8 Spring-Forward Recipes to Celebrate the Season

After a long winter of pantry cooking and cozy stews, it’s time to reset the table come spring. We’re ready for fresh veg, punchy herbs and meals that don’t take up the entire day, like stovetop spring recipes that allow you to get food on the table fast.

This collection leans into what the season does best, from herb-packed bakes and one-pan dinners to pastas and toasts that make the most of seasonal all-stars like peas, asparagus and spinach. All of them celebrate the shift toward longer days, open windows and the return of farmers’ market bags heaving with fresh goodies. Consider this your short list of ways to cook the new season.

1. Spanakopita Crinkle Bread

Though asparagus and peas tend to steal the spotlight, fresh spinach is just as welcome at farmers’ market stands come spring. Put that glut of greens to work in this filo pastry inspired by spanakopita, baked into a striking crinkled round. It’s just the thing to kick off spring entertaining, whether that means a laid-back brunch or a Greek-inspired feast.

2. Leftover Chicken & Spring Veg Risotto

Make the most of second-day roast chicken with this easy stovetop risotto, which combines go-to spring ingredients (mint, asparagus and peas, natch) with luxuriously creamy risotto. In addition to a generous pile of grated Parmesan, you’ll stir in a tablespoon of mascarpone at the end to boost the indulgent texture. (For what it's worth, our roast chicken is a supreme pick to create those necessary leftovers.)

3. Kuku Sabzi

Few dishes say spring quite like kuku sabzi, the herb-packed omelette served for Persian New Year. This version leans fully into green abundance, combining parsley, cilantro and dill with walnuts and tart barberries for contrast. The result lands somewhere between a frittata and a savory herb cake, fragrant and bright, made for slicing and sharing. Three cups of herbs is no small task, so this is a good moment to queue up a podcast and settle into the rhythm of chopping.

4. One Skillet Garlic-Butter Salmon and Asparagus

Dinner on the table quickly, with peak spring produce and plenty of butter? This one-skillet salmon and asparagus delivers. The garlicky sauce is reason enough to make it. If a carb feels necessary (and it usually does), steamed rice is ideal for soaking up every drop, though thick slices of grilled homemade sourdough wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

5. Mint, Pea and Ricotta Toasts with Poached Eggs

Though eggs and mint might seem like unlikely bedfellows, they come together naturally in this spring toast built on smashed peas and a cloud of ricotta.  Finished with softly poached eggs, it walks the line between brunch centerpiece and light supper, especially when asparagus or a handful of greens joins the plate.

6. Creamy Pasta with Peas

When faced with a surplus of spring peas, turning them into a silky green pasta sauce feels like the obvious move. Blended with aromatics and cheese, the sauce coats every ridge and hollow, which is why penne or another tubular shape works especially well here. Be sure to reserve a cup of pasta water before draining; it’s the key to loosening the sauce and helping it cling to the noodles.

7. Skillet Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

Carrots may be available year-round, but carrot cake really earns its place on the table in spring. This version keeps things approachable with a single layer baked in a our 4.5QT Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan, then finished with a cream cheese frosting enriched with nutty brown butter. It strikes that rare balance between manageable and impressive, just as suited to a Memorial Day spread as it is to impromptu weeknight baking.

8. “Deviled” Asparagus

Dress up stems of tender asparagus with the best bits of deviled eggs and Eggs Benedict. For layered flavors, you’ll top the spears with a shortcut hollandaise, grated egg, chives and paprika. It’s an elegant side dish ready to pair with a leg of lamb, roast chicken or side of salmon.

Winter’s finally gone. Let spring call the shots in the kitchen.