for al fresco spring dinner parties, thanks to the soft orecchiette and bright mermaid sauce. Finish with rosemary, thyme, and walnuts for an extra touch of sophistication.
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Robin Robertson

11 Vegan Primavera Mac and Cheese 

Mac and cheese is usually hearty, comforting, and perfect for snuggling up with when it’s cold outside, but this recipe from the Vegan Mac and Cheese cookbook proves it can be a spring classic, too. Fun fact: “Primavera” literally means spring in Italian!
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Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.