Jump To Recipeby Liz Thomson
March 25, 2024This post may contain affiliate links.
This easy pasta primavera recipe is loaded with six different vegetables for a delicious, healthy dinner. This tasty meal comes together in just 20 minutes!
I love pasta, and thanks to whole wheat pasta and legume pasta, it’s actually a great source of plant-based protein! I really like Barilla’s protein-plus pasta which is what I used for this recipe, but Banza and Chickapea also make great options. By adding in a rainbow of vegetables, we can round out the meal with lots of fiber and nutrients. Adding Parmesan cheese is an easy way to add an umami flavor and give this dish richness. This recipe is easy to make and even if you’re missing a few ingredients, you can easily swap in other fresh vegetables! This one also makes a great option for meal prep and it’s a great way to use lots of veggies.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Pasta– I like using a whole wheat or legume pasta for extra protein and fiber. But you can substitute with regular pasta, your favorite gluten-free pasta, or any other pasta you like. This works with just about any pasta shape!
Garlic– Fresh garlic adds aromatic depth to the dish. Swap it with garlic powder or garlic paste for a milder flavor if fresh garlic is unavailable.
Tomatoes– These are essential to create the right flavor and texture of the sauce. But if you don’t have cherry or grape tomatoes, you can substitute larger slicing tomatoes. Just be sure to cut them into bite sized pieces and include the juice!
Vegetables– I used onion, asparagus, zucchini, tomatoes, peas, and spinach, but feel free to mix and match what you have on hand. You can use yellow squash, fresh green beans, bell peppers, red onion, snow peas, snap peas, or other veggies.
Seasoning– Don’t skimp on the seasoning! Lemon zest and lemon juice are essential and you should season this dish generously with salt and crushed red pepper flakes.
Parmesan cheese – This adds a savory, umami flavor and creamy texture to the sauce. Use high-quality cheese and be sure to use real Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Pasta water- Don’t forget to reserve some of the pasta water when cooking! This is essential for creating a silky lemon cream sauce. (The cheese makes it creamy even though we don’t use any actual heavy cream!)
How to Make Pasta Primavera
published March 25, 2024 by Liz Thomson categories:Dinner2 comments
Liz is our daughter in law she made this dish for us. My husband loved it, so did I but he can be hard to try new things. He even asked to have leftovers the next day. As good the next day too.
This recipe is a nice combination of vegetables that I really enjoyed . however, I noted garlic and the amount was not listed in the ingredient list, and butter was shown but no mention of when to add it to the dish.
I will be making it again, perhaps with tender green beans, when asparagus is not in season.
Liz is our daughter in law she made this dish for us. My husband loved it, so did I but he can be hard to try new things. He even asked to have leftovers the next day. As good the next day too.
This recipe is a nice combination of vegetables that I really enjoyed . however, I noted garlic and the amount was not listed in the ingredient list, and butter was shown but no mention of when to add it to the dish.
I will be making it again, perhaps with tender green beans, when asparagus is not in season.