Spring brightens up menus with tender, seasonal veggies and fresh flavors. Sure, nothing beats a big, warming bowl of stew if it’s chilly outside. It’s just that after eating those comforting (and filling) dishes for so long, we can’t help but applaud the arrival of delicate, aromatic herbs such as dill, parsley, chives and cilantro, or the crunch of a spicy radish — among the earliest spring harvests for most gardeners.

There’s also the joy of finding bundles of pencil-thin asparagus, spring onions and bunches of fresh, leafy greens like arugula, spinach and baby lettuce at local markets.

Until then, you can easily find everything you need to make dishes that burst with spring’s colors and fleeting flavors at your local grocery store. And we’re not just talking about the expected green salad, though a tender spring mix dressed in a vinaigrette with a sprinkle of cheese and a handful of nuts is certainly hard to beat.

A quick and simple salad of chopped, raw radishes tossed with fresh parsley and lemon is a snappy way to start a meal. There’s also something incredibly satisfying about crunching your way through a crisp cucumber sandwich.

Or maybe you’re thinking brunch. In that case, a savory, custardy quiche studded with asparagus spears and lemon is your friend. It can be made ahead of time and served either warm or at room temperature and makes great leftovers.

Hungry for something a little heartier? Baby spinach is a great stand-in for basil in pesto sauce for pasta. Tossed with short and twisty fusilli, farfalle or tortellini, it makes a great addition to your table.

SPINACH PESTO

Tired of red sauce? Go green — and up your veggie intake — with this eye-catching bowl of spinach-pesto spaghetti. It couldn’t be easier to make; all you need is a food processor. For a different take, swap the spinach for kale, Swiss chard or ramps, if you can find them. You also can trade walnuts or almonds for the pine nuts. Here, pesto is used to dress pasta, but you also can spoon it onto pizza, tuck it into sandwiches, serve it as a dip or use it as a topping for fish or chicken.

Makes: 4 servings

For the pasta:

1 pound spaghetti or other pasta of choice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Extra Parmesan, shaved or shredded, to serve

Baby spinach, to serve

Toasted pine nuts, to serve

For the pesto:

4 tightly packed cups baby spinach leaves

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 tightly packed cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Make pesto: Place all ingredients except oil into a food processor. Jam that spinach in, there’s a lot of it! Blitz until spinach is chopped into pesto-sized bits. Scrape sides down as needed. With motor running on low, pour oil in a thin stream. Set aside while you prepare pasta.

2. Cook spaghetti in boiling water with salt per the package directions. Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain spaghetti, then return to the empty pot.

3. Add a couple generous scoops of pesto to the pot with 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Toss well, using the extra water as needed to loosen. Add more pesto, if desired. Serve immediately while hot, or let it cool and serve at room temperature like you would a pasta salad. Either way, garnish with Parmesan, baby spinach and pine nuts.

— Recipe from “RecipeTin Eats Dinner: 150 Recipes for Fast Everyday Meals” by Nagi Maehashi