Pasta Primavera
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
19 mins
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Cook Time
11 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
5
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Pasta Primavera
Description
Pasta Primavera combines cooked penne pasta with sautéed vegetables prepared in stages to achieve tender-crisp textures. Broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, and red onion are cooked sequentially in olive oil with garlic and Italian seasoning to layer flavors. Halved grape tomatoes are added last to maintain freshness.
The warm vegetables are mixed with hot pasta, fresh lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese, with some pasta cooking water incorporated to loosen the sauce and bind ingredients. Fresh parsley adds a herbal finish. The dish has a balance of tender pasta with slight bite from vegetables and a light acidity from lemon enhancing the overall flavor.
This Primavera works well as a light main or side, especially when a brighter vegetable-forward pasta is desired. It can be made cheesier by adding more Parmesan if preferred, and is perfect for a spring or summer meal when fresh produce is at its peak.
Ingredients
- 10 oz. penne pasta dry, Barilla brand
- salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 red onion sliced, medium
- 1 large carrot peeled and sliced into matchsticks
- 2 cups broccoli cut into matchsticks, florets
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced into matchsticks
- 1 medium yellow squash sliced into quarter portions
- 1 medium zucchini sliced into quarter portions
- 3 - 4 cloves garlic minced, cloves
- 1 cup (heaping) grape tomato halved through the length
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning dried
- 1/2 cup pasta water
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese divided, shredded
- 2 Tbsp parsley chopped, fresh
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook penne pasta in salted water according to package directions, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile heat olive oil in a 12-inch (and deep) skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add red onion and carrot and saute 2 minutes.
- Add broccoli and bell pepper then saute 2 minutes.
- Add squash and zucchini then saute 2 - 3 minutes or until veggies have nearly softened.
- Add garlic, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and saute 2 minutes longer.
- Pour veggies into now empty pasta pot or a serving bowl, add drained pasta, drizzle in lemon juice, season with a little more salt as needed and toss while adding in pasta water to loosen as desired.
- Toss in 1/4 cup parmesan and parsley then serve with remaining parmesan on top.
Notes
- To intensify the cheese flavor, increase Parmesan Cheese from ½ cup to 1 cup.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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