Veggie Primavera (One Pot Pasta Primavera)
Get your daily serving of vegetables with Veggie Primavera! It’s a one pot pasta primavera packed full of tender vegetables tossed in a creamy Parmesan sauce. The pasta is cooked directly with the vegetables so you don’t have to wash an extra pan.
As an adult, I’m very bad at eating healthy.
Sure I make a banana mango smoothie for lunch or make chicken fajita salad for dinner, but let’s face it. I’d rather have air fryer fried chicken than a salad.
So being a responsible adult, I try to add more vegetables to my menu planning, whether it’s on the side with my green beans with almonds or inside the meal itself with this Veggie Primavera.
It’s a one pot pasta primavera packed full of tender vegetables tossed in a creamy Parmesan sauce.
Veggie primavera is my go-to when I know I haven’t been doing a great job eating healthy but not ready to give up carbs either. Life is all about balance, right?
The best part is this pasta primavera recipe is made all in one skillet. Yes, even the pasta is cooked with the veggies!
That means less dishes to do (just like my skillet lasagna).
Why You’ll Love This Veggie Primavera
- Made all in one skillet! – This skillet pasta recipe uses only one pan. You don’t even need to cook the pasta separately.
- Very versatile with ingredients! – You can use whatever veggies you have in your fridge or freezer to use up.
- Makes 4 servings! – A pasta dinner for two with minimal leftovers
What is pasta primavera?
Pasta primavera is an Italian-American dish that translates into “spring pasta” and is named after using fresh spring vegetables in the recipe.
Traditionally you’d use broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, and peas. However, it’s pretty flexible with which veggies you can add.
I personally added a frozen medley of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots then added frozen sugar snap peas and fresh cherry tomatoes.
You can use fresh versions of those vegetables. Or you can add zucchini and bell pepper. The choice is yours!
If you’re looking for a more substantial meal, add chicken or shrimp for extra protein.
Pasta Primavera Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make your veggie primavera:
- Oil: Cooks your mushrooms, onion, and garlic
- Mushrooms: Are mushrooms a vegetable? No. Do I add them to almost everything? Yes.
- Onion and garlic: Aromatics that flavor the pasta
- Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and peas: Frozen veggies that can be used all year round
- Broth: Use vegetable for a true veggie primavera or use chicken broth if that’s what you have on hand
- Farfalle: The bowtie shape holds the sauce very well
- Parmesan cheese: Use Parmigiano Reggiano or domestic Parmesan. Do not use the green can.
- Heavy cream: Makes the sauce more creamy
- Tomatoes: Little bursts of acidity to balance the heaviness
- Lemon juice: Brightens up the dish
- Basil: Adds freshness to balance the cream
How To Make Veggie Primavera
Here’s how to make this pasta primavera recipe:
- Saute mushrooms, onion, and garlic until brown.
- Add vegetables, broth, and pasta then bring to a boil.
- Cook until pasta is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Stir in Parmesan, cream, tomatoes, lemon juice, and basil.
Refrigerate leftover primavera for up to 4 days.
What To Serve With Veggie Primavera
Serve your pasta primavera with even more veggies with this green onion salad.
You can also make a side of small batch dinner rolls.
More Pasta Recipes
If you enjoyed this pasta primavera recipe, you’ll also love these other pasta recipes for two:
Veggie Primavera (One Pot Pasta)
Get your daily serving of vegetables with Veggie Primavera! It’s a one pot pasta primavera packed full of tender vegetables tossed in a creamy Parmesan sauce. The pasta is cooked directly with the vegetables so you don’t have to wash an extra pan.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup diced white or yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot medley
- 1 cup frozen sugar snap peas or regular sweet peas
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 6 ounces dry farfalle
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh, not from the green can)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- ,In a deep 12-inch skillet*, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms, onion, and a big pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, broth, and pasta. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, cook pasta is until al dente, about 12-15 minutes. At this point most of the liquid will be absorbed with a small amount leftover for the sauce.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese, cream, tomatoes, lemon juice, tomatoes, and basil. Cook 1 minute or until it starts to slightly thicken then remove from the heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning. If it tastes bland, add more Parmesan or salt.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
Notes
- If using chicken: Cook the chicken first by seasoning 2 chopped chicken thighs or 1 breast with salt then adding it to the hot oil. Cook until brown, about 3 minutes then flip and cook until the chicken is fully cooked, another 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Continue with cooking the vegetables.
- If using shrimp: Cook the shrimp first by adding 6 ounces shrimp to the hot oil. Cook 2 minutes or until brown then flip and cook another 1-2minutes or until the shrimp are pink and no longer transparent. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Continue cooking the vegetables.
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I’m glad you got your move done successfully. And I’m sorry you got sick. I used to move very regularly, and don’t even remember how I did it when I had my own furniture. The last time I moved, I not only had movers, I left all the furniture except for my mattress set and my treadmill (the treadmill only because my husband thought it was a good idea = Hah! I don’t think he ever used it and I did only a couple of times). I have no plans to move ever again, unless it’s to a retirement home, and hopefully that will be at least years down the line.
The pasta primavera sounds wonderful. Another way to add protein is to use one of the Barilla Protein Plus pastas. I would probably add some chicken to this.
I always joke I’m going to leave the couch because apparently it can’t fit through doorways LOL Great idea with the protein plus pasta!
Cooking this tonight and very excited for it! Love that it allows me to clean out my fridge of veggies also!
Hope you enjoyed it! It’s definitely a great recipe to clean out your fridge.