Looking for a meal that’s packed with flavor and fresh, colorful veggies? Then you’ll love this pasta primavera recipe!

A quick creamy parmesan sauce is tossed with pasta and sweet of spring vegetables for a delicious meal with great flavor.

Pasta primavera is incredibly easy to prepare, making it a perfect choice for a busy weeknight or a light dinner on a warm summer night! Serve it with a crisp salad and warm garlic bread

plated Creamy Pasta Primavera

Fresh, Flavorful and Easy!

  • Pasta primavera is packed with fresh, seasonal veggies.
  • Quick and easy to make, the creamy parmesan sauce is both light and flavorful.
  • Perfect for serving year-round – hearty enough for cooler months, but light and fresh enough for warmer weather.
  • Versatile and customizable – swap out the veggies or add in your favorite protein for a personalized dish. Add grilled shrimp or chicken for a heartier dish, if desired.
  • Great for feeding a crowd or meal prep – the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Ingredients for Pasta Primavera

Vegetables – Vegetables – Use fresh, seasonal veggies or frozen for the best flavor. Asparagus and peas are favorite choices, feel free to mix and match them with other colorful veggies.

Butter – Sautéing the vegetables in butter adds extra richness and flavor, but you can also use a light oil like canola or avocado oil.

Pasta – Medium-sized pasta shapes like penne, fusilli, or bowtie pasta work best as they can hold the sauce and veggies well. Linguine is another great option.

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.

asparagus , peppers , broth, tomatoes , garlic , peas , pasta , butter and zucchini with labels to make Creamy Pasta Primavera

How to Make Pasta Primavera

  1. Cook pasta and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, sauté vegetables with a bit of garlic and butter.
  3. Add broth and cream and thicken slightly with cornstarch.
  4. Stir in parmesan and pasta. Serve immediately.

Like most skillet meals, this dish is perfect with a fresh salad, tossed salad, or even a Greek Cucumber Salad. Add in some French bread or crusty bread to sop up any sauce in the bowl.

Creamy Pasta Primavera in a pan

Tips for Perfect Primavera

  • Cook veggies until they are tender-crisp, but not overcooked.
  • Cook the pasta al dente and do not rinse it.
  • Reserve a bit of pasta water to add to the pasta and adjust the sauce consistency.
  • Cut veggies in uniform sizes for even cooking. Use frozen veggies if short on time, and no need to thaw them before adding them to the pan.
  • Don’t overcook the veggies, you’ll want them to be a little bit tender-crisp.

Like most skillet meals, this dish is perfect with a fresh salad, tossed salad or even a Greek Cucumber Salad. Add in some French bread or crusty bread to sop up any sauce in the bowl.

Storing Leftovers

Keep leftover pasta primavera in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a little milk to thin out the sauce.

Did you make this Pasta Primavera? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

Perfect Veggie Pastas

Did you make this Pasta Primavera? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

close up of plated Pasta Primavera
5 from 55 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Creamy Pasta Primavera

Delicious pasta primavera is filled with spring vegetables and a parmesan cream sauce. For easy clean-up, it's made in a single skillet!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Rachael

Ingredients  

  • 12 ounces medium pasta cooked
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon garlic minced
  • 1 cup zucchini sliced
  • ½ cup asparagus trimmed
  • ½ cup bell pepper diced, red, yellow or orange
  • cup grape or cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup petite peas
  • ½ cup snow peas

Sauce

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded

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 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.
  • Stir in heavy cream, peas and tomatoes and simmer an additional 2-3 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

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a little milk to thin out the sauce.
5 from 55 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 695 | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 523mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2280IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 2mg

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

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What is Pasta Primavera?

In Italian, “primavera” means spring. Literally, it means the first “prima” green “vera.” Throw a little pasta in the mix and you’ve got a perfect spring veggie dish. Although it may sound fancy, this dish was actually created in the USA in the 1970s (foodtimeline).

Creamy Pasta Primavera on a plate with writing
pan filled with Creamy Pasta Primavera and writing
close up of Creamy Pasta Primavera with a title
Creamy Pasta Primavera in the pan and plated with a title

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About the author

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Comments

  1. 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.5 stars

  2. 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!!!5 stars

  3. 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! ☺️

  4. 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!5 stars

  5. 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!5 stars

    1. Sorry for the confusion Chris. We use a medium pasta such as mafaldine, but for a heartier dish you could use cheese filled tortellini!

  6. Quick delicious looks beautiful so yummy will make this one a lot. Thx for a great recipe5 stars

  7. Made this today for lunch!we loved it! The sauce is awesome! Be sure to “string” those snow peas! I forgot! Great recipe!5 stars

  8. 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!!!