Creamy pasta primavera is a colorful, one-skillet meal with tender-crisp spring vegetables in a rich Parmesan cream sauce. It’s an easy way to use up fresh veggies with minimal cleanup.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- What is Pasta Primavera: Pasta primavera is pasta tossed with tender-crisp spring vegetables like asparagus, peas, zucchini, and peppers in a light, flavorful sauce, often finished with Parmesan.
- Flavor: Rich and creamy with a buttery garlic base, sweet spring veggies, and a nutty Parmesan finish.
- Why Make It: Fast, flexible, and veggie-packed, with a one-skillet sauce that keeps cleanup easy. Add chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas if you want extra protein.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve with a crisp salad or a Greek cucumber salad. Add in some French bread or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Vegetables For Primavera
- Pasta: Choose a pasta shape that holds sauce well, like penne, rotini, or farfalle, and feel free to use whole wheat or gluten-free. I used Mafalda pasta in this recipe; just be sure to cook it al dente.
- Asparagus: Choose medium spears for the best texture. Snap off woody ends and cut evenly for quick cooking.
- Peppers: Red, yellow, and orange peppers are sweeter than green.
- Peas and Snow Peas: Trim the strings from snow peas before cooking, or swap them with sugar snap peas or thinly sliced green beans. Frozen petite peas work great and do not need to be thawed.
- Zucchini: Slice a bit thicker to keep it tender-crisp.
- Tomatoes: Add near the end so they stay juicy and bright.
- Sauce: Thicken the sauce by creating a slurry with cornstarch and broth or water. Use either chicken or vegetable broth for flavor. Half-and-half can be used instead of heavy cream, but it will result in a slightly thinner sauce.
One-Skillet Primavera Flow
- Cook pasta al dente and set aside (full recipe below).
- Sauté vegetables with a bit of garlic and butter.
- Add broth, simmer until tender-crisp, then stir in cream, peas, and tomatoes.
- Whisk in a slurry to thicken, toss with Parmesan and pasta, and season. Serve immediately.
Leftovers That Reheat Well
Keep leftover pasta primavera in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of milk, stirring until creamy.
Light and Fresh Sides for Pasta Night
Did you make this Pasta Primavera? Leave a comment and rating below.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces medium pasta cooked
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup sliced zucchini
- ½ cup chopped asparagus trimmed and cut into thirds
- ½ cup diced bell pepper red, yellow or orange
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup petite peas
- ½ cup snow peas
- ⅔ cup grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions and set aside.
- In a large skillet add butter and melt over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
- Add zucchini, asparagus, peppers and cook 1 minute more. Add broth, bring to a simmer and let cook 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Stir in heavy cream, peas and tomatoes and simmer an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- Make a slurry by combining cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of broth or water. Whisk the cornstarch into the pan until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in parmesan and pasta. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This challenge looks delicious! I can’t decide whether to add shrimp or chicken! Might have to add both! Thanks Holly, another keeper!
Both are great in this Dawn, let us know how it goes!
look forward to this challenge.
Enjoy the recipe Sharon, it’s a favorite!
I think pasta primavera is one of my favourites for pasta night at our house! Everyone loved it!! I especially like asparagus, zucchini and cherry tomatoes in my version of this flavourful one pot dish! ♥️
Made this tonight for dinner and it was a big hit. Even my 5-year-old grandson loved it. Family told me it was a keeper!
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Yay! So glad your family enjoyed it, Connie!
This was amazing. Topped it with grilled chicken. My 5 year old said “put this in the recipe book” lol
Could I freeze this and thaw and heat up later? I would add more liquid so it wouldn’t be dry when reheating. I am looking for recipes to prepare for my daughter after she delivers her baby. BTW, I love your recipes.
Hi Christina, for this one I am not sure how the sauce would hold up if frozen. Creamy sauces tend to reheat a funny texture after frozen.
Can this be made a day ahead and refrigerated?
If making ahead of time I would make the sauce but prepare the pasta the day of and combine before serving. You could also try cooking the pasta al dente, combining everything, and then reheating before serving
Ahhhhhmazing
Yay! So happy you loved it.
I’ve made this before and it was delicious. This time I added a pinch of nutmeg and crushed red chili flakes. Ground fresh black pepper and fresh chopped parsley on top.
This is REALLY good!! Easy, goes together fast after a little prep. Worth every minute of prep time. Husband liked it a lot and he’s super finicky and not a veggie lover, but he ate every morsel. I added some tail off cooked shrimp last minute to heat through. Five stars for this gem!!!
We just loved this recipe! I enjoy following your ideas and other recipes. Was easy and customizable according to the inventory of my fridge. Thanks Holly, hubby says it’s a keeper! ☺️
I am so happy to hear this recipe was a hit Cathi!
This was so delicious I took pictures (not as nice as your photo) and put it on my Facebook and had a few friends ask for the recipe. Thank you Holly for another great recipe!
This made my day! I am so happy to hear this pasta recipe was a hit Dawnna!
SO good even my 5 year old had seconds, vegetables and all! I used bowtie pasta and added leftover roasted chicken. I had to swap the cream for milk and it was still very creamy. Definitely making this again soon. Thanks for the recipe!
I am so happy to hear this recipe was a hit Jaclyn!
The intro says that cheese filled tortellini is used but the recipe makes no mention of tortellini.
Sorry for the confusion Chris. We use a medium pasta such as mafaldine, but for a heartier dish you could use cheese filled tortellini!
thanks for the explanation
This Creamy Pasta Primavera recipes Is delicious and creativity, I enjoyed making it so much.
So glad you loved this recipe Laurie!
This looks so good but wow, so high in carbs!
You can swap the pasta for roasted cauliflower if you prefer Carolyn! Enjoy!
Quick delicious looks beautiful so yummy will make this one a lot. Thx for a great recipe
I am so happy to hear you loved this recipe Shirley!
Made this today for lunch!we loved it! The sauce is awesome! Be sure to “string” those snow peas! I forgot! Great recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Arlene!
Beautiful Recipe,
I hoped to see what type of pasta you used in this recipe. Is it mafaldine?
Hi Brianna, yes this is mafaldine pasta! Enjoy!
Made this for supper tonight and it was a hit with everyone! SWP Employee
So happy this recipe worked so well for you, Samantha!
I made this tonight and it was a HIT!!! So so delicious! I modified it a little bit by adding more Parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce a bit more and we also added grilled chicken. Definitely will make it again!!!
That sounds delicious Kristen!