Pasta Primavera
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This Pasta Primavera Recipe is SO easy to make! This is the best vegetable pasta that is delicious, simple and healthy!
We can’t get enough healthy recipes that are loaded with veggies in our home and love our fried cauliflower rice and goat cheese pasta, but this veggie pasta is quickly becoming a go-to for us!
This recipe has over 4 cups of veggies and takes less than 30 minutes to get on your table! It’s also vegetarian and can easily be made vegan.
This pasta primavera is perfect for your Spring or Summer cookout or a quick weeknight dinner!
why you should make this recipe
- Easy to make – Everything comes together in less than 30 minutes and in one pan, meaning fewer dishes!
- Veggie loaded – This recipe is already packed with veggies, but you can definitely add whatever veggies you have on hand. It’s also vegetarian and can be made vegan by omitting the cheese!
- Light and low calorie – Each serving of pasta primavera has only 202 calories and is a perfect light Spring or Summer dish!
What is Pasta Primavera?
Pasta Primavera is a spring dish of veggies and pasta. It uses in season vegetables, olive oil, pasta and cheese to create a delicious dish!
Ingredients
Pasta Primavera Substitutions & Variations
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil, butter, or ghee.
Vegetables: Any vegetables can be added to this recipe. We like stirring in spinach or arugula at the end. Peppers or peas are great to add in as well!
Gluten Free: Use gluten free pasta, spaghetti squash, or zucchini noodles.
Pasta: We used fusilli for this recipe but you can use almost any pasta in this dish. Penne, spaghetti, ziti will all work! Orzo would also be a good option if you cut the veggies up finely. (This Chicken Orzo is still our favorite though!)
Wine: You can omit the wine from this recipe, but it will not be as delicious!
Dairy Free: I haven’t tried making this recipe without parmesan cheese but I think it would work. You could also try using dairy free parmesan cheese.
Add a little spice: I like to add a little extra red pepper flakes to this recipe. If you like a little spice, try this Penne Arrabbiata.
Protein: If you need a high protein pasta dish, try this High Protein Pasta Salad.
How to make Pasta Primavera
- Cook pasta per directions on the box. Sauté onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in olive oil for 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and white wine and cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Before draining the pasta, scoop ½ cup of starchy pasta water out of the pot. Add tomatoes, zucchini, frozen corn to the pan with the veggies and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat. Stir in cooked pasta, pasta water, parmesan cheese, and fresh basil.
Ways to serve Vegetable Pasta Primavera
You can definitely eat this pasta with veggies on its own, but we also love serving it alongside:
- a piece of bread
- Spinach Strawberry Salad
- Baked Boneless Chicken Breast or Baked Chicken Tenders
- Chicken Cacciatore
How to store Pasta Primavera
We recommend storing pasta with veggies in your refrigerator.
Refrigerating: This will last for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freezing: You can’t freeze this recipe. The pasta will get very soggy and will not hold up well.
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave, toaster oven, oven, or on the stove.
Pasta Primavera Recipe FAQ
Almost all veggies are good with pasta! We love zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, and any greens! Most vegetables can go right into pasta primavera!
You can add almost anything to pasta! Fresh herbs, some vinegar, dried spices, extra veggies, meat.. anything will go well with pasta! If you like Caprese, try our Caprese Pasta Salad!
Primavera means “spring”. Typically pasta primavera means that the dish is made with vegetables that are in-season in the spring.
Typically, a primavera sauce is a light sauce with either broth or wine and parmesan cheese.
Primavera pasta is best served hot. You can serve it cold, but it’s meant to be served warm.
Other healthy dinner recipes:
Looking for other easy meals? Check out these 40+ Healthy Dinner Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup onion diced (about ½ a small onion)
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced (about 6 cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved – about 8 oz
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup zucchini quartered
- 1 cup frozen corn defrosted
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup white wine
- 8 oz pasta 3 cups dried pasta
- ½ cup fresh basil sliced thinly
- ¼ cup pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, please see the instructions for the specific dried pasta you plan on using for this recipe.
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or just until it begins to shimmer. Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
- Once onions are translucent, add mushrooms and white wine. Cook for 5-7 minutes until they change color and start to get tender.
- While mushrooms cook, add pasta to boiling water and cook per directions on the package. Note: cook pasta to al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than needed.
- Before draining pasta, scoop ½ cup starchy pasta water out of the pot.
- Add tomatoes, zucchini, frozen corn to the pan with the veggies. Sauté for 3 minutes.
- Remove the sauté pan from the heat. Stir in cooked pasta, pasta water, parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
- Stir for a few seconds until the sauce and vegetables coat the pasta & enjoy!
I really liked this dish. The only changes I made were, a little more cheese, and I did half zucchini and half summer squash. I’ll make it again for sure.
Made this tonight and it was delicious and light and had nice flavor! I did add summer squash just for more veggies but it was perfect as written.
Made this tonight and it was great!
Yum yum! I added summer squash and I omitted the mushrooms. Are used whole wheat pasta. It is extremely yummy! Thank you again for sharing a wonderful recipe.