Loaded with a rainbow of spring vegetables and tossed in a creamy Parmesan sauce, this spring pasta primavera is easy to throw together and a beautiful pasta dish for any occasion.
Pasta dishes like this one were made for spring and an approximate rainbow of veggies gets the job done very right.
If you’ve never tried pasta primavera at home you’re seriously missing out and I’m about to introduce you to the newest item on your regular rotation.
The best part about a pasta primavera is that anything goes in the veggie department! You and mix and match vegetables at your leisure depending on what you have in the fridge and it will still turn out wonderful every time.
Trust me, this is about to be your new pasta addiction.
This Pasta Primavera features…
- Sauteed asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and peas
- A light and creamy lemon basil Parmesan sauce
- Tender fettuccine pasta
Making the Pasta Primavera
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Olive oil
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini
- Garlic
- Cherry tomatoes
- Baby spinach
- Frozen peas
- Fettuccine pasta
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Heavy whipping cream
- 2% or skim milk
- Parmesan cheese
- Lemon zest
- Basil
Choosing Your Vegetables
We’re going to be using quite the rainbow of vegetables in this pasta! The good news is that you can use as much or as little and basically any kind of vegetables as you want.
I like to use a mix of spring vegetables including asparagus, broccoli, peas, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes, but the sky’s the limit depending on what you have on hand. This pasta would also be amazing with sweet peppers, snow peas, fresh kale, shallot, green beans, etc.
Tips for Perfect Pasta Primavera
- Cut vegetables in uniform size – for best results, try to get all the vegetables the same recommended size in the recipe so they cook evenly.
- Sauté vegetables – cook the asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, and mushrooms in a large skillet until tender.
- Add garlic, spinach, cherry tomatoes, and peas at end of cooking – these ingredients don’t need to cook for very long so they’re better suited added to the other vegetables at the end of cooking.
- Use freshly-grated Parmesan – for best results, hand grate the Parmesan yourself so it melts better.
- Cook pasta to al dente – boil the pasta only to al dente as it will continue to cook a bit once added to the sauce.
- Reserve pasta cooking water – this will be used to help thin and loosen up the sauce a bit helping it cling to the pasta and vegetables.
- Add fresh basil and lemon zest at end of cooking – these two ingredients add a final pop of freshness to the pasta.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this primavera.
- Use a different pasta shape – try penne, rigatoni, spiral, or shells.
- Add meat – for a meaty kick, add crispy bacon bits or diced cooked chicken.
- Try a different cheese – try grated asiago in place of the Parmesan.
- Use more fresh herbs – try adding fresh dill, parsley, or chives.
One forkful of this primavera and you’ll never be tempted to order it from a restaurant again! The vegetables make it so hearty while the lemon basil cream sauce adds just a touch of indulgence.
Just make sure you do things the right way and cover your bowl with entirely way too much fresh Parm.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More veggie-packed dinners to make next!
Spring Pasta Primavera
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 lb fresh asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1-1/2 cups fresh broccoli, cut into 1/2-inch florets
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 small zucchini, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup firmly-packed baby spinach
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz dry fettuccine pasta
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup 2% or skim milk
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat bottom. Add asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, and zucchini and saute 3-5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Add garlic, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and peas to vegetables and cook 2-3 additional minutes until spinach is wilted. Season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes until golden-brown. Slowly drizzle in heavy cream and milk until smooth. Stir sauce over medium heat until bubbly and thickened. Remove sauce from heat and whisk in Parmesan, lemon zest, and basil. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fold pasta and sautéed vegetables into sauce until evenly coated, thinning with a few splashes of pasta water as needed until sauce is loosened and clinging to pasta and vegetables. Season primavera with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 3/13/25.
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says
This pasta is so pretty! I always loved when my mom would make pasta primavera. We would pretty much have it year round, just subbing in frozen vegetables in the winter months. It looks much better though when the veggies and nice, fresh, and vibrant!
Sarah says
Thanks Shelby! And yes, fresh veggies really do make ALL the difference flavorwise in this primavera. 😉
Izzy says
This is one big pan of delicious and gorgeous amazingness!! I love this! Pasta is so perfect for piling in lots of veggies and cheese, especially truck loads of parmesan cheese 🙂 Also, I want to come over when you guys have cookies for dinner!!
Sarah says
Thanks Izzy!! And totally yes, girl! You are absolutely invited over when cookies are on the dinner menu! 😀
Karen says
I am planning to make this lovely looking salad, but I plan to serve it cold. Can you tell me if it stays moist?
Sarah says
Yes, this salad is just as good cold! I hope you like it! 🙂
karen says
Thank you for your quick reply! I’m making it for guests tomorrow!
Kira says
My hubs and I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! Although, ours came out with a really high pasta to veggie ratio, even though we followed the recipe exactly… not sure why. Might cook 3/4 or 1/2 pound of pasta next time. We also added in some bacon… YUM! This is going on our list of “hits”!
Sarah says
I love your tip about adding bacon to this pasta, Kira! Must try that next time. Glad this pasta was a hit for you!
Lady T says
EXACTLY what I was going to say – bacon – you can NEVER go wrong with it! And it sounds like such a wonderful addition to this dish – btw Sarah, your recipes sound amazing and look so mouth-watering! I can’t wait to try them, especially the shortbread bars and peanut-butter/chocolate chip cookie cups – I wish I had amazing culinary talent like this!
Sarah says
Thanks so much for stopping by and for the kind words! I’m glad you’re liking what you see on my blog!
Lady T says
Boatload of cheese, lol love it:)
Stacy says
How would this be cold???
Sarah says
This pasta is just as good cold!!
Breena says
Do you have the calories per serving available?
Breena says
Do you have calories per serving?
Sarah says
Hi Breena! You can find out the calories per serving using this website.
john says
i really like your blog keep posting worthy stuff
Shelly says
So delicious!!! So simple and quick!! Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe. I made it with fresh Farmer’s Market summer veggies. Will add to regular rotation.
Sarah says
Glad to hear it, Shelly! Love that you used farmers market veggies in this pasta!
Jeannie says
This turned out great. I added chicken to make it a bit heartier and it was a fantastic meal!
Sarah says
Love the sound of adding chicken to this pasta, Jeannie! Hope you enjoyed!
Holly says
How does this stuff freeze? Do you know? (It LOOKS awesome, btw! I can’t wait to try it!)
Sarah says
Unfortunately, this pasta doesn’t freeze the best, Holly. Sorry about that!
Hannah says
Hi! This recipe looks perfect and I can’t wait to try!
I work for a company and would LOVE to share this in my wellness newsletter. Do you think that would be okay?
Sarah says
Hi Hannah! You are welcome to include a photo and a link to my recipe in your newsletter as long as you don’t reprint the entire recipe. Thanks for asking!!
Alky says
We made it tonight added frozen carrots already had them, very good! Add lots of fresh parmesean ♡ let me know of any other secrets
Sarah says
Glad to hear that this pasta was a success for you, Alky!
Chloe says
I think this is one of my favourite recipe! Thanks for sharing! =)
Caitlin says
I have been wanting to make this dish for a loooong time. My man does not like veggies without a big splash of A1! The first night he is out of town without me, I whipped the recipe out and it didn’t disappoint!
Sarah says
That makes me so happy to hear, Caitlin! Glad you enjoyed this pasta! 🙂
buoncompleannoo says
i really like it
Terri says
Has anyone tried it with zucchini noodles instead of pasta?
Melissa says
Made this for dinner tonight. Hubby and I both took a bite, looked at each other and said “wanna order a pizza?”. Not as good as it looks unfortunately….
Sarah says
I have not, but that sounds amazing! Definitely worth a try. 🙂
Sarah says
I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t like this pasta, Melissa. Thanks for the feedback!