Pasta Primavera

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Quick Summary

Pasta Primavera-this classic pasta dish is made with a mixture of colorful vegetables and a simple lemon Parmesan cream sauce. It is the perfect pasta recipe for spring and summer!

Pasta Primavera with creamy lemon sauce in large serving bowl.

Pasta nights are always good nights. A few of our favorites include: Spaghetti Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, Baked Ziti, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Pasta Primavera.

Pasta Primavera is a classic pasta dish that was born in the 70’s at Le Cirque, a popular New York City restaurant. It was soon being served at restaurants all over and is still a popular pasta recipe today!

I love making this pasta during the spring and summer months because it is made with lots of vegetables, a delightful lemon cream sauce, Parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs.

It is light, refreshing, colorful, and so delicious. I am so glad this pasta dish is still popular because it is one of my favorite pasta recipes.

Pasta Primavera in bowls with fresh herbs and crushed red pepper flakes.

What Pasta Should I Use to Make Pasta Primavera?

Rumor has it the original recipe was made with spaghetti, but I like to use shorter pasta noodles that are about the same size as the vegetables. Easier to eat and I like shaped pasta.

Penne pasta is my favorite but farfalle, rigatoni, orecchiette, and fusilli are good options. And of course you can use spaghetti, angel hair, or fettuccine, if you want to do some slurping:)

You can use regular pasta, whole wheat pasta, or gluten-free pasta!

broccoli, asparagus, yellow bell peppers, and zucchini sautéing in skillet to make pasta primavera.

What Vegetables Are In Pasta Primavera?

Primavera means spring, so this pasta dish is usually made with lots of spring vegetables. But feel free to use your favorite vegetables or whatever vegetables you have in your garden or refrigerator.

You want to use a mix of colorful, fresh vegetables, but there really are no rules.

For this recipe, I used:

  • asparagus
  • broccoli
  • bell pepper
  • zucchini
  • peas
  • tomatoes

Mushrooms, yellow squash, artichoke hearts, carrots, spinach, and kale would also be fantastic. You really can’t go wrong, bring on the veggies!

Lemon Cream Sauce

The lemon cream sauce is DIVINE! You can make pasta primavera without cream, but I don’t like it as much…ha! I think the lemon cream sauce with fresh Parmesan and all of the veggies is the right way to go.

I mean, you are getting LOTS of veggies so the cream sauce is totally ok. Balance, right? And the cream sauce is on the lighter side, it isn’t super heavy or thick like fettuccine alfredo.

How to Make Pasta Primavera

This simple pasta recipe is perfect for weeknights, entertaining, or even lunch!

  • Prep the Veggies! The hardest part is cutting up the vegetables and that really isn’t hard, it just takes a little time. You can cut the vegetables up a few days in advance and keep them in the refrigerator or you can cut them up the morning you are going to make the recipe so when it’s time to make dinner, you are ready to go! This is a great recipe to meal prep in advance.
  • Cook the Pasta! Get a big pot of water boiling and add SALT! Don’t forget, the salt adds flavor to the pasta. I add about a tablespoon of kosher salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 11 minutes.
  • Cook the Veggies! While the pasta is cooking, work on the vegetables and sauce. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the asparagus, peppers, and broccoli. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the zucchini and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender, but still crisp. I add the zucchini after the other vegetables because it doesn’t take as long to cook. If your vegetables require different cooking times, that is fine, just start with the ones that take longer to cook and add the other veggies in later.
  • Set the Veggies Aside! Season vegetables with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the vegetables to a large plate or bowl and set aside so you can make the sauce.
  • Make the Sauce! Place the skillet back on the stove. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and vegetable broth. Simmer until the broth reduces by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
  • Combine! Stir the peas into the pot with the pasta, you don’t have to cook them first. Stir in the cooked vegetables. Pour the lemon cream sauce over the pasta and vegetables and stir until well combined. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, make sure you use GOOD Parmesan cheese, not the stuff in the can:) Add the remaining tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, tomatoes, and basil. Pour the pasta primavera into a large serving bowl or dish.
  • Garnish! Finish the dish with parsley (or basil), extra Parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes. ENJOY!

Can I add Chicken or Shrimp?

Yes! If you want to add a protein to the pasta primavera, chicken or shrimp are good options. You can use grilled chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, or leftover cooked chicken.

Shrimp also goes great with the pasta, veggies, and cream sauce. Plus, shrimp only takes a few minutes to cook so you wouldn’t be adding a lot of extra work to get dinner on the table!

If you want to keep the recipe vegetarian, but add more protein, stir in chickpeas or white beans.

Classic Pasta Primavera Recipe

What to Serve with Pasta Primavera

This pretty pasta dish is really quite filling. It could be a meal on it’s own, but if you want to make a few side dishes to serve on the side, here are a few of our favorites.

How to Store

Transfer leftover pasta to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove top.

More Pasta Recipes

Find all of our Pasta Recipes HERE!

Pasta Primavera in large bowl with fresh herbs and lemon wedges.
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Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera-this classic pasta dish is made with a mixture of colorful vegetables and a simple lemon Parmesan cream sauce. It is the perfect pasta recipe for spring and summer!
4.59 from 209 votes

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta to boiling water. Cook for 11 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Pour the pasta back into the pot.
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the asparagus, peppers, and broccoli. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the zucchini and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender, but still crisp. Season vegetables with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the vegetables to a large plate or bowl.
  • Place the skillet back on the stove. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and vegetable broth. Simmer until the broth reduces by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
  • Stir the peas into the pot with the pasta. Stir in the cooked vegetables. Pour the lemon cream sauce over the pasta and vegetables and stir until well combined. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and remaining tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Gently stir in the tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. 
  • Pour the pasta primavera into a large serving bowl or dish. Garnish with parsley, extra Parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes. Serve warm.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 375kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 240mg, Potassium: 500mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1265IU, Vitamin C: 67.7mg, Calcium: 130mg, Iron: 2.1mg
Keywords pasta, pasta primavera, vegetarian

Have you tried this recipe?

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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Comments

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  1. I’m going to have to try this soon! I love making homemade spinach pasta for it! That means I don’t have it all that often.

  2. Maria, this looks super! Does it reheat well or should I halve the recipe if need be? Thanks in advance!

    1. Thanks! Yes, you can reheat leftovers, we ate it the next day and it was still delicious!

    1. You can use half and half. You can even try milk, but it won’t be as creamy.

    2. Evaporated milk works a lot better than regular milk! They even have lactose free and almond varieties now, I use them all the time for creamy sauces!

  3. 5 stars
    Maria, thanks so very much for this recipe! My darling daughter-in-law came to my house for dinner on Friday night and I served your Pasta Primavera. It was so delicious! Made enough to send some leftovers home with her for my son who had worked late, and he loved it too! 5 stars!!!!! Can’t wait to make it with farmers market produce in a few weeks, but it was so good even with supermarket vegetables!

    1. I am so glad you enjoyed the pasta primavera, it is one of my favorite pasta recipes!

    1. You are so welcome! We have lots of vegetarian recipes on our site, check them out in the recipe index!

  4. 5 stars
    Loved it! I cooked the veggies a little longer, because I didn’t want them to be too crunchy. But the flavors of adding the lemon to the sauce, it was fantastic! It is a bit time consuming to cut all those vegetables, but well worth it!

  5. I served this tonight and it was delicious. I generally don’t measure when cooking, so I probably used a little more cream. I didn’t have asparagus and don’t really care for yellow peppers, so I added three baby Bella mushrooms and fresh green beans that were already blanched. I also added yellow squash. It was fantastic. I do think the next time I make this I will add a little brandy to the sauce. Thank you Maria for a fabulous recipe.

  6. 5 stars
    This recipie is awesome! I invited some friend for dinner one person was a vegetarian, I am a cook so I have made some veg dishes but not anything that could be served as a main. I found this recipie and although I tweeted it a bit to suit my cooking style it was so yummy the lemon was nice and bright and went so good with all the veggies!! This will defiantly go in my recipie box!!

  7. 5 stars
    Delicious and healthy pasta recipe! I didn’t add the third tablespoon of lemon juice as I thought it would make the dish too acidic. I also didn’t have broccoli on hand and used shredded carrots. It turned out well!

  8. 5 stars
    Made this for our Easter dinner today. It was great! Varied the vegetables a bit. Used red pepper instead of yellow, no zucchini and added carrots and mushrooms. Used Protein + rotini.

  9. Hi there. I’m getting ready to make this for dinner. You really don’t need to cook the frozen peas first?

    1. Delicious! I used what I had: red peppers, baby Bella mushrooms cut into lg chunks, and zucchini. And Ancient Grains ziti. My supply of popper tomatoes was low, so I added in chunks of fresh tomato at the end. Didn’t have peas or broccoli…. may try edamame instead of peas when making this next time! Nice and light, loved the lemon butter sauce. Wonder how a little dash of white wine would do in the sauce?

  10. 5 stars
    Delicious! My family devoured it. We added a few tweaks as in doubling the sauce (we love our pastas saucy) as well as using linguine and a bit more lemon juice. This dish was so fresh and we will most definitely be making it again.

  11. I have a likely dumb question – do you think milk would work instead of heavy cream for the sauce? That’s all I have on hand. 🙁 Can’t wait to make this asap! Thank you!

    1. Not a dumb question:) Yes, you can use milk, it won’t be as rich but still good:)

  12. 5 stars
    Wow!! This is a great recipe. The lemon creme sauce is light and fresh. My highly critical family loved it…couldn’t get enough of it. Requested again in the very near future. Bravo!

  13. 5 stars
    Can’t wait to try this! My family loves all of your recipes! Do you think I could sub full fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream?

    Thanks!

    1. Sure, the flavor will be different, but if you like coconut milk, go for it!

  14. 5 stars
    Everything about this recipe is perfect! The blend and balance of the flavors of the cream, shallots, lemon, fresh vegetables…it’s all perfect!
    Thank you for the effort put into sharing the details of the recipe! Bravo!

  15. 5 stars
    Made this during covid quarantine and it was easy to make substitutions with what we had at home. So delicious!

  16. 5 stars
    Maria,

    The recipe was delicious, the lemon sauce made it perfect. I also have your cookbook and have made many of the recipes. The meatballs are delicious. And the pizza also. I was so surprised at how easy the pizza dough was to handle. Thank you for sharing such wonderful recipes.

    Virginia

  17. 5 stars
    This pasta was so good! I can’t wait to make it again! I didn’t have the tomatoes and left out the crushed red pepper for my daughter. We loved the lemon, I may add white wine next time and cook the veggies a tiny bit longer! What a perfect dish! Great recipe!

  18. 5 stars
    We made this with fresh fettuccini noodles, because fresh pasta is the best way to go. I also added cauliflower and cooked the veggies slightly longer than called for because I like a little crispness, but a bit on the softer side. I also omitted tomatoes because my family won’t eat them, but otherwise followed the instructions. I love the addition of the lemon zest which lends to a very light, fresh flavor. This dish was delicious and felt healthy, unlike other heavy pasta dishes that we tend to cook at home. My husband actually commented that this was the best pasta dish that we have had and my daughter came downstairs for leftovers later in the evening. I definitely will be making it again and again. I think I will add carrots next time and experiment with different veggies because this dish is very versatile.

  19. 5 stars
    Love the creamy, lemony taste! I’ll fix this dish again for sure. Thanks for such tasty recipes. I love getting them.

  20. 5 stars
    i absolutely love this. i make a few changes… i used part 1/2 and 1/2 and part yogurt in place of heavy whipping cream . i learned that trick from a box of amy’s mac and cheese. perfection!
    i also lessened the amount of pasta, just because more vegi was my preference. thank you for this gem.

  21. 5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious. My husband and I agreed this rivaled the best pasta dishes we’ve had our beloved Italian restaurant. I didn’t have a number of the veggies listed so I used what I had on hand and it still turned out delicious. The sauce was amazing. I’m making this again for our Valentine’s dinner. Thank you!

  22. 5 stars
    I always try vegetarian recipes when my husband is not here for dinner since I’m not the biggest fan of cooking/eating meat. This was AMAZING! One of the closest primavera recipes I’ve found to the real thing. I did not use asparagus and I added spicy peppers.

    1. 4 stars
      This was really really good…flavor profile was fantastic. I used fresh sugar snap peas and it worked great. Also had a poblano in the refrigerator and that added a great kick. Be careful setting veggies and/or pasta aside because they will continue to cook…my fault. I will make it again with a couple of execution adjustments.

  23. 5 stars
    Made this twice in 2 weeks! Trying to eat vegetarian more often and loved all the textures and light flavors. Only substitute I made was that I used whole wheat pasta and half and half, since that’s what I had on hand. Will definitely bookmark and make again!

  24. It’s impossible to say how many times I’ve made Pasta Primavera over the years, but hands down, this is the most delicious and easy recipe I’ve ever made. Follow carefully for crisp, fresh vegetables. I added frozen shrimp during the reduction, then a splash of white wine, then lemon, frozen peas and basil with heat off. I didn’t have pepper flakes, so used a few teaspoons of Aleppo pepper at the end. So delicious!!!

    1. I am thrilled you loved our pasta primavera recipe! Thanks for letting us know.

  25. We loved this! The lemon cream sauce was light and superb. I bought your cookbooks for my children and myself this Christmas and my son said it was an inspiration for him to cook with and for his wife. I use your recipes every day.

  26. I made this with coconut cream instead of heavy cream (lactose free) and the sauce was very thin. I wonder if it should have had less broth. Any suggestions?

    1. I have never tried using coconut cream. It might not thicken the same as heavy cream.

  27. 5 stars
    I made this twice in 2 weeks for company, it was a big hit and guests asked for the recipe. I eliminated the peppers (just because I don’t care for them), added extra zucchini, and eliminated heavy cream (substituted salty, starchy pasta water). This will be a go-to recipe!

  28. Can I just say this was by FAR the best recipe I have ever used for Pasta Primavera!! The lemon cream sauce was the hit! I am single so I used about half the veggies and pasta but made the cream sauce as shown… omg. How wonderful alone but with some chicken or shrimp. Move over Food Network!! Seriously !!!!

  29. 5 stars
    This was really delicious. I used fresh bagged peas (microwaved for one minute only). They popped in our mouths perfectly. I also used farfalle pasta. So good. Thank you!

  30. 5 stars
    Hubby’s out of town and I had to cook. Looking at a fridge full of veggies, I thought Pasta Primavera! I’m a little rusty at cooking, as he is our “Chef”. So, a quick google and I found this wonderful recipe. I used what I had on hand, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, red onion, carrots and garbanzo beans. The sauce is what sent me back for seconds! Absolutely delicious. Who knows, this may even get me to cook dinner once in awhile. Hubby will be totally shocked!!!

  31. 5 stars
    We loved it! Fresh tastes from our bountiful garden made this dish sing. I was a little heavy handed with my herbs and garden tomatoes. This recipe is a definite keeper!

  32. Can it be doubled and served to guest the next day … will it be as good … I know I will love it …thanks

  33. I have made this pasta once and everyone ( and myself ) LOVED it. I want to make it again for a lunch gathering of 15 guests. I want to know if it can be prepared ahead and how to re heat to keep it moist and vegetables crisp. Any suggestions for preparing one day prior and how to re heat would be appreciated.

  34. 5 stars
    Thanks for this great recipe- so versatile as practically any veggies can be used! but do not skip the reduction and basil and lemon – make the dish– I decided to add the tomatoes and basil in step 3 so they would be slightly cooked/softened
    Just delicious!

  35. 5 stars
    Very good outcome here. Delicious. Quick question regarding the cream. What are your thoughts in simply excluding it? I often just do a simple garlic and oil for my primevera in order to make it a bit healthier. Could I simply just add more broth?

    1. Glad you liked it. If you don’t want a cream sauce, you can lighten it up with just garlic and oil. Maybe add in more herbs. I wouldn’t do too much broth because you don’t want it soupy.

  36. 5 stars
    This is a very delicious recipe , I highly recommend it! My whole family absolutely loved it. The only thing I added was fresh mushrooms. Thank you for another great recipe!

  37. 5 stars
    I’ve been making this for a long time but wasn’t sure of the name…..I do roast my vegetables instead of boiling them…so much flavor. Because of that it may not be primavera, not sure but its very tasty

  38. 5 stars
    5 star recipes! Delicious. Easy to follow instructions. Will definitely make again. My family loved it!

  39. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!!! I opted for pasta water instead of cream to keep it a little lighter, but otherwise kept it exactly the same. It’s fresh, lemony, and bright. Love it, and will totally make again. (if anyone wants to skip the cream, just replace with pasta water, and add the water into the saucepan when it calls for cream).

  40. 5 stars
    Family favorite- looks beautiful and tastes great- excellent dish for company or large groups as well.

  41. 5 stars
    Made this recipe three times now, and I love it! The lemon and cream are light but go so well together. I usually cook the veggies a bit longer than in the recipe, but that probably has more to do with my stove.

  42. 4 stars
    This was really really good…flavor profile was fantastic. I used fresh sugar snap peas and it worked great. Also had a poblano in the refrigerator and that added a great kick. Be careful setting veggies and/or pasta aside because they will continue to cook…my fault. I will make it again with a couple of execution adjustments.

  43. Recently, I have been comparing online recipes for Pasta Primavera and chose yours. I must say that I will look no further. It was delicious! I brought it to my office and shared with a couple of my co-workers and they loved it! I will be trying more of your recipes.
    Thank you!

  44. 5 stars
    This was very good. I didn’t have basil, so I skipped it. I used snap peas, cut in thirds, instead of frozen peas. Red pepper instead of yellow. My mom, who doesn’t like vegetables, said it was very good.

  45. Does “zest of 1 lemon” mean I shave down the entire peel of a lemon? I’m a novice cook so I wasn’t sure… it seems like that’d be a lot?

    1. Yes, use a microplane to shave off the zest from the lemon. It gives the dish the lemon flavor!

    2. Sarah, don’t grate off the entire peel (not the white part of the peel) – just the thin bright yellow part of the peel. Honestly, if you haven’t used lemon zest before, it’s a fabulous addition to many salads and pastas. I zest all of my lemons before throwing out the peel.

  46. 5 stars
    I made this with some variations. Fresh angel hair pasta, and fresh from the farm zucchini, green and wax beans, asparagus, carrots, onions and peas. The lemon cream sauce added such a brightness and grilled shrimp finished it wonderfully. Perfect for a summer Sunday dinner.

  47. 5 stars
    Run, don’t walk, to your kitchen right now and make these! I was tired, made a big mistake, and they STILL came out AMAZING! So chewy, big lime and coconut flavors, easy easy to make!!! Thank you for this recipe!

  48. Amazing recipe. I loved cleaning out the veggies in my fridge. I added cooked chicken at the end. Leftovers were equally as good! Thank you.

  49. 5 stars
    This was delicious! It even got my notoriously picky children to eat all of their vegetables. Due to my husband’s allergies I made the asparagus separately and skipped the grape tomatoes opting for the sun dried version. I added those to everyone else’s pasta after it was plated and it was so good. I will definitely be making this again.

  50. 5 stars
    Really delicious and flavorful! I didn’t add that last bit of lemon juice as we found it lemony enough. Thanks for the recipe!

  51. 5 stars
    I love this pasta primavera recipe. The lemon cream sauce is perfect! I add whatever veggies I’m craving, like fresh corn for a bit of sweetness and mushrooms sautéed in butter. This makes a huge pot of pasta, but I eat leftovers until it’s gone. It’s fabulous!

    1. Me and my husband loved this. It has all the flavors of spring any time of the year. Will put this on regular rotation

  52. 5 stars
    I loved this recipe! Comes together quickly after prep, flavorful, and loaded with veggies. We topped ours with grilled shrimp. Will definitely make again!

  53. This was great! Loved all the veggies. I did fry 2 sliced chicken breasts as we eat protein with every meal. Skipped the Parmesan cheese. Would definitely make again.

  54. 5 stars
    SO flavorful and a great way to get your veggies in. I’ve never liked pasta primavera as I always associated it with blah wedding food, but this one is so flavorful. It was a hit with the only family, even my little one, and is a great way to enjoy all of the spring produce!

  55. 5 stars
    Made for dinner with the veggies I had on hand – asparagus, onions, and mushrooms. Veggies turned out perfect. Delicious lemon cream sauce. Very pleased with how it turned out! Will make again.

  56. 5 stars
    Absolutely loved this recipe! I can’t have dairy, so I used cashew cream and vegan parmesan, and it turned out awesome! I also added ground turkey and banza pasta to add more protein. Already recommended it to others and will be making again!

  57. Can I make 1.5-2 times the sauce and and chicken? I plan on marinating chicken in a lemon herb vinaigrette, grilling it, slicing it, and finally tossing it in with the pasta.

  58. I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it’s always a hit. Due to recent dairy allergies, I tried it using plant-based butter, cream, and parmesan and it was just as good! The lemon juice really adds a nice flavor and we like using whatever vegetables we have ready in the garden. Thank you for another delicious recipe!

  59. 5 stars
    Great recipe! My only complaint is the prep time was WAY MORE than 20 minutes. #justsayin I will definitely chop as much as I can the day/night before next time. I added red onion and red and orange pepper, and I’m not a huge fan of asparagus so I omitted it, but my combo was delicious. I love flexibility in a recipe. Used my fresh basil from my garden. It was delicious. Well worth the effort!

  60. 5 stars
    We love this recipe. Today, we are trying it with spaghetti squash. It’s a total experiment, but no matter what, it will taste great!

  61. 5 stars
    I’ve made this pasta quite a bit. I like a lighter pasta so I’ve used bow tie but I love pappardelle too. The lemon cream sausage is light and delicious. This recipe is on regular rotation!

  62. 5 stars
    Oh, my gosh. This was so yummy. I’ve tried to make pasta primavera before and it always tasted kind of like fettuccini alfredo with veggies. This recipe is just what I was looking for. I made 1 1/2 times the sauce, which I thought was perfect. Strangely, my grocery store had no cherry tomatoes today, so I used sun dried tomatoes as someone else suggested. They were so good, I think I’ll do it next time too. I also threw in some salad shrimp which my husband and I really liked.