The spirit of primavera, Italian for “spring,” comes alive in garlic and herb-scented artichokes, crisp lettuces, sweet baby carrots, aromatic fennel, and blissfully light cheese-dappled gnocchi....

Food editor Maggie Ruggiero learned this method of cooking artichokes from a close friend of hers, Betty Alfenito, “prop stylist and cook extraordinaire.”

If you’re making this entire menu in a single oven, roast the vegetables and bake the souffléed gnocchi while the lamb stands.

The anchovy doesn’t come across as fishy tasting—it simply lends a savory note that blends beautifully with the meat.

Souffléed and pillow soft, gnocchi cooked in a variation on alla romana puts to rest this starch’s reputation as a heavy hitter.

Crisp lettuce adds a refreshing crunch to this earthy springtime menu.

California dried apricots are essential for this recipe—they have the tartness needed to balance the sweet filling and macaroon layers.

Tagliatelle is a wide pasta known as the perfect accompaniment for any hearty sauce. Here, it absorbs the flavors of pancetta and sage.

Agrodolce, an Italian sweet-and-sour sauce, combines vinegar and sugar. For tender results, be sure to peel off any outer layers from the shallots.