Pasta Primavera, meaning “Spring Pasta,” is a celebration of fresh, seasonal vegetables tossed with pasta in a light, often creamy, sauce. This recipe focuses on vibrant spring produce like tender asparagus, sweet peas, crisp snow peas, and juicy cherry tomatoes, all brought together with a luscious Parmesan cream sauce. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a light yet satisfying meal, this Pasta Primavera is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat. It’s an adaptable dish, allowing you to swap in your favorite spring vegetables based on availability and preference.
Pasta Primavera: The BEST Spring Veggie Feast!
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the vegetables: Slice mushrooms thinly (about 0.4cm/1/6″). Cut zucchini into 0.5cm/0.2″ rounds. For broccolini, cut off florets and halve them lengthwise, then slice stems diagonally into 2.5cm/1″ pieces. Remove the tough string from snow peas, stack, and slice diagonally about 1cm/0.4″ wide. Snap woody ends off asparagus, cut off tips, and slice stems diagonally into 2.5cm/1″ pieces.
- Make the creamy sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is gently simmering. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Add linguine and cook according to package directions MINUS 1 minute (al dente is key!).
- Cook the harder vegetables: While pasta cooks, add mushrooms, zucchini, broccolini stems, and asparagus stems to the boiling pasta water during the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
- Cook the tender vegetables: During the LAST MINUTE of pasta cooking, add snow peas, asparagus tips, broccolini florets, green peas, and cherry tomato halves to the pot.
- Combine and serve: Drain the pasta and vegetables, reserving about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Return pasta and vegetables to the pot. Pour over the reserved creamy sauce and add the minced garlic. Toss gently to combine, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to reach desired consistency. Serve immediately.
Notes
– Reserve pasta water! The starchy water helps emulsify the sauce and achieve the perfect creamy consistency without being too heavy.
– Adjust cooking times for vegetables based on their tenderness; add harder vegetables earlier and tender ones in the last minute. Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated automatically. Values vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes.
Pro tips
- Cook pasta until al dente (firm to the bite) as it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Reserve pasta water! The starchy water helps emulsify the sauce and achieve the perfect creamy consistency without being too heavy.
- Adjust cooking times for vegetables based on their tenderness; add harder vegetables earlier and tender ones in the last minute.
Enjoy this delightful Pasta Primavera, a true taste of spring that’s both elegant and easy to prepare. Feel free to customize with your favorite seasonal vegetables!
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