This pasta primavera recipe is light, fresh, and simple to make. Packed with colorful veggies, it's the perfect easy dinner for spring or summer night.
I love to make this pasta primavera recipe after a trip to the farmers market in early summer. I come home with bags full of produce. Some contain spring veggies like asparagus and peas that will only be available for a few more weeks. Others hold summer finds like zucchini, squash, and cherry tomatoes whose season is just starting. The moment when all these spring and summer vegetables collide is so brief that I feel like I have to celebrate it. So, I cook a pot of pasta, sauté the veggies, and toss them together to make this pasta primavera recipe.
Pasta Primavera Recipe Ingredients
While pasta primavera means “spring pasta” in Italian, the dish itself is actually American. The story goes that it originated at the New York restaurant Le Cirque in the 1970s, and in the years following, it started popping up on Italian restaurant menus all over the US. The original version featured spaghetti and a rich butter and cream sauce, but these days, the name “pasta primavera” is given to all sorts of veggie pastas.
Here’s what I use in my take:
- Pasta, of course! I like to use penne pasta because the noodles are a similar size to the chopped vegetables. It makes it easy to get a little of everything in each bite!
- Garlic and red onion – For savory depth of flavor.
- Yellow squash and zucchini – Feel free to use just one or the other if you can’t find both!
- Asparagus – For complexity and crunch.
- Cherry tomatoes – They become soft and bursty, lightly coating the pasta in their juices.
- Peas – I often use thawed frozen peas, though if you happen to have fresh shell peas, you could totally blanch them and toss them in.
- Pecorino cheese – It makes the pasta lightly creamy. Parmesan cheese would be great here too!
- Fresh lemon juice – I love its bright flavor with all the fresh vegetables.
- Red pepper flakes – They add a little heat.
- Fresh basil and tarragon – They bring so much flavor to this simple pasta dish. Technically, the tarragon is optional, but if you can find it, I highly recommend using it. It really takes this recipe over the top!
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Pasta Primavera
This pasta primavera has to be one of the simplest dinner recipes on Love & Lemons. It’s so easy to make! Here’s how it goes:
First, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain it when it’s just al dente. It’ll cook a little more with the veggies on the stove, so you want to be careful not to overcook it now. Toss the pasta with a drizzle of oil to prevent sticking.
Next, sauté the veggies. I LOVE that all the vegetables cook in one pan in this recipe! Heat a glug of olive oil in a large skillet, and toss in the garlic, onion, zucchini, squash, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes. It only takes a few minutes for the vegetables to soften.
Then, add the pasta, peas, cheese, and lemon juice. Toss until the cheese melts down and coats the pasta in a lightly creamy sauce. Stir in the fresh herbs, and season to taste.
Finally, garnish with more basil, and serve!
Pasta Primavera Serving Suggestions
This pasta primavera makes a fantastic meal on its own, though if you like, you could certainly pair it with a side dish or two. We love it with buttery slices of garlic bread and a side salad. Try serving it with any of these salad recipes:
- Simple Green Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Zucchini Salad
- Bright Spring Salad
Enjoy!
More Favorite Pasta Recipes
If you love this pasta primavera recipe, try one of these fresh pasta recipes next:
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
- Tagliatelle with Asparagus and Peas
- Linguine with Lemon and Tomatoes
- Cauliflower Pasta
- Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Pesto Pasta
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta
- Or any of these 25 Easy Pasta Recipes!
Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
- 10 ounces penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 yellow squash, sliced into thin half moons
- 1 zucchini, sliced into thin half moons
- 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
- ¾ cup grated pecorino cheese
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Red pepper flakes
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup fresh tarragon, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, squash, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, onion, salt, and several grinds of pepper and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the pasta, peas, cheese, lemon juice, and a pinch of red pepper flakes and toss to combine. Stir in the basil and tarragon, if using.
- Season to taste, garnish with more basil, and serve.
I made the pasta primavera recipe today. We have decided this recipe is one we will continue to make.
Hi Dianne, so glad you enjoyed it!
So delicious; even my 6 year old enjoyed it and helped chop the veggies!
Hi Jill, I love that! So glad the pasta was a hit.
This was another winner even with dry herbs! Judy
Hi Judy, I’m so glad you loved the pasta!
Very scrumptious! You really do need to have everything chopped and prepped before you start to cook.
Hi Cindy, so glad you enjoyed it!
So simple yet so delicious! This recipe is an absolute keeper.
Hi Jessica, I’m so glad you loved it!
Sooooo easy! And it feels very fresh and healthy aside from the cheese, but the cheese and lemon juice really make it. My only note: I halved all the veggies because mine were so big (and it still made a TON of food), but that leaves me with exactly enough veggies to make the recipe again 🙂
Hi Mara, I’m so glad you loved the pasta!
It’s been quite a long time since I last made any kind of pasta salad but I will definitely make it more often now after trying this Pasta Primavera recipe. The veggie combination with the noodles and lemon juice and pecorino cheese was just perfect. Very refreshing and the perfect lunch to take to work. It was also very easy and quick to make which makes it even better. I’ve been eating it cold and it’s delicious!
Hi Annika, I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
Just made this and it was delicious! Will certainly make it again.
Hi Laura, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Just made! Fresh, fast and super filling. Whole family enjoyed.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Just made this and loved all of the veggies!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Could this work as a cold pasta salad as well?
Hi Samantha, It might! If you go that route, I would let the pasta and veggies cool after cooking and then toss them with the cheese so that it doesn’t melt.
Loved all the vegetables! Added a yellow bell pepper instead of asparagus.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Thinking about making this dish for a work potluck. Can this dish be served cold? Or microwaved?
Pasta Primavera always seems bland and flavorless to me…but this recipe is incredible! The amount of basil and cheese adds so much. I also love the suggested vegetable variety, especially with the crunchy asparagus. I used parmesan and cut the zucchini. Everyone loved it. Winner!
Made this tonight for dinner, omitted the peas and added orange bell pepper. I think my pan was too crowded because it took the veggies over ten minutes to get tender -so next time I might split between two large pans so they can sauté and not steam. In any case, it was such a light and flavorful meal and our 9 year old ate it enthusiastically. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad she enjoyed it! I would try adding a little less of the squash or asparagus if you add in the pepper (or yes, cook in batches).
Made this tonight and it’s absolutely delicious! Super fresh and light. My squash was kind of big so it made a lot, but I’ll enjoy the leftovers. Made mostly as written – just omitted the pecorino cheese and added a little vegan parmesan instead to make it dairy free. Would definitely make it again! Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Are the basil and tarragon… Chopped? Whole? Thanks!! Excited to eat this in a few minutes😋
I add them whole or if your basil leaves are very large you can tear them.
I love the recipe and going to try this today.
I love pasta most and I hope I can make it this much delicious.
thank you, great set of ingredients and may, if you don’t mind, try it with zucchini noodles!