36 Vegetarian Recipes For A Veggie-Forward Easter Dinner

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.

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).

Get the Veggie Paella (Paella Verdura) recipe.

This delicate, luscious pasta is the epitome of spring, showcasing under-appreciated fresh produce, like red radishes. Though cherry radishes can be a little spicy, when sautéed or roasted, they become incredibly sweet and tender. Less important but still worth noting, they also turn the most perfect shade of pink, adding a lovely pop of color to this pasta dish. 😍

Get the Pasta Primavera recipe.

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.

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.

Get the Chicken-Fried Mushrooms & Gravy recipe.

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.

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.

Get the Sheet-Pan Burrata Caprese Gnocchi recipe.

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.

Get the Baked Risotto with Lemon, Peas & Parmesan recipe.

Nashville hot chicken may be king, but Nashville hot cauliflower is coming to steal the crown. Coated in hot sauce-spiked buttermilk batter, fried to golden brown perfection, and drizzled with the iconic spicy oil, this vegetarian dinner is crispy, flavorful, and SO delicious.

Get the Nashville Hot Cauliflower recipe.

One of our favorite sandwiches is the Italian hero, a sandwich filled to the brim with all manner of cured meat, cheese, and refreshingly crisp vegetables. This vegetarian version is just as good as the original, with planks of zucchini and eggplant instead of meat.

Get the Vegetarian Italian Sub recipe.

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.

We love a good twice-baked potato when we're craving something creamy, carb-y, and comforting. These twice-baked sweet potatoes exhibit all the same qualities, in addition to being a little healthier—the perfect vegetarian dinner!

Get the Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes recipe.

Moussaka is a Greek eggplant-based dish that is traditionally made with ground beef, but this veggie-forward version swaps out the meat for lentils. The creamy béchamel sauce on top of this is INCREDIBLE.

Get the Vegetarian Moussaka recipe.

These vegetarian stuffed peppers deliver all the spicy, garlicky flavors of your favorite falafel sandwich, in a bright, spring-y package.

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Craving chicken Parm, but following a vegetarian diet? No worries! This cabbage version is just as cheesy and flavorful as the original, with a welcome plant-based twist.

Get the Cabbage Parmesan recipe.

This is everything you love about chicken piccata without the chicken. The sauce is bright and briny and extra buttery. Take your time with the mushrooms; you need to let them turn a dark golden brown. (Tip: Wait to salt them, as salt will draw out moisture, making them soggy instead of crispy.)

Get the Mushroom Piccata Pasta recipe.

This meatless, dairy-free take on shepherd's pie is packed with veggies (mushrooms! celery! butternut squash! parsnips!) and loaded with flavor. It's also incredibly hearty, thanks to lentils.

Get the Vegan Shepherd's Pie recipe.

Making gnudi, or Italian ricotta dumplings, only sounds fancy—just like their cousin, gnocchi, they're actually so easy to make. Where gnocchi is made with potato, gnudi is made with ricotta, which makes them even more tender, light, and plump. Yum!

Get the Ricotta Gnudi recipe.

With no meat to get in the way, this lasagna isn't messing around in the cheese department. Follow our top tips for getting it perfect every time.

Get the Vegetarian Lasagna recipe.

If a bowl of creamy, earthy, umami-rich pasta sounds good to you, give this flexible recipe a go. It tastes great with any variety of mushrooms and is easily adapted with alternate alliums, herbs, nuts, pasta shapes, and hard cheeses.

Get the Creamy Mushroom Pasta recipe.