Name: Lighter Shrimp Pasta Primavera {30-Minute Meal}
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb spaghetti; 1/4 cup reserved pasta water; 2 tbsp butter; 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1/2 red onion, finely chopped; 1 lb frozen shrimp (deshelled and defrosted (about 35 shrimp)); 1 head broccoli; Zest of 1 lemon; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/2 tsp red chili flakes; 1 tbsp flour; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1/2 cup 2% milk; 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese; 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (sliced (packedoil)); 1/2 cup frozen peas (defrosted)

This Lighter Shrimp Pasta Primavera recipe is ready in just 30 minutes, made with fresh veggies, yummy shrimp and the creamiest sauce!

How to make pasta primavera with shrimp

Cook the spaghetti until al dente.
Sauté the veggies and shrimp.
Whisk in the flour, lemon juice, milk and cheese.
Add the sundried tomatoes and peas.
Mix in the pasta and reserved pasta water.
Toss until well mixed.
Serve and enjoy!

Ingredients and substitutions

Spaghetti – substitute spaghetti pasta with any pasta of your choice. I’ve seen primavera made with bowtie pasta and penne pasta.
Reserved pasta water – the reserved pasta water helps to thicken the pasta sauce. If you forget to reserve excess pasta water, mix cornstarch or potato starch with water.
Butter – in place of butter you can use margarine or a vegan butter substitute.
Garlic – fresh garlic or jarred minced garlic will both work in this recipe.
Red onion – white onion, sweet onion or yellow onion can be used in place of red onion.
Shrimp – chicken breast or thighs would also taste great in this recipe if you aren’t a fan of seafood. You can leave the shrimp out entirely without replacement if you’d prefer to have a vegetarian dish.
Broccoli – fresh or frozen broccoli will work for this recipe. If you aren’t a fan of broccoli, you can replace it with another vegetable of your choice like roasted Brussel sprouts, roasted cauliflower, roasted asparagus, etc.
Lemon zest – if you’re in a pinch you can leave this out.
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Red chili flakes (optional)
Flour – cornstarch or potato starch can be used instead of flour to thicken the pasta sauce.
Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice or bottled lemon juice will work for this recipe.
2% milk – 2% milk makes the recipe lighter than if heavy cream was used. If you are in a pinch, feel free to use heavy cream or use your favourite non-dairy milk of choice.
Parmesan cheese – grated Parmesan cheese or
Sun-dried tomatoes – sun-dried tomatoes should be packaged in oil. You can substitute sun-dried tomatoes with roasted red pepper or semi dried tomatoes.
Peas – fresh or frozen peas will work for this recipe.

What is pasta primavera?

Pasta primavera is a lighter pasta dish consisting of pasta and fresh veggies. It’s a great way to use up any veggies you may have sitting around in your fridge! I added shrimp to this version for some extra protein.

What to serve with pasta primavera

This recipe is super filling on its own and you’re already getting all your major food groups in one dish! That being said, I never say no to a bit of garlic bread on the side.

How to cook shrimp for pasta

The shrimp in this recipe cooks alongside the rest of the veggies so it’s super easy to make. If you’re using frozen shrimp, make sure to deshell and defrost them before sautéing in the pan with the rest of the veggies.

Storing and reheating

To store your leftovers, transfer the remaining pasta into individual servings in airtight containers and place into the fridge. The leftover primavera without the shrimp will last in the fridge for up to five days. If you have leftover shrimp with your pasta, you will want to eat the primavera within two days of storing.

When you're ready to enjoy your pasta, microwave in your glass container or transfer into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it up in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm.

Freezing this recipe

To freeze your pasta, wait for the recipe to cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or a freezer bag. When you store your pasta, make sure to write the date that you're storing the paste to make sure you can keep track of its freshness. Once stored, your pasta will last in the freezer for up to three months.

When you're ready to enjoy the shrimp primavera, move it to the fridge hours before you're ready to enjoy or the night before to make sure it thaws. Once it has thawed, warm up the pasta in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or on the stovetop until fully cooked. After you've defrosted your shrimp primavera, you will not want to refreeze it so I recommend dividing your pasta into individual servings before freezing if you live alone.

Want to Learn How to Meal Prep? Join Dinner Prep Pro!

Our meal planning service removes the guesswork and helps you get dinner on the table in 15-20 minutes each night thanks to our prep ahead checklists. It takes just one hour of ingredient prep on a Sunday!

Learn more

More shrimp recipes

Meal prep tools for this recipe

Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing any leftovers
You can also freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months

Lighter Shrimp Pasta Primavera {30-Minute Meal}