This Pasta Primavera recipe consists of warm penne bursting with roasted vegetables and parmesan. A flavorful pasta dish ready in a flash and packed with fresh, healthy veggies. A simple one pot dish that’s ready in only 30 minutes.
I suppose I’m wishful thinking and hoping for spring by making this fresh Pasta Primavera, but no matter the season, this pasta dish is always perfect. It’s loaded with fresh veggies so it’s super good for you!
While I always love my creamy pasta dishes, sometimes you just want something that makes you feel good after eating it, and this pasta dish does just that.
What is Pasta Primavera?
The word “primavera” means springtime in Italian. In the era before seasonal cooking was customary, pasta primavera was the recipe to order for the best and brightest of spring vegetables.
Nowadays, this veggie packed pasta is ready to serve during any season! Loaded with phenomenal, bright veggies, topped with zesty parmesan – not only does this dish taste incredible, you can feel good about eating it as well.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions, or click the Jump To Recipe button at the top.
- Penne – You can substitute with any pasta of your choice.
- Olive Oil – You can substitute with sunflower, safflower, avocado or vegetable oil.
- Onion – Large and chopped.
- Asparagus – Fresh, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces.
- Mushrooms – Sliced. I used cremini mushrooms but you can use regular white mushrooms as well.
- Zucchini – I used a small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced.
- Carrot – A medium carrot shredded.
- Tomato – I used cherry tomatoes, cut in half. They work the best since they are bite sized. You can substitute grape tomatoes as well.
- Garlic – Use as much garlic as you like.
- Italian Seasoning – Made up of oregano, rosemary, thyme and basil. If you don’t have Italian seasoning you can use a mix of any of the above.
- Salt & Pepper – To taste.
- Red Pepper Flakes – to add a bit of heat. You can remove these if you’d like, or use more or less to your preference.
- Parmesan Cheese – You can substitute with your favourite cheese.
- Lemon – Cut into wedges, this is optional for serving.
How to Make Pasta Primavera
This simple pasta requires only a few steps, making it a perfect, quick dinner idea.
- Cook the pasta: Cook the penne according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Cook the veggies: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the asparagus, mushrooms and zucchini to the skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded carrot, tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, stir and cook for another minute until the tomatoes begin to soften.
- Finish the dish: Stir in the cooked penne, 1/2 cup of the cheese and some pasta water as needed. Serve and top with remaining Parmesan cheese and lemon wedges.
What Else Can I Add in my Pasta?
This recipe is great in helping you clean out your fridge and use up all the vegetables we all know we never get to eat before they go bad.
You can really add anything into this pasta dish, but here are some more ideas:
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Peppers
- Corn
- Peas
- Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Chicken
- Shrimp
How to Store Leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
To freeze, transfer the pasta to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Did You Love This Recipe? Try These!
- Arugula and Walnut Pesto Pasta
- Creamy Avocado and Spinach Pasta
- One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta
- Italian Roasted Mushrooms and Veggies
- Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms
- Spinach Artichoke Pasta
- Caprese Salad
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Pasta Primavera
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounce penne uncooked
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 pound asparagus fresh, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- 1 small zucchini halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 medium carrot shredded
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 lemon cut in wedges
Instructions
- Cook the penne according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the asparagus, mushrooms and zucchini to the skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the shredded carrot, tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, stir and cook for another minute until the tomatoes begin to soften.
- Stir in the cooked penne, 1/2 cup of the cheese and some pasta water as needed. Serve and top with remaining Parmesan cheese and lemon wedges.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- To freeze, transfer the pasta to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
It looks like natural ingredients…why so much sodium?
It’s probably from the Parmesan cheese.
This recipe is excellent! I always double it so I have leftovers for lunch the next day! One of my favorite go to quick meals.
How do i cook after freezing?
You can rehearse in the microwave. If that’s not an option, I find it’s best to let the pasta thaw overnight in the fridge. You can reheat covered in the oven at 350F, or add it to a skillet with a splash of broth over medium heat.
It looks like a beautiful dish, however, I need plenty of liquid to get my food down. Can I add water to this dish to make it sloshy or would the ingredients go mushy?
We’ve added the pasta cooking water in step 6; you can add as much or as little as you need.
This post couldn’t have come at a better time…Except the mushrooms, I have everything else. I even have some of the alternative ingredients to add. This will be my dinner tomorrow night – thanks for the great timing!
This is the way I always made Mac & Cheese , But I really appreciate all the helpful hints on here , especially what can be added to it , and different cheeses and storage. My son mentioned adding Ham to it. We tried it and was a delicious change to regular Mac & Cheese.