Pasta primavera, meaning “spring pasta” in Italian, is a delicious vegetable-forward pasta dish using in-season spring vegetables! This recipe uses asparagus, zucchini, peas, and cherry tomatoes, all flavored with a white wine and Parmigiano Reggiano herbed cheese sauce.
I have always loved Pasta Primavera! And if you’re familiar with this dish, you know you can take it in many different directions depending on the vegetables you use. I love how fresh it is, and I like to make it so there are almost as many vegetables as there is pasta.
I didn’t want this to end up tasting like an average pasta-and-veggie dish. So, to add dynamic flavor without overcomplicating the dish, I found that a splash of white wine, along with lots of garlic and a shallot, creates a robust sauce that takes only minutes to make.
I also made the dish a little creamier by using some pasta water and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. If you’re familiar with my pasta dishes, you know I do this a lot, and it is superior to adding cream, which, I personally find, weighs down a dish that should be light, fresh, and a little healthier. So using the water from the cooked pasta is a fantastic way to create creaminess without actually using cream!
I absolutely love this dish and how quickly it comes together. Every time I make it, my family and I can’t stop eating it, and the leftovers are just as tasty.
As with any dish I share, you can make this your own by adding any other vegetables you have on hand or love in addition to or in place of the ones I used. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!
Ingredients
See the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and measurements.
Pasta: I recommend using shaped pasta rather than flat pasta. Flatter pastas are harder to hold onto the sauce, cheese, and even the vegetables. I think Fusilli is the perfect choice as its twisty, corkscrew-like shape does a great job of catching all the cheesy sauce and herbs. And its bite-sized shape makes it easy to enjoy with the vegetables!
The vegetables: Since primavera is focused on vegetables, I like the combination of asparagus, peas, tomatoes, and zucchini!
Flavorings: To create a robust flavor and avoid this being just a boring veggie pasta, I use a shallot and lots of garlic to flavor the base. Along with a splash of dry white wine (Pinot grigio or Sauvignon blanc works), fresh parsley and basil, and lots of Parmigiano Reggiano for salty flavoring and to create a cheesy sauce with the starchy pasta water.
How to Make Pasta Primavera
See the recipe card for the complete method and ingredients.
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1
Start by sautéing sliced garlic and diced shallots in a pan on medium heat in olive oil, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn. About 3-4 minutes.
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2
Add sliced asparagus with a pinch of salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the asparagus starts to soften a little bit.
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3
Add roughly diced zucchini or squash.
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Add halved cherry (grape) tomatoes. Stir frequently until the vegetables cook down some, about 3-5 minutes.
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Add a splash of dry white wine and stir – this adds a unique depth of flavor.
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Then, add frozen peas, stir and let this cook down for another 3-5 minutes.
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Now for the star ingredients. Add the cooked and drained Fusilli pasta, freshly shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, and your reserved pasta water, which has that starchiness and salt that will bring everything together.
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Gently stir to combine and serve with some extra shredded Parmigiano on top. Enjoy!
Pasta Primavera
Video Tutorial
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli pasta
- 3 Tablespoon olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 large shallot
- 1 pound asparagus
- 1 medium/large zucchini
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup defrosted frozen peas
- 1 generous splash dry white wine, around 3-4 Tablespoons
- 1 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 1/2 cups pasta water as needed
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare pasta water: Fill a large pot with water, generously salt, and bring to a boil.
- Cook the shallots and garlic: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and shallots in olive oil, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn. About 2 minutes.
- Cook the asparagus or crunchier veggies first: Add the chopped asparagus with a generous pinch of salt, and cook for 3 minutes until slightly softened.
- Cook the zucchini, then the tomatoes: Add the diced zucchini, cook for another 2 minutes, then add the halved cherry (grape) tomatoes with another generous pinch of salt. Stir frequently and cook for several minutes.
- Cook the pasta: Around this time, cook the fusilli pasta according to the package. I recommend cooking the pasta until it's al dente. Reserve about 1-2 cups of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Add the peas and white wine: Add to the vegetables a generous splash of white wine (3-4 Tablespoons), then add the frozen peas, stir and let this cook down for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add the pasta, pasta water, and cheese. Finally, add the cooked and drained Fusilli pasta to your vegetables, freshly shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, and a generous splash of pasta water. Cook and stir, adding cheese and pasta water as needed to bring everything into a creamy cheesy sauce; this can take a few minutes – I like to do the cheese and pasta water in batches and continue stirring on a low heat. Then top with chopped fresh basil and parsley and cracked black pepper.
- Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and enjoy!
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