Spring cooking asks for something different than the rest of the year. The impulse to braise and roast gives way to meals that are lighter, brighter, and built around ingredients that need very little done to them. These five dinners are exactly that — each one designed to let the season do most of the work.
For a deeper look at what's worth buying right now, see our spring produce guide.
1Lemon Asparagus Pasta with Parmigiano
Cook spaghetti or linguine until just al dente, reserving a cup of the starchy pasta water before draining. While the pasta cooks, blanch thin asparagus spears for two minutes in the same water, then transfer to an ice bath to preserve their color. In a wide pan, warm good olive oil with thinly sliced garlic and a generous amount of lemon zest. Add the drained pasta and asparagus, pour in a splash of pasta water, and toss vigorously off the heat until everything is lightly sauced and glossy. Finish with freshly grated Parmigiano and cracked black pepper. It's a spring version of aglio e olio, and it takes twenty minutes from start to finish.
2Spring Pea and Mint Risotto
Risotto has an undeserved reputation for difficulty — what it actually requires is patience and a willing arm. Soften a shallot and a clove of garlic in butter, then toast Arborio rice for a minute before beginning your additions of warm broth, a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition absorb before adding the next. After about eighteen minutes, stir in a cup of fresh or thawed English peas, a handful of torn fresh mint, a generous knob of butter, and a shower of Parmigiano. The result is creamy and fragrant, pale green and deeply satisfying — the kind of dish that tastes like the season itself.
3Spring Vegetable Frittata with Goat Cheese
A frittata is weeknight dinner's most underappreciated option — it takes fifteen minutes, uses whatever vegetables are in the refrigerator, and leftovers hold well for next-day lunch. Sauté sliced leeks in an oven-safe skillet until soft, add blanched asparagus tips and a handful of snap peas. Beat six eggs with a splash of whole milk, salt, and pepper, then pour over the vegetables. Scatter crumbled goat cheese across the surface and transfer the skillet to a 375°F oven for ten to twelve minutes, until the center is just set. Cut in wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. It's the one-pan philosophy applied to a spring breakfast-for-dinner.
4Pan-Seared Salmon with Snap Peas and Lemon Butter
This is the spring version of the salmon technique from our weeknight dinner guide. Pat salmon fillets thoroughly dry, press skin-side down into a hot pan, and leave them undisturbed for four minutes until the skin is deeply crisp. Flip and cook for two more. While the fish rests, add snap peas to the same pan with a splash of water and cook for two minutes — just enough to turn them bright and tender but not lose their snap. Melt butter with lemon juice and a little Dijon in the pan, spoon over everything, and serve. Spring on a plate, done in under twenty minutes.
5Shrimp Tacos with Mango-Radish Slaw
Toss shrimp with olive oil, cumin, a pinch of chili powder, salt, and lime zest. Cook in a hot pan for about three minutes, turning once, until they're pink and slightly caramelized at the edges. Meanwhile, toss together thinly sliced radishes, diced mango, fresh jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and a small drizzle of honey. The slaw is sweet, spicy, and cool all at once — a perfect counterpoint to the warm, spiced shrimp. Pile everything into warm corn tortillas with a spoonful of sour cream. These tacos sit right at the intersection of spring and summer, and they take less than twenty minutes to pull together.
The key to all five of these is having the right ingredients on hand before the inspiration strikes. That's the gap Dash of Chef is designed to close — so the season's best cooking is never more than a delivery away.