Pasta Primavera

Christina
Christina @cook_3000087
USA

Pasta primavera is so easy to throw together, so versatile and a great way to get in a ton of different veggies. Use whatever veggies you have on hand, just be sure to cut them into similar sized pieces so they can cook evenly. This also reheats really well, so it's a good meal prep recipe.

Pasta Primavera

Pasta primavera is so easy to throw together, so versatile and a great way to get in a ton of different veggies. Use whatever veggies you have on hand, just be sure to cut them into similar sized pieces so they can cook evenly. This also reheats really well, so it's a good meal prep recipe.

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Ingredients

  1. 3 tbsp.salted butter, divided
  2. About 2 cups chopped veggies (see step 1 for more details)
  3. 3 clovesgarlic, minced
  4. 2 cupspenne pasta, uncooked
  5. Salt and pepper
  6. 1/4 tsp.Italian seasoning
  7. 1/4 tsp.salt free all purpose seasoning
  8. Zest of 1 large lemon
  9. Juice of half large lemon
  10. 1/2 cupreserved starchy pasta water
  11. 1/4 cupfreshly grated parmesan cheese + more for topping

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1

    For this recipe, it's pretty versatile, so use whatever veggies you have on hand, just be sure to chop them all to roughly even pieces. Pictured up top, I used yellow squash, broccoli florets, shredded carrots, sliced cherry tomatoes, green onions and peas...just to give an idea. This is a great chance to clean out the veggie drawer.

  2. 2

    Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, cook the penne pasta according to the box directions until it is al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy water and set it aside, then drain the pasta and return it to the empty pot. While you're waiting on the water to boil, begin to cook the veggies, that way everything should be finished at roughly the same time.

  3. 3

    In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. of the butter over medium heat. If you have some heartier veggies, add them to the skillet first (I added my broccoli florets and yellow squash first, to give them a head start), then add more delicate veggies after the heartier ones have had a few minutes to soften up a bit. Once all the veggies are relatively crisp-tender, add in the garlic and season it all with the Italian seasoning, all purpose seasoning and about 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper.

  4. 4

    Once the veggies are ready, toss them into the pot with the cooked pasta, then top with the remaining butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and grated parmesan. Stir it all together, then drizzle in the reserved pasta water a bit at a time, until the pasta is at a good consistency (I usually end up using closer to 1/4 cup). Taste and season with some more salt and pepper, to taste. Then serve with some additional freshly grated parmesan cheese over the top.

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Christina
Christina @cook_3000087
on
USA
I love to bake and to try out new recipes! I'm always on the lookout for simple dinners for busy weeknights. A lot of the recipes I post on here are ones I've found on Pinterest or from different bloggers, and that I've tried and really enjoyed, but I always reference to where I got the recipe from in the recipe description and the pictures are my own. If there's no source listed, then it's a rare recipe that I came up with. I have two wonderful kids and I hope to pass on my love of cooking and baking to them.
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