spring pasta

Keep these recipes on hand as more and more fresh, tasty produce turns up at your local markets.

Fresh vegetables give this chicken-pasta dish seasonal zing.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—With classic springtime ingredients arriving at grocery stores and farmer’s markets, it’s time to lighten up that suppertime standby, pasta. Spring’s produce not only brings a variety of fresh flavors to the table; it also gives you a broad range of nutritional benefits. Freshly harvested vegetables taste great in spring pasta recipes, and they're full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Choose organic produce—especially locally grown organic when possible—to avoid toxic agrichemicals and polluting farming methods. Pair hearty pasta with these delicate spring veggies and you’ll create a meal that’s both nutritious and satisfying; as different vegetables turn up at your market, you can change up the recipes for added variety. For the healthiest results, prepare the dishes using plenty of fiber-rich veggies and smaller portions of pasta, and add lean protein to make them extra-filling.

Asparagus is at its peak this time of year. One cup of this spear-shaped veggie provides a whopping 70 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin K. Look for vibrant green stalks with tightly closed, purple-tinged buds. If you want to try your hand at cooking with fresh artichokes, the fiber-packed veggie is also in season now. At the market, look for deep-green artichokes that are heavy for their size; the leaves should be tightly closed. To add oniony zing to your spring pasta dishes, include scallions. They contain the infection fighter known as allicin as well as sight-saving lutein and zeaxanthin. And crunchy snow peas and sugar snap peas are a springtime treat that happen to contain more than 60 percent of your daily value for vitamin C.

Whatever vegetables you use, bump up the nutritional content of your spring pasta recipes by skipping regular white pasta and using whole grain varieties instead. Whole wheat and other whole grain pastas make healthy recipes even healthier because they're produced using grains that haven't had their germ and bran stripped from the grain. Leaving the grain intact allows your body to reap the benefits of the whole grain, which include extra fiber, B vitamins, protein, and antioxidants, as well as minerals like selenium, magnesium, and potassium. Studies have shown that whole grains help protect against cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Also, whole grains help with weight control and encourage healthy bowel function. And luckily, it’s a lot easier to find a variety of whole grain pasta options at the grocery store these days.

Keep reading to see recipes for penne with mushrooms and artichokes, Pasta Primavera, Roasted Shrimp and Vegetable Pasta, and more.