Pasta Primavera
Pasta primavera is the tastiest way to eat all your veggies! It’s light, refreshing, vibrant, aromatic and just creamy enough to hypnotize even your pickiest eater into seconds and thirds. This pasta primavera recipe is loaded with broccoli, squash, zucchini, asparagus, bell peppers, tomatoes and peas BUT you don’t have to stick with these veggies – add any veggies you want or have on hand- or make it the best clean-out-the-fridge pasta of your life. The rainbow of vegetables is lightly dressed in an easy, aromatic cream sauce spiked with garlic, freshly grated Parmesan, lemon juice and basil. You can leave pasta primavera vegetarian or add protein such as rotisserie chicken, lemon basil chicken or lemon garlic shrimp. This pasta primavera recipe also reheats beautifully for meal prep or lunches throughout the week. Serve pasta primavera with homemade butter breadsticks and fruit salad for the perfect weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Instructions
Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large, deep saucepan/skillet over medium-high heat. Add red onions and broccoli and sauté 3 minutes
Add squash, zucchini, asparagus, bell peppers, tomatoes, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté 2 minutes or until veggies are tender-crisp. Transfer veggies to a large bowl; set aside
To the now empty skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté 30 seconds. Turn heat to low and add heavy cream. Whisk chicken broth with cornstarch and add to skillet along with oregano, parsley, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt
Bring the sauce to a simmer; simmer until thickened, approx. 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan until melted followed by lemon juice. Add peas and fresh basil and warm through
Stir vegetables into sauce followed by pasta, adding additional reserved pasta water a little at a time if needed to thin to desired consistency (I didn’t use any). Taste and season with freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional 1/4 cup Parmesan - or more!
