50 Vegetarian Recipes For A Veggie-Forward Easter Dinner
It's a fact that more and more people are eating less and less meat, which means it's more than likely there will be someone eating plant-based at nearly every holiday meal you make or attend this spring. Whether it’s you, a friend, loved one, or even a coworker, make the season extra cheery by cooking one of these vegetarian dinners. They’re perfect for Easter and beyond.
Having more of a low-key Easter this year? We’ve got tons of vegetarian recipes here for you that won't leave you stuck in the kitchen all Sunday long. If you’re looking for things that come together fast and can feed a crowd, try our sheet-pan spanakopita quesadillas, our falafel stuffed peppers, or our sheet-pan burrata Caprese gnocchi. For a smaller meal that will still feel a little extra special, try our brie spaghetti, our twice-baked sweet potatoes, or our vegetarian Italian subs. They're the perfect casual dinners that'll still make your Easter stand out from the rest of the week.
Alternatively, if you’ve got visions of an elaborate Easter dinner spread, complete with a lamb or ham centerpiece and all the sides, we’ve got you too. All you’ve got to do is replace the meat with something equally stunning, like a whole roasted cabbage, our tricolore lasagna, or our homemade white pizza; an impressive casserole or pasta dish, like our vegetarian moussaka, our Boursin baked ziti, or our mushroom piccata pasta; or even a classic meat-y main turned vegetarian, like our chicken-fried mushrooms & gravy, our mozzarella schnitzel, or our Nashville hot cauliflower. Fill the rest of your table with our best Easter sides, salads, and cocktails, and you’ll have a vegetarian holiday meal to remember.
And don’t forget about desserts! Easter candy’s not just for kids, especially if you make it yourself. We’ve also got Easter cookies, cakes, and other treats to delight everyone in your family, from young to old.
Pasta Primavera
Few dishes mean “spring” like pasta primavera. Primavera in the name alone brings to mind fresh veggies, like zucchini, English peas, leeks, and peppers, all of the things beginning to bloom for a vibrant season of produce ahead. Feel free to swap in whatever you can find at the farmer's market.
Get the Pasta Primavera recipe.
Chickpea Florentine Flatbread
If you love cream of spinach dip, chickpea anything, creamy white pizza, and lots of melty cheeses, you’re going to love this spin on a traditional flatbread. Unlike other typical Florentine chicken recipes, it's also completely vegetarian!
Get the Chickpea Florentine Flatbread recipe.
Mozzarella Schnitzel
Like chicken and pork schnitzel before it, mozzarella schnitzel is crispy (thanks to a golden breadcrumb crust), and pairs perfectly with a mustard sauce as a special occasion dinner main. Your guests will FLIP over that cheese pull.
Get the Mozzarella Schnitzel recipe.
Indian Butter Chickpeas
Looking for your new favorite way to dress up canned chickpeas? You’re in the right place. Simmered in an aromatic tomato gravy, this vegetarian spin on classic butter chicken will forever change the way you look at a can of beans.
Get the Indian Butter Chickpeas recipe.
Cabbage Schnitzel
A breaded fried cutlet is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and these cabbage schnitzels are no exception. Coated in crispy golden brown bread crumbs and drizzled with a luscious mushroom gravy, this vegetarian spin on a meaty classic will delight meat lovers and vegetarians alike this Easter.
Get the Cabbage Schnitzel recipe.
Primavera Baked Orzo
This spring-y, one-pan dinner is inspired by classic pasta primavera American pasta, but with a cheesy twist. Turns out, the creamy, subtly sweet flavor of fresh mozzarella plays very nicely with similarly delicate spring produce like shallots, sugar snap peas, and oyster mushrooms.
Get the Primavera Baked Orzo recipe.
White Pizza
Don't let the deep hues of caramelized mozzarella fool you—this is indeed a white pizza pie with absolutely no sauce. White pizzas can be boring without the acidity of tomatoes, but not this one, thanks to three different cheeses.
Get the White Pizza recipe.
Orzo Al Limone
Not a fan of rice, but love the creamy waves of risotto? Use orzo instead! Here, orzo is slowly cooked in chicken broth, and the starch is gradually released, creating creamy saucy goodness.
Get the Orzo Al Limone recipe.
One-Pot Creamy Tortellini & Greens
Indulge in pure pasta bliss with this heavenly one-pot tortellini recipe featuring perfectly cooked, cheese-filled tortellini delicately simmering in a lusciously velvety cream sauce, generously infused with vibrant fresh greens. With this one-pot wonder and a handful of ingredients, you can have it all—in just 20 minutes.
Veggie Paella (Paella Verdura)
This veggie-packed paella comes together in under an hour and, even better, most of the cooking happens in the oven. Briefly returning the skillet to the stovetop after baking is the key to achieving a crispy rice crust on the bottom, often referred to as socarrat (meaning “burnt” in Catalan).
Carrot Gnocchi
These are, by their soft, tender, and pillowy nature, very rustic—one might even call them ugly. But worry not: Once you sauté them in butter, herbs, and pistachios, they will look every bit as delicious as they smell. You can also use them as you would store-bought gnocchi, like in our crispy gnocchi & mushrooms or our Tuscan butter gnocchi.
Get the Carrot Gnocchi recipe.
Coconut Braised Cabbage
This braised cabbage recipe is the perfect way to let our favorite cruciferous vegetable shine. In it, big wedges of cabbage are seared, then simmered along with chickpeas, in a savory and slightly spicy coconut broth. You’ll be amazed how this humble vegetable is transformed into something to brag about.
Get the Coconut Braised Cabbage recipe.
Bowtie Primavera
Come springtime, our obsession with pasta primavera comes back in full force. This version lightens up the classic recipe, replacing the heavy cream with low-fat cream cheese. The result is a veggie-packed pasta dish with a sauce that is every bit as creamy as the original.
Get the Bowtie Primavera recipe.
Chicken-Fried Mushrooms & Gravy
Meaty oyster mushrooms stand in for steak in our indulgent take on this Southern classic. Buttermilk is a must for fried chicken, so we made our own with almond milk and vinegar.
Boursin Baked Ziti
Many white baked ziti recipes call for swapping out the marinara for béchamel sauce, but a mixture of Boursin, ricotta, and heavy cream is much simpler—and super delicious. The Boursin, which is packed with garlic and herbs, adds instant flavor to the sauce, and it melts like a dream.
Get the Boursin Baked Ziti recipe.
Brie Spaghetti
Nutty, buttery brie is one of our favorite cheeses because it’s approachable yet fancy, and it goes with a wide variety of other flavors. We used it here to make a simple yet impressive pasta dish that's perfect for Easter.
Get the Brie Spaghetti recipe.
Sheet-Pan Burrata Caprese Gnocchi
This is one of our favorite ways to prepare gnocchi. Roasting gives the dumplings a slightly browned exterior while still maintaining a pillowy, chewy interior. They're a fabulous base for a Caprese salad, except here we swap out tomatoes (which sadly aren't quite in season in April!) for beautiful and reliably sweet bell peppers.
Mini Mushroom Pasta Bakes
For these pasta bakes, you get the best of all worlds from a creamy, cheesy sauce reminiscent of your favorite oven-baked mac and cheese, plus crispy, savory bread crumbs and hearty, meaty mushrooms.
Get the Mini Mushroom Pasta Bakes recipe.
Garlic-Parm Gnocchi
Just like with pasta, sometimes it's simplest preparations of gnocchi that really hit the spot—think cacio e pepe or spaghetti with garlic and oil. This dish hits the mark somewhere in between the two, and is ultra-comforting.
Get the Garlic-Parm Gnocchi recipe.
Baked Risotto With Lemon, Peas & Parmesan
If you’ve never made risotto because you didn’t want to stand there stirring forever, then this recipe is for you. It packs all the satisfying flavor of a slow-stirred version into a fraction of the hands-on time! Change up the veggies with whatever you've got—broccoli, asparagus, or roasted zucchini would all be great.
