Italian cuisine is beloved around the world for its simplicity and use of fresh seasonal ingredients. Here are 20 fresh spring dinner ideas that you can whip up at home this season! These are all traditional Italian recipes from the PIATTO cooking channels—most include video recipes so you can follow along step by step!
Cacio e Pepe—no heavy cream—made with just pecorino cheese and hot pasta water!
You may think of Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe as a heavy dish, but that’s because you aren’t making it like an Italian 😉 The classic recipe has just 3 ingredients (not including the hot pasta water). We’ll show you the foolproof way to whip this dish up in minutes.
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe Recipe
One of the most distinctive recipes that you will find in any Rome restaurant. The traditional Cacio e Pepe has just three ingredients: pecorino cheese and black pepper ("cacio" and “pepe") and pasta. The trick to achieving its unmatched flavor? Quality ingredients and few simple cooking tricks.
Believe it or not, “Pasta Primavera” isn’t actually an Italian dish. However, it is inspired by several real spring and summer Italian pasta recipes—For instance this recipe with penne featuring a classic mix of spring summer veggies (Vignarola Romana).
Authentic Italian Pasta Primavera (‘Pasta Vignarola Romana’)
Based on the traditional Vignarola Romana mixed vegetables, this recipe combines those spring vegetables with a pasta and a creamy pecorino cheese sauce for an unforgettable dish!
basil pesto is traditionally served with trofie pasta, green beans and potatoes—so fresh!
Pesto pasta is a popular Italian dish that is especially popular during the spring and early summer months. It is a simple and delicious pasta dish made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano cheese, and olive oil. We love pesto pasta because it is easy to make and can be customized to suit any taste. We prefer a mortar and pestle for this job—the traditional tool for getting the freshest flavor from your pesto! We’ll show you what product we use and how you can get this Made in Italy product on Amazon. Toss the pesto with cooked pasta and serve!
Basil Pesto Pasta Recipe
This healthy and tasty dish features authentic Pesto Genovese served with trofie pasta, potatoes and fresh green beans. It is a traditional dish associated with Pesto Genovese in Italy.
Yes, you have to turn the oven on for this recipe, but its super easy and ready in minutes. This is a classic fresh spring dinner recipe from the Italian island of Sardegna.
Baked Sea Bass with Herbed Roasted Potatoes
A whole sea bass roasted with a blend of fresh Italian herbs, tomato and laid on a bed of crispy roasted potatoes. Substitute any type of sea bass (spigola or branzino). Seriously good eats from the Italian island of Sardinia (Sardegna)!
Pasta alla Gricia with guanciale and pecorino cheese sauce
In all fairness, most Italians eat pasta for lunch. But these Roman pasta dishes make for the perfect spring dinner idea if you enjoy pasta for dinner. We’ll show you how to make this recipe the classic Roman way.
Authentic Pasta alla Gricia Recipe
This Pasta Gricia recipe is one of the pillars of Roman pasta, along with: Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe and Amatriciana! With a creamy pecorino cheese sauce and fine Italian guanciale, you'll love this dish!
Tagliata steak served with an arugula salad and parmigiano shavings—what a dinner!
Ah, Tuscan Tagliata! We’ll show you how to make steak to perfection just as they do in Tuscany. So fast and easy in a pan.
Best Italian Steak Recipe: Tagliata (In a Pan)!
One of the best Italian steak recipes in Italy has to be the Tagliata! Tagliata is a sirloin steak cooked to perfection (usually, rare) and plated as thin slices (tagliata means cut in Italian). It’s a traditional Tuscan dish.
Fresh seafood with pasta is the perfect light spring dinner! Don’t know how to prep clams? No worries, we’ll share all of the secrets to creating the perfect clam sauce.
Italian Spaghetti with Clam Sauce Recipe
Finally! Restaurant-quality Spaghetti with Clam Sauce that you can easily make at home. Our tested recipe will make it easy.
This fast and easy pasta recipe is beloved in Italy all year round.
Best Spaghetti Aglio Olio Recipe (Garlic and Oil Pasta)
The fastest pasta dish in Italy! This simple pasta dish is nonetheless packed with flavor. It is a favorite in Italy for lunch breaks or for a midnight snack. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is popular throughout Italy, but originated in Naples.
A traditional dish from Puglia, this easy and nutritious recipe features ‘little ears’ pasta and tasty broccoli rabe.
Broccoli Rabe Pasta Recipe
A simple seasonal pasta dish from the Puglia region of Italy! Like so many Italian dishes, the secret to this dish is properly preparing the vegetables. Follow our tips for removing the parts of the broccoli rabe that aren't tender and tasty.
This is one of our favorite lunch and dinner recipes—fresh and fast and packed with seasonal spring and summer ingredients.
Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella and Basil
Fast and fresh tomato sauce for pasta—the Italian way! Fresh tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano and extra-virgin olive oil make this dish both delicious and nutritious. Fast, easy and perfect for a hot day.
Aglio e Olio.. as they enjoy it on the island of Sardegna!
This take on Spaghetti Aglio e Olio features a special local ingredient from the island of Sardegna: Bottarga! This has become one of our favorite spring dinner and lunch recipes, and we use the best mortar and pestle Made in Italy to keep the garlic and bottarga fresh and maximize the flavors.
Spaghetti Aglio Olio Recipe with Fresh Garlic and Bottarga
Spaghetti Aglio Olio as it is often made on the island of Sardegna—with fresh mashed garlic and a sprinkle of bottarga!
Spaghetti alla Nerano with fried zucchini and provolone has become more popular since Stanley Tucci featured it in his TV series on Italian food. There are a few ways to make this pasta dish and still have it be considered ‘traditional.’ This dish is much faster to make if you own a deep fryer which makes frying the zucchini a breeze.
Best Spaghetti alla Nerano Recipe—Creamy, Cheesy with Zucchini
This classic take from Flavia Diamante is possibly the best Spaghetti alla Nerano recipe we've tried! Recipe + Video filmed in Italy!
Spaghetti Alla Nerano Recipe: Pasta with Zucchini and Provolone
This authentic Spaghetti alla Nerano recipe is from Nerano near Naples! This famous Italian pasta recipe features provolone cheese and a secret ingredient: fried zucchini! It's a cheesy pasta with an unforgettable umami flavor.
Pizza is a staple of Italian cuisine, and margherita pizza is one of the most popular varieties. We make this pizza recipe at home every Friday! To make a classic margherita pizza, simply top a pizza crust with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. Bake in the oven until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted and bubbly. But Margherita is just one way to top our high hydration pizza dough recipe—so be sure to mix it up and try all of these pizza topping ideas!
How to Make 70% Hydration Pizza Dough
Learn how to make a 70% hydration pizza dough that is delicious and HIGHLY DIGESTIBLE! It will be soft inside, with a crispy crust!
Panzanella bread salad– one of several traditional versions.
Panzanella is a favorite in our family during spring and summer dinners. It’s soooo fresh and easy. Our family follows the recipe traditional to Marche rather than the ‘crouton’ style panzanella popular in other regions of Italy. You’ll love it!
Italian Bread Salad Recipe: Panzanella
There are many variations of the famous Panzanella Bread Salad throughout Italy. This recipe is the perfect fresh spring or summer meal, with whole slices of sourdough bread and seasonal vegetables. So tasty!
garden pasta with peppers, zucchini, onion and eggplant
Garden Pasta is likely another inspiration to the “Pasta Primavera” popular in the US and elsewhere. This recipe features spring and summer veggies and an easy, creamy Parmigiano sauce.
Italian Garden Pasta Recipe
Pasta all’Ortolana—translated Garden Pasta recipe—is the perfect way to use fresh spring and summer vegetables! There is no specific vegetable combination that is traditional, per se. However, eggplant, zucchini and a mix of peppers are common in many Italian Garden Pasta recipes.
Caprese salad is a simple yet delicious Italian salad made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. It is a perfect dish for spring and early summer, when fresh tomatoes are at their best. Americans love caprese salad because it is easy to make and requires only a few ingredients. To make a classic caprese salad, simply slice fresh mozzarella and ripe tomatoes, arrange them on a plate, and top with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Authentic Italian Caprese Salad Recipe
The charm of Insalata Caprese lies in its simplicity. The authentic Caprese Salad recipe calls for just a few key ingredients: ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt!
In conclusion, Italian cuisine is a favorite of many Americans, particularly during the spring and early summer months. From caprese salad to panzanella and many easy pasta recipes, there are many delicious Italian dishes that will satisfy your need for flavor and freshness for a spring dinner.
About the author
Classic recipes from Italy and beyond. Traditional Italian Cooking and Mediterranean Diet recipes!
PIATTO™ Recipes bring traditional Italian food recipes to your table with our tested, step-by-step recipes and videos. You'll find the best Italian recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Always tested, always delicious.
