Pasta Primavera
Pasta Primavera is packed with lots of different vegetables and a light creamy sauce that coats the pasta. It’s so easy to make, so colorful and delicious.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- 12 oz. pasta (fettuccine, spaghetti, penne,
- 1 lb asparagus
- 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
- 1 medium yellow squash, halved and sliced
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3–6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1/2– 1 cup frozen peas
- 1–3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, optional
- 1–2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- salt, ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a large rimmed baking sheet inside the oven while the oven is preheating.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta the way you like it. Save about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, prep the asparagus by cutting off the bottom fibrous part. Toss the asparagus with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and some of the minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper and mix it all together to combine.
- Mix the zucchini and yellow squash with another Tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and a bit more of the minced garlic. Place the asparagus, the zucchini and yellow squash on the preheated baking sheet. The baking sheet will be searingly hot, so be careful!
- Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil in a skillet. Add the onion and all the remaining garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until tender and lightly golden.
- Pour in the heavy cream, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Add the Parmesan cheese, whisk to combine. Set aside and keep warm.
- When the vegetables are roasted and the pasta is ready, gently toss the pasta, roasted veggies, frozen peas, cream sauce, and parsley together.
- You can add some fresh lemon juice to add a bit of acidity and bright flavor to the dish, but that is optional.
- Add some of the reserved pasta water, to loosen the sauce a bit, adding as much as you think it needs.
- Garnish each serving with extra parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
The thing about Pasta Primavera is that you can use many kinds of vegetables in this dish. Think bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, snap peas, spinach, broccoli, broccolini or carrots. I’m sure you get the idea.You can add some sautéed, roasted or grilled chicken to this dish too.
If You’re Using Fresh Pasta:
When the vegetables and the sauce are both ready, add the fresh pasta to the boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes only. Fresh pasta cooks SO quickly, which is why I have the rest of the ingredients ready to go before I cook the pasta.
Asparagus:
When roasting the asparagus, I like to keep it whole so it is more plump and juicy while in the oven, then, right before adding it to the pasta, I cut it into smaller pieces.