30 Recipes to Make in April (2024)

Although spring technically starts in March, April is when that warmer, brighter weather really starts to kick in. We like to celebrate with vibrant dishes, from Feta Gnocchi with Lemony Yogurt and Spring Peas to a bright Lemon Pound Cake. In this recipe collection, you'll find those plus 28 other recipes to cook through this month. Whether you're looking for a new sweet treat to wake up to like this Blueberry and Meyer Lemon Breakfast Pastry or a showstopping risotto, we've got you covered. Read on for the top 30 recipes we're making in April.

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Feta Gnocchi with Lemony Yogurt and Spring Peas

A crisp exterior surrounds the creamy, tangy center in these feta gnocchi. By swapping out the classic potato for fluffy feta cheese, chef Cassie Piuma of Sarma restaurant creates a seasonal riff on the classic dish that takes on a briny, salty flavor profile you never knew it desperately needed. Topped with crunchy fresh sugar and snap peas as well as a generous serving of crushed red pepper and dill, this springy gnocchi finds its home atop a bed of lemony, garlic-scented strained yogurt,

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Tartiflette

"You can never have too much cheese, bacon or starch," said Anthony Bourdain about this dish. Soft, pungent Reblochon cheese is the star of this casserole that comes from the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps, located near the border of Switzerland. Combined with bacon, potatoes, wine, and onions, it makes for a rich main or side dish perfect for chilly March evenings.

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Vatrushka with Lemon and Ricotta Filling

The buns known as vatrushky are stuffed with sweet and tangy farmer cheese flavored with vanilla, dotted with raisins, and baked for a sweet Ukrainian Easter tradition.

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Carciofi alla Giudia (Jewish-Style Fried Artichokes)

Artichokes are personal in Rome. The city’s residents generally agree that the locally grown variety called carciofo Romanesco — a globe-shaped, vibrant, purple- and green-tinged thistle that comes into season between late February and early April — is superior to all others. At the heart of Rome’s artichoke obsession are carciofi alla giudia, artichokes that are deep-fried until custard-soft inside with leaves as crisp as potato chips. The golden blossoms are considered one of the city’s greatest culinary achievements, and for good reason. Dressed with nothing more than a shower of salt and a squeeze of lemon, they are incomparably delicious.

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Spring Vegetable Paella

This paella is the perfect way to welcome spring — with lots of green, seasonal vegetables and a recipe that works well to entertain a small group. Cooking the paella in the oven makes this paella relatively hands-off, and easy on the cook. It also means the rice is cooked perfectly and the vegetables are perfectly tender; adding the radicchio at the end gives it extra crunch and color. The preserved lemon laced throughout the dish brightens the flavors, adding floral notes that complement the umami of the anchovies.

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Matzo Brei with Caramelized Onions

This savory meal is Passover-friendly and can be eaten at breakfast, lunch, and dinner."If I could eat only one food for the rest of my life, it would be this remarkably simple dish in which a few basic ingredients are magically transformed into something comforting and compelling," says Ruth Reichl about this recipe.

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Potato and Cheese Pierogi

This comforting potato and cheese pierogi recipe is a labor of love but the end results are absolutely worth it. These pierogi are filled with potato and Cheddar cheese. The ultra-cozy dumplings are topped with bacon and cabbage infused with browned butter.

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Lemon Pound Cake

This lemon pound cake recipe has a moist and tender crumb with a golden-domed crunchy crust that’s topped with a lemony glaze that adds a hint of sweetness. A handful of pantry staples come together to create this citrus-infused cake that is perfect for breakfast, tea, dessert, or as a snack.

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Lamb Leg Steak with Pistachio Gremolata and Marsala Onions

At Tavernetta in Denver, Colorado, chef Ian Wortham’s tender and smoky grilled lamb steak — topped with a lemony pistachio gremolata, Cipollini onions caramelized in Marsala wine, and a garlicky caper dressing — is a stunning main course. Wortham uses a cross-cut slice of leg, which he tenderizes with a Jaccard, a sharp-toothed butcher’s tool. Much of the work for the accompaniments can be done ahead of time, and it's worth the effort to make the sweet-tangyMarsala Cipollini Onions,Garlic-Caper Vinaigrette, andPistachio Gremolata.

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Strawberry-Buttermilk Cobbler

A mixture of spelt and almond flours, gently combined with cold butter and creamy buttermilk, creates tender, fluffy biscuits that cover this juicy strawberry cobbler filling. Use the sweetest, best-quality berries from the market; their flavor is the foundation of this seasonal dessert.

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Asparagus and Fava Bean Tart with Herbed Ricotta

Lemon zest and thyme add subtle fragrance to this showstopping tart's ricotta filling, balancing the savory Parmesan and prosciutto. Gently pressing on the par-baked pastry while spreading the filling is key to creating a crisp crust. Carlin Karr of Tavernetta in Denver recommends Grüner Veltliner to accompany this dish. It has a "fresh radish, fava, pea shoot quality, with a spiciness that is especially great with green veggies. It speaks to the early weeks of spring, with both freshness and texture."

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Chocolate-Hazelnut Matzo Cake

This icebox cake layers liqueur-soaked matzo crackers with chocolate ganache and toasted hazelnuts for a Passover-friendly dessert. This recipe comes from Rochelle Cooper of The Duck and the Peach in Washington, D.C. It’s a family recipe she used to make with her mother for their Passover Seder, but is a delicious option anytime you want an easy, flavorful, no-bake dessert.

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Shallow-Poached Salmon with Leek Beurre Blanc

Shallow poaching under a cartouche, a circle of parchment paper, yields tender fish in minutes. This method works with any mild fish, such as flounder, rockfish, or grouper. If any fillets are of uneven thickness (such as tapered portions near the tail), fold the thin portion underneath to achieve an even 3/4-inch thickness.

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Risotto with Parsley Puree and Caramelized Garlic

Pureed parsley, goat cheese, and Parmesan offer a herbaceous-yet-creamy twist on classic risotto. For most leafy vegetables, like parsley, the key is to puree them before adding them to the rice, making sure to reserve some of the whole leaves for garnish.To preserve the parsley’s bright color, blanch and shock the greens before pureeing and adding them to the hot rice.

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Pork Steaks with Pickled Peppers

These pork shoulder steaks are paired with a bright, tangy and sweet pickled pepper sauce. This recipe uses meat from the pork shoulder instead of the rib. The shoulder is less lean than a regular chop and more marbled, meaning you get a more rich, fatty flavor from the cut. At the butcher, you may find this roast under the name “picnic” roast. Buy a whole roast and slice it into steaks or ask your butcher to cut them for you.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

This streusel-topped rhubarb coffee cake is a standout celebration of spring. With a tender, springy crumb, the cake is the perfect match for the rosy, tart rhubarb on top. The addition of buttermilk lends tanginess and richness to the cake batter, while the rhubarb is marinated in sugar before baking, softening the fibrous stalks to result in a deliciously jammy texture.

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Baby Lettuces with Feta, Strawberries and Almonds

Take advantage of the season's first strawberries and seasonal greens to show them off in thissalad, whichis an extraordinary combination of ingredients that wouldn’t seem to go together: feta, strawberries and almonds.

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Sautéed Italian Sausage with Onions and Peppers

Searing sweet Italian sausage in a dry skillet renders the fat, resulting in a deliciously crispy outer skin. Tender bell peppers add a welcome vegetal sweetness to this one-pan dinner while they cook down in a blend of savory chicken broth and tangy vinegar perfect for sopping up with crusty bread. Sausage, peppers, and onions is a great dinner to pair with a red wine, says sommelier Theo Lieberman of Pasquale Jones in New York City, who provided the inspiration for this recipe. To go with the sausage, peppers, and onions, he says, "I've been digging Forlorn Hope's Queen of the Sierra red — I like it chilled. It's easy to drink and lends itself to all kinds of food."

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Blueberry and Meyer Lemon Breakfast Pastry

Baking up flaky and buttery in a few short minutes, frozen puff pastry is the secret to simple morning pastries. This sweet, easy breakfast pastry comes together without much planning (just thaw some puff pastry the night before). Be sure to leave the one-inch border around the edges of the filling to prevent the sweet jam and tangy Meyer lemon–flecked cream cheese from escaping during baking. The tart dried blueberries aren't just a pretty topping; they help balance the sweetness of this nostalgic breakfast treat. While the cream cheese filling and assembly are essential, feel free to play with your choice of fruit preserve in place of the blueberry preserves, or try adding a few chocolate chips if the occasion calls for it.

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Shaved Beet and Carrot Salad With Citrus-Scallion Dressing

This gorgeous, colorful salad takes late-winter produce like thinly shaved beets, carrot ribbons, and rounds of juicy clementine and dresses them up for spring with a citrus-scallion vinaigrette so delicious, recipe creator Leah Koenig says, "I sneak it straight from a spoon." Crisp arugula serves as the base for this bright, earthy salad. Topped with nutty almonds and the tart dressing (which is balanced with honey), this salad is special enough to serve at a holiday meal. Koenig includes it on her table for Passover, alongside her Chicken, Potatoes, and Leeks with Pine Nut Gremolata, but it is just as delicious as a quick, light lunch.

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Soft-Cooked Eggs with Hollandaise and Ham

Winemaker and restaurateur André Mack shared the recipe for this elegant breakfast dish of ham thinly sliced with eggs and hollandaise. The salty ham complements golden, jammy egg yolks and a simple hollandaise, showcasing the excellence of each ingredient in this classic dish. Patience is key with hollandaise; adding only a little butter at a time helps the sauce come together without breaking. At & Sons, his ham and wine bar in Brooklyn, Mack uses Mangalista ham in this recipe, but any thinly sliced ham will do nicely. Mangalista ham is smoked over hardwood, giving it a deliciously savory flavor, but also high in fat, so it stays moist and tender even after smoking.

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Pork Chops with Sherry Pan Sauce with Ras Al Hanout

Dry sherry lends an oxidized, nutty complexity to this pan sauce. Sweetened with fresh orange juice and dried fruit, it's perfect with pork chops or seared duck breasts. The technique here relies on rendering fat from the meat, setting it aside, and using that fat to bloom beautifully complex ras al hanout in the pan, before deglazing it with sherry to incorporate every bit of flavor into the final sauce. This recipe is written for pork chops, but you can make the sherry pan sauce from other proteins; start from step two, working with one tablespoon of reserved drippings, and proceed as written.

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Spaghetti with Ramps, Chiles & Two Cheeses

Ramps, the ephemeral wild onions that chefs love and which appear only in the spring, give this pasta a lovely garlic flavor. When ramps aren't in season, Justin Smillie uses elephant garlic—the bulb, stem and flowers. Scallions also make a good substitute.

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Roast Chicken and Warm Escarole Caesar

This roast chicken from the menu at Dusek's in Chicago is a sleeper hit, combining comforting roast chicken and the briny flavors of Caesar salad for a cozy meal. Marinating the chicken for at least 24 hours in a koji marinade makes it nice and juicy while infusing it with tons of flavor. The chicken emerges from the oven savory, sweet, a little smoky, and slightly spicy with a deep brown crust. It's the perfect match for the just-wilted escarole, which still retains some crunch and is slightly bitter. Tender roasted potatoes add some extra heft to the preparation, and a homemade Caesar dressing brings it all together.

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Rosé-Marinated Grilled Leg of Lamb with Walnut Salsa Fresca

Studding a leg of lamb with anchovies adds savory depth to this beautiful cut of meat flavored with a garlicky, herbal rosé-based marinade. The flavors in the walnut salsa fresca served alongside mirror those of the marinade, bringing a final dose of richness and flavor to this standout dish.

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Rib Eye with Charred Spring Onions and Salsa Verde

"This is a great weeknight steak recipe that uses easy-to-find herbs and a few kitchen essentials to really maximize flavor," says chef Hillary Sterling of Ci Siamo in New York City. "Vincotto — literally 'cooked wine' in Italian — is an ingredient I always have on hand for quick marinades and sauces. If you can't find it at your local specialty store, a combination of equal parts balsamic vinegar and honey works well as a substitute. Sweet and tangy, it will impart a ton of flavor on the rib eye in a short time." A drizzle of fresh lemon juice just before serving brightens up the smoky, umami-rich steak alongside an herb-packed salsa verde and juicy spring onions.

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Chicken, Potatoes, and Leeks with Pine Nut Gremolata

For the crispiest skin and most flavorful meat, roast bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and legs over a bed of leeks and potatoes, where they render fat and absorb flavor. A quick turn under the broiler imparts a golden finish to the chicken thighs and legs before they're basted in pan juices and dressed with a zippy gremolata made from toasted pine nuts, garlic, and parsley. Cookbook author Leah Koenig loves to serve these during the Passover holiday, but they're a special dinner any night of the year.

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Aperol Spritz Cake with Prosecco-Poached Rhubarb

Choose deep red stalks of rhubarb for the most vibrant color atop this springtime dessert. The poached rhubarb syrup slowly soaks into the sponge, lightly glazing the top while adding delicious moisture to the cake below.

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Mafaldine with Pea Shoot—Meyer Lemon Pesto

Fresh pea shoots, parsley, and dill make a verdant pesto balanced with salty ricotta salata cheese and nutty roasted sunflower seed kernels. The bright sauce clings beautifully to ruffled mafaldine pasta, but any textured pasta shape will work well. Sommelier Raquel Stevens of Leeward in Portland, Maine, provided the inspiration for this dish. She loves to pair it with Colle Trotta Q500 Passerina, a complex white wine from Abruzzo made from the Passerina grape. "The bright green pea shoots and salty sheep's milk cheese are balanced beautifully by the Colle Trotta Passerina's notes of ripe peach and wildflower honey," she says.

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Herb Garden Matzoh Ball Soup

Matzoh ball soup gets a glow-up in this version by cookbook author Leah Koenig, with fresh parsley, dill, chives, and fennel fronds in the matzoh balls themselves, plus more herbs, lemon zest, and edible flowers adding color and bright, spring flavors to each finished bowl of soup.

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