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This One Pot Pasta Primavera is a weeknight dinner win. Packed with spring vegetables, this hearty, yet light, pasta dinner is tossed in a garlic butter sauce. Kid (and husband) approved!
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Pasta Primavera
Happy Spring!!! Even though Mother Nature really hasn’t gotten the memo yet….I’m willing it to happen. I love easy weeknight dinners and this easy Pasta Primavera comes together quickly with the seasons best vegetables.
If you’ve never had Pasta Primavera before you’re in for a real treat. It’s basically a pasta dish that is cooked in a garlic-y sauce and tossed with fresh vegetables. It’s not just for spring or summer, it’s a great recipe all year long. You can substitute your favorite in season vegetables, too!
No matter the season, I like to throw in some grape tomatoes because sometimes they burst and add a beautiful blush color to the sauce. For a bit of protein, you can add chicken or shrimp to round out the recipe.
How To Make Pasta Primavera
Because Pasta Primavera comes together so quickly, it makes a great weeknight dinner.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente.
- Saute the veggies. Cook the vegetables in a skillet until vibrant and crisp tender.
- Make the sauce. Add the sauce ingredients to the pan and cook until bubbling.
- Add the pasta. Stir in the pasta and add reserved pasta water if you want it saucier.
- Serve. Plate your pasta and serve with cheese.
I definitely think, that even though this easy Pasta Primavera recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes….and is perfect for a weeknight dinner. It’s totally fantastic for entertaining.
Serving Suggestions
We love to serve Pasta Primavera with crusty garlic bread or garlic knots. Round everything out with a crisp salad or serve alongside a protein like chicken Milanese.
Variations
- Add protein like chicken or shrimp to make this the ultimate one pot dinner.
- Switch up the pasta by swapping penne for a longer noodle like spaghetti or something shorter like orecchiette.
- Add a splash of cream for a richer sauce.
More Easy Pasta Dinners
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Pasta Primavera Recipe
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound Penne Pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
- 2 cups broccolini, baby broccoli, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced thinly
- 1 medium yellow squash, sliced into quarters
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into quarters
- 5 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup green peas, frozen, thawed
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup shredded parmesan
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook penne pasta in salted water according to package directions, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add red onion and carrot and saute 2 minutes.
- Add broccoli and bell pepper then saute 2 minutes.
- Add squash and zucchini then saute 2 – 3 minutes or until veggies have nearly softened.
- Add garlic, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and saute 2 minutes longer. Add the butter and cook until melted.
- Add the butter and cook until melted. Stir in the chicken stock, lemon juice, zest and honey. Bring to a boil then turn the heat to low.
- Stir in the pasta and toss with the vegetables to coat. Season with salt and add the reserved pasta water. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup parmesan and parsley then serve with remaining parmesan on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How much butter in the garlic butter sauce? It’s mentioned in the description but not in the recipe.
Hi Carol! I updated the recipe with the correct measurements, apologies for the oversight. This was an old recipe we recently revisited and made some modifications. I hope you enjoy it!
Look amazingly yummy
One pot meals are the best!
What a great fresh spring meal!
I love any meal that can be made in one pot. The only thing I might do differently is put lots more shrimp in there because my family loves it so much!
This looks really good!
Thank you!
This is one perfect meal!
My family loves this pasta salad!