30 Fast and Fresh Spring Dinners

Don't be afraid to try this Italian classic at home! Our hearty version is made with convenient rotisserie chicken and loaded with asparagus, herbs and lemony flavor.

Chicken and Asparagus Risotto

You can customize this linguine recipe by substituting other in-season vegetables and herbs, such as asparagus, snap peas, spinach or mustard greens, tarragon and basil.

Garden Veggie Linguine with Cilantro Pesto

Avocado adds luscious richness to this bright, citrusy chicken salad. Be sure to toss the ingredients gently so the avocado doesn't blend in completely.

Lemon-Avocado Chicken Salad

Lean and tender steaks crown a bright, lemony salad made with asparagus, peas and couscous. The recipe comes from chef Michael Ollier, of Certified Angus Beef in Wooster, Ohio. He calls for generous 8-ounce steaks; for budget or dietary reasons, you may want to use a more modest 4-ounce steak. Just reduce the grilling time accordingly.

Spring Revival Couscous Salad with Filet Mignon

This quick and easy recipe from a Southgate, Michigan reader starts with a package of rice pilaf mix. You can have this main dish on the table in about 30 minutes.

Spanish Rice with Chicken and Shrimp  

Seasonal veggies, pork and soy sauce dressing flavor this bright-tasting chilled noodle dish. Make this easy main dish ahead of time so it's ready for a light weekday dinner.

Spring Pork and Noodles

Test after test, our staff raved about this flavorful seafood soup. It has cream but no flour, so it tastes rich without being as heavy as most cream soups—perfect for those first days of spring, when you crave lighter fare, but the weather's still chilly.

Creamy Shrimp and Rice Soup

Lemon, basil and olive oil form a pestolike sauce to complement the linguine and kidney beans. From start to finish, this five-ingredient dinner takes only 25 minutes.

Lemon-Basil Pasta

We created this ready-in-10 gravy to jazz up purchased deli-roasted chicken. Add steamed veggies and mashed potatoes, and you have dinner!

Easy Spring Gravy

All the traditional Waldorf ingredients are here: apple, grapes, walnuts, celery and mayo. This is a great choice to pack for weekday lunches.

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Use a wok or skillet to stir-fry sirloin steak strips and broccoli. Combine with salad greens, chopped sweet pepper and bottled ginger vinaigrette salad dressing for a meal that's on the table in 20 minutes.

Gingered Beef & Broccoli Salad Bowl

Crepes meet casserole in a family-friendly recipe that starts with rotisserie chicken; if you sub purchased crepes (or make our whole wheat ones ahead), it's quick enough for a weeknight.

Cheesy Chicken-Broccoli Crepe Bake

Toss linguini with a rich sauce of morels, ramps (or leeks), peas, ham and cream. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese, if you like.

Can't find morels? Substitute the same amount of stemmed shiitake, cremini and/or button mushrooms in the recipe. Or check online for dried morels.

Spring Pasta with Morels, Ramps and Peas

Mix baby spinach, canned Great Northern beans, crumbled feta, snipped dried tomatoes, fresh lemon thyme and other spices with cavatappi or farfalle noodles for this easy pasta salad.

Greek Spinach-Pasta Salad with Feta and Beans

This family-friendly soup takes advantage of a couple of convenience products to come together in minutes. (New to broccolini? Available in large supermarkets, it's a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale. It has longer, thinner stalks than broccoli and a more delicate texture. If you can't find it, use regular broccoli.)

Spring Tortellini Soup

Layer rotisserie chicken with crisp veggies, mayo and zippy sesame dressing on a soft roll for this easy version of the popular Vietnamese sandwich.

Chicken Banh Mi

This roasted meal will remind you how easy it is to cook a whole chicken. Potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots make this a one-pan meal.

Lemon-Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

Baby carrots, small red potatoes, baby spinach and butterbeans surround a rib roast cooked with zesty Herb-Bacon topper.

Sunday Beef Rib Roast

Top fresh snapper fillets or other firm-flesh white fish with an easy tomato-olive mixture and crumbled feta cheese. Serve with rice, pasta or couscous.

Mediterranean-Style Snapper

Leeks, oven-roasted asparagus and lemon peel add flavor and pretty spring color to creamy risotto.

Asparagus-Leek Risotto

Combine artichoke hearts, spinach and tomatoes with bow tie pasta and chopped cooked chicken for a rich, creamy casserole.

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

Chicken, potatoes and veggies cook together for a nutritious dinner that's missing only one ingredient—a bottle of white wine.

Tender-Crisp Spring Braise

Goat cheese gives this tart a fine, velvety texture. The recipe comes from Judy Schad at Indiana's Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheeses.

Goat Cheese and Spinach Tart

Team basil-seasoned chicken breasts with fresh zucchini and seasoned orzo for a fast and flavorful dinner.

Herbed Chicken, Orzo and Zucchini

Marinated chicken, sweet onion, mushrooms, snap peas and feta top an oiled crust in this recipe from the Stone Barn in Nelson, Wisconsin. "The flavors, accented by feta and balsamic vinegar, blend for a creamy, tangy taste," says Stone Barn owner Pam Taylor. "The vegetables add a crisp, element."

The Stone Barn's The Modena

Toss this salad together in just 15 minutes using deli-roasted chicken, a package of spring mix salad greens, chopped veggies and bottled Greek salad dressing. Leftovers? Tuck them into a pita for lunch the next day.

Greek Chicken Salad

Carrots, sugar snap peas and fresh ginger give crunch and flavor to this quick and easy Asian-inspired recipe.

Gingered Chicken and Fried Rice

How do you get your family to eat fish? By serving them tilapia coated with potato chips, herbs and honey-mustard dressing. "Quick, easy and and very good!" writes one of our website reviewers.

Potato Chips Meet Fish

Top fettucine with skillet-cooked salmon, fresh baby spinach, roasted sweet peppers and reduced-calorie dressing for a meal that's ready in just 20 minutes.

Mediterranean Salmon & Noodle Bowl

Tofu and soy cheese boost the protein in these mini vegetable-and-egg casseroles.

Mushroom, Asparagus, and Tofu Quiches