Our Favorite Springtime Recipes

Fettuccine with Asparagus, Lemon and Prosciutto

This fettuccine, studded with prosciutto and asparagus, plus cheese and a cut of citrus, is the first recipe we make when asparagus comes back in season.

By Rose HattabaughJanuary 25, 2022

Asparagus and Herb Pashtida

Israel’s popular pashtida is sort of like a crustless quiche: the perfect savory vehicle for celebrating veggies with loads of cheese.

By Rose HattabaughDecember 7, 2021

Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Sweet Lime-Garlic Dressing (Goi Gà)

This refreshing salad is a symphony of tastes, colors and textures. Fish sauce, known as nuoc mam in Vietnam, gives the dressing savory, umami-rich underpinnings, while lime juice, sugar and garlic punch up the flavors. The jalapeños add moderate spic

By Julia RackowOctober 15, 2019

Lemon and Green Pea Risotto

This green pea risotto is another perfect example of lemon’s power to turn a simple, good dish into a great one.

By Laura RussellNovember 15, 2022

Braised Leeks with Balsamic Glaze

Leeks become rich and meltingly soft when poached in olive oil, deliciously finished with a sweet-tart balsamic glaze.

By Courtney HillNovember 8, 2021

Charred Snap Peas with Radishes, Mint and Lemon

Snap peas and mint are a classic springtime combination—and for more flavor, add a high-heat char. (You won’t sacrifice any of the freshness.)

By Calvin CoxApril 5, 2024

Leek, Kale and Emmentaler Panade

This pot of toasty bread chunks and leeks, nestled in bubbly cheese and soaked in broth, is our lighter veggie panade.

By Courtney HillDecember 9, 2021

Romaine and Radicchio Salad with Olives, Eggs and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

This crisp, colorful salad gets meaty, briny flavor from oil-cured olives and fruity tang from pomegranate molasses. We supplement sweet romaine lettuce with pleasantly bitter radicchio and also toss in some parsley (or mint, or a combination of the t

By Courtney HillOctober 28, 2021

Artichoke Tart with Gouda and Herbs

Peru’s pastel de alcachofas—artichoke cake or tart—envelops artichokes in rich custard, flavored with herbs, loaded with Gouda and Parm.

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 17, 2021

Fried Halloumi Sandwiches with Pickled Onion, Pomegranate Molasses and Mint

Halloumi is a semi-firm Cypriot cheese traditionally made from sheep and goat’s milk cheese, though these days cow’s milk also is used. Its flavor is milky, tangy and briny, but what’s unique about halloumi is its high melting point. This means the ch

By Courtney HillApril 28, 2022

Green Shakshuka

“Everything I love about Milk Street,” one reader writes. “The perfect simple meal, with supermarket ingredients combined in a different way.”

Baked Feta and Ricotta with Mint

An abundant-yet-light skillet full of cheese with briny feta flavor, ricotta creaminess, and a minty lift.

By Diane UngerOctober 1, 2021

Orzotto Alfredo with Sweet Peas

This is the delicious marriage of orzo pasta and fettuccine Alfredo. We cook the orzo like rice, as if making risotto, so the starches create a creamy, silky sauce. Butter and Parmesan join the mix as a nod to Alfredo, and sweet peas add color and swe

By Rose HattabaughMarch 27, 2025

Asparagus and Barley Soup with Lemon and Dill

Say dieu to stew with this brothy bowl of asparagus with light and bright lemon and dill.

By Rose HattabaughNovember 2, 2021

Sugar Snap and Radish Salad with Olive-Oil Tuna

This recipe inspired by chef Joshua McFadden, of Portland, Oregon's Ava Gene's, plays fast and loose with convention. Northern Italian tonnato, a silky, savory sauce made with tuna, typically is served with veal, but we like to balance the puree's ric

Campanelle Pasta with Asparagus, Lemon and Parmesan

We use the combination of cream, asparagus, and lemon often—this springtime pasta is a perfect reason why!

By Elizabeth MindreauSeptember 3, 2021

Coconut Layer Cake

For our show "My Family Recipe," we recreated a Southern grandmother’s dreamy, towering coconut cake.

By Milk StreetOctober 28, 2022

Stir-Fried Chicken with Snap Peas and Basil

To prepare the chicken, cut each breast lengthwise into ½-inch strips, then cut the strips crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Using both chopped basil (mixed with the cooked chicken) and whole basil leaves (stirred in at the end) provided the full herbal f

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Pancetta

In Mompeo, Italy, home cook Alfonsina Cortegiani showed us how she makes pasta con asparagi e pancetta, an elegant dish featuring wispy wild asparagus and fresh egg noodles. For our adaptation, look for slender asparagus—about the size of a pencil—and

By Courtney HillFebruary 26, 2025

Ham, Gruyère and Asparagus Tartines

In France, a tartine is slice of bread topped with almost anything—from butter and jam (for breakfast) to cheeses and cured meats (to make open-faced sandwiches). Instead of slices cut from a rustic boule or batard, we use a baguette that has been spl

By Courtney HillApril 6, 2021

Rigatoni with Roman Broccoli Sauce

Romans use the leaves that grow around heads of broccoli to make a flavorful sauce for pasta. In the U.S., most of the leaves are stripped off before broccoli is sold. Our recipe instead uses the stems, which are equally flavorful and produce a silky

Chicken Cutlets with Avocado-Poblano Sauce

Avocados make this green sauce—a take on mojo verde—extra creamy and perfect for simple chicken cutlets.

By Courtney HillFebruary 5, 2021

Risotto with Fresh Herbs

We learned the principles of risotto from two chefs in Milan, Max Masuelli (and his son, Andrea) at Trattoria Masuelli San Marco, who use neither chicken broth nor onion, and Diego Rossi, of Trippa, who showed us that skipping the traditional wine and

By Julia RackowJanuary 4, 2019

Carrot-Tahini Quick Bread with Candied Ginger and Pistachios

We turn carrot cake into moist, tender quick bread for any time of day.

By Rose HattabaughApril 26, 2021

Spaghetti with Goat Cheese, Mint and Peas

Pops of fresh peas and bright mint are beautiful springy companions in this light-and-creamy goat cheese pasta. Adapted from a recipe in Evan and Sarah Rich’s “Rich Table,” our simplified take comes together in one pot in 25 minutes. (We know, goat ch

By Phoebe MaglathlinApril 8, 2019

Basque-Style Fish and Clams in Parsley-Garlic Sauce

Merluza en salsa verde con almejas, or hake in green sauce with clams, is a classic dish from the Basque Country in northern Spain. Fish fillets are gently simmered until flaky in a parsley, garlic and olive oil sauce, then are finished with cooked cl

By Courtney HillDecember 14, 2020

Venetian Rice and Peas (Risi e Bisi)

This Saint Mark’s holiday dish, Venetian rice and peas, have risotto-like creaminess, but bathed in a beautiful green broth.

By Diane UngerMarch 19, 2021

Creamy Asparagus Pasta

Nothing says springy like a tangle of fettuccine, coated in creamy, bright green asparagus sauce.

By Julia RackowFebruary 4, 2019

Asparagus with Sauce Gribiche and Fried Capers

This piquant, briny French sauce of eggs and capers brings bold, bistro flavor to simple blanched veggies.

Shrimp Salad and Radish Crostini

Shrimp salad seasoned with dill, capers, mustard and lemon tops fennel-dusted baguette toasts for these easy hors d'oeuvres. For convenience, buy already cooked shrimp, or if you prefer, you can poach your own. To do so, bring 4 cups water, 1 tablespo

By Diane UngerNovember 20, 2017

Chicken Roasted with Garlic-Herb Crème Fraîche

In “Summer Kitchens,” Ukraine-born Londoner and cookbook author Olia Hercules writes, “Chicken smothered and baked in cultured cream is an old classic, but sometimes I like to go one step further.” So she packs bold flavor into crème fraîche by mixing

By Diane UngerFebruary 5, 2021

Coconut Cashew Cake (Sanwin Makin)

Our lighter, springier version of Burma’s simple, richly coconut-y cake.

By Yvonne RupertiDecember 11, 2017

Japanese Potato Salad

Equal parts tangy and savory, this partially mashed potato salad is creamy without being heavy.

By Elizabeth GermainApril 10, 2017

Greek Peas with Potatoes and Herbs (Arakas Kokkinistos)

The Greek name for this dish, arakas kokkinistos, translates as “reddened peas.” The version taught to us by Greek cooking instructor Argiro Barbarigou included tomato paste, and that’s what we call for here. Whereas traditional arakas kokkinistos is

By Diane UngerOctober 8, 2018

Green Goddess Tofu Dressing

Any number of herbs were delicious in this dressing; we liked parsley’s clean, herbaceous background, the mellow allium note from chives and tarragon’s distinctive licorice flavor. Lemon zest added a hit of citrus, but lemon juice was too sharp. Inste

By Elizabeth GermainNovember 20, 2017

Lemony Wine-Braised Artichokes

Preparing fresh artichokes requires time and patience, so to keep this stovetop braise quick and easy, we use frozen artichoke hearts. They simmer in white wine infused with aromatics and a little chicken broth, with a few strips of lemon zest to prov

By Rose HattabaughDecember 10, 2021

Linguine with Artichokes, Asparagus and Lemon-Mint Ricotta

Fresh linguine, lightly sauced, packed with spring veggies: our favorite template for seasonal freshness.

By Diane UngerDecember 2, 2021

Minty Green Pea Salad with Lemon and Feta

Milk Street Facebook Community member Betsey Walker Culliton, of Austin, Texas, makes this simple no-cook salad featuring frozen peas and fresh mint. She aptly describes it as “springtime in a bowl.” The saltiness of the feta is a perfect complement t

By Courtney HillJanuary 24, 2022

Minty Radishes and Snap Peas

Minty radishes and snap peas are why you need no-lettuce salad.

By Courtney HillOctober 13, 2020

Pearl Couscous “Risotto” with Asparagus

Creamy risotto-like couscous, tender-crisp asparagus, savory Parm—need we say more?

By Calvin CoxDecember 2, 2021

Tuscan-Style Spring Vegetable Soup

In Tuscany, the seasonal soup garmugia celebrates the vegetables of spring: peas, asparagus, artichokes and fava beans.

By Courtney HillApril 6, 2021

“Orzotto” with Asparagus, Lemon and Parmesan

"Orzotto” combines no-cream creaminess with grassy, spring-fresh asparagus, lemon, and savory Parm.

By Laura RussellApril 25, 2023

Potato Salad and Smoked Trout with Horseradish and Chives

Scandinavians frequently combine potent smoked fish and mild, creamy potatoes. For this dish, we find a modest amount of sour cream both binds the salad and adds a tanginess that, along with the pungency of the horseradish, works well with the salty r

Baked Persian Herb Omelet (Kuku Sabzi)

We load baked eggs with a whole head of sweet, buttery cauliflower, in this spin on the Persian frittata kuku.

By Elizabeth GermainFebruary 2, 2017

Snap Pea Salad with Feta, Lemon and Mint

The combination of sweet snow peas, peppery arugula and fragrant mint makes for a bright and refreshing salad. We toss red onion slices with lemon zest and juice to temper their bite, while also creating a flavorful base for the dish. A generous dose

By Rose HattabaughMarch 27, 2025