30-minute pasta primavera (full of vegetables!)

All vegetable lovers are invited! this 30 minute pasta primavera It’s one of my favorite weeknight dinners. Packed with colorful seasonal vegetables including tender asparagus, crunchy green peppers, sweet yellow squash and bright broccoli, all tossed with penne in a light and flavorful broth-based sauce.

The best part? This entire dish comes together in just 30 minutes with simple pantry staples and fresh vegetables on hand. It’s naturally vegetarian, endlessly customizable, and super satisfying. This is a meal I return to again and again, especially when I want a healthy meal in a big, cozy comfort zone.

Today I’ll walk you through step by step how to make this pasta primavera, how you can easily change up the ingredients depending on what you have in your fridge, and the best way to store and reheat leftovers throughout the week. Let’s get into it!

Pasta primavera is a very fresh Italian pasta dish filled with spring vegetables. ‘Primavera’ means spring in Italian, so this dish is full of delicious spring vegetables.

I’m giving a classic Fit Foodie twist to my Pasta Primavera recipe. In this recipe, that means loading up on nutrient-dense vegetables and pairing them with a healthy sauce of ingredients.

Pasta Primavera — What You Need

For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card for ingredient amounts and recipe instructions.

vegetable

Seasonings and Sauces

• Minced garlic
• dry white wine
• vegetable broth
• tomato paste
• lemon zest
• salt & pepper

pasta

optional toppings

• I like to top this pasta primavera with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

How to make pasta primavera

This pasta primavera is easy to make! And don’t worry. There are no soft vegetables here. We’ll stagger the sauteed vegetables to ensure everything is cooked to perfection and tossed in the delicious sauce. Let’s get into it:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the penne pasta. Boil the pasta until just before al dente (tip: Pasta continues to be cooked later in the recipe. Strain the water from the noodles and set them aside for now.

Heat the olive oil in a deep pan or Dutch oven over medium/high heat. When it smells like olive oil Add Asparagus Add to the pot and sprinkle with salt. Stir-fry asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add broccoli Add to the pot and stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the broccoli pieces begin to brown.

next, Add the yellow squash, red peppers, and half the cherry tomatoes.Then add a little more salt to the pot and fry for 2 more minutes.

Then place all the roasted vegetables in a bowl and keep the vegetables aside.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pot and heat over medium/high heat until fragrant. Then add the onion and season with coarse salt.

Please fry the onions (Stirring periodically) until the onions turn brown (about 3-4 minutes). Please add minced garlic Add the onion and fry for 1 more minute.

Brush the pot with the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula.

Add the remaining half of the cherry tomatoes. Then fry it with the onion until the oil is submerged.

next, Add the broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper, and a final pinch of salt. In the pot. Whisk the tomato paste into the broth until there are no lumps.

Bring the broth to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat to medium/low and add the peas to the sauce.

Please boil the sauce Boil over medium heat until reduced by half (this will take about 10-15 minutes). Once the sauce has reduced, add the vegetables to the sauce and toss the vegetables in the sauce until everything is coated.

Add the pasta to the pot and toss everything together.. Heat the pasta and vegetables in the sauce until everything is warmed through.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh basil and even fresher lemon zest.

there is company This recipe allows for easy 1:1 substitutions. And speaking of vegetables, feel free to use any of your favorite vegetables not already included here to make this recipe your own!

• Penne Pasta: Don’t have any penne on hand? Feel free to use any pasta you like! I also love bow ties, rotini or pappardelle.
• Vegetable broth: This recipe is vegetarian, but beef or chicken broth would also work if you don’t mind losing your vegetarian status.
• asparagus: Green beans can easily be substituted 1:1 for asparagus!
• British Peas: Fresh or frozen peas are both fine.
• Red bell pepper: Any color of bell pepper will work well.
• Yellow Squash: Green squash makes a great 1:1 substitution.
• White Onion: Any color onion will work perfectly.

Let the pasta primavera cool completely. Then transfer it to an airtight container and seal it. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

This pasta primavera is a complete meal on its own, but here are a few of my favorite sides to round out the dinner.

• protein: For added protein, add grilled chicken, shrimp, or grilled salmon.
• Side Salad: A simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette goes perfectly.
• bread: Crispy garlic bread or a warm baguette to soak up the sauce.
• Roasted Vegetables: Serve with oven-roasted asparagus or roasted broccoli on the side.

Pasta Primavera FAQs