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Pasta Primavera

Try my light, lemony pasta primavera recipe for a vegetable-forward meal the whole family will love! Don’t forget to serve it with grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil for even more flavor.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 480 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces penne pasta (284g)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ small red onion sliced (94g)
  • 1 small red bell pepper seeded and sliced (162g)
  • 1 small yellow bell pepper seeded and sliced (147g)
  • 1 small yellow squash halved and sliced (169g)
  • 1 small zucchini halved and sliced (185g)
  • 12 stalks asparagus chopped (131g)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes halved (174g)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese for serving (40g)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup pasta water. Return pasta to pot.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers and asparagus and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the squash, zucchini, and garlic and cook just until they start to turn tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat.
  3. To the pot with the drained cooked pasta, add the cooked vegetables, tomatoes, reserved pasta water, lemon juice, and butter. Stir gently until the butter melts. Serve immediately with parmesan and basil.

Notes

  • Don’t overcook the pasta. Mushy pasta is never ideal, so cook the pasta until it is al dente, meaning it is tender with a bit of bite. Al dente pasta will continue cooking once tossed in sauce.
  • Salt the pasta cooking water generously. This adds flavor to the pasta that you can’t make up for if cooked without salt. Generally, I use 1 tablespoon of salt per 12 cups of water.
  • Don’t overcook the fresh vegetables. Veggies should be cooked until they are crisp-tender and still brightly colored, not mushy.
  • To save time, cook the vegetables while the pasta cooks. This way, everything is hot at the same time, and the vegetables don’t soften too much by having to be reheated.
  • Grate fresh parmesan cheese from a block. The stuff that comes in a tub just can’t compare with the taste of freshly grated parmesan. A microplane or the small holes of a box grater work well for grated parmesan cheese at home.

Nutrition Information

Calories 480kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 66g (22%) Protein 16g (32%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 8g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 26mg (9%) Sodium 814mg (34%) Potassium 665mg (19%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 1789IU (36%) Vitamin C 82mg (91%) Calcium 184mg (18%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 480

% Daily Value*

Calories 480kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 66g 22%
Protein 16g 32%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 814mg 34%
Potassium 665mg 14%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 1789IU 36%
Vitamin C 82mg 91%
Calcium 184mg 18%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.