This Easy One Pot Pasta Primavera is a healthy 30-minute dinner that's packed with fresh vegetables and a creamy parmesan sauce.
Loaded with veggie goodness and a creamy sauce, this is the perfect go-to meal for those days you need some good ol' comfort food.
Why you'll love this recipe
- One pot meal: Clean-up couldn't be easier with just one pot to make this creamy pasta recipe.
- Comforting: There's nothing like pasta and cream sauce for a comforting meal. So yummy!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado or grapeseed oil.
- Red onions – white or yellow onion would also work.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic is best, but jarred garlic will work in a pinch.
- Penne pasta – feel free to use another kind of pasta like rotini, rigatoni or fettucine.
- Chicken broth – vegetarian broth will work just as well.
- Mixed fresh vegetables – I like using a combination of broccoli florets, carrots, yellow pepper, zucchini and frozen peas, but you can use whatever veggies you have on hand.
- Butter – use a little extra olive oil if you don’t have any butter.
- Heavy cream – you can use half and half, but it won’t give the sauce the same creamy texture.
- Parmesan cheese – substitute with Grana Padano or pecorino.
- Fresh parsley – sprinkle your finished dish with parsley or basil.
How to make pasta primavera
Step 1: Sauté the onion and garlic.
Sauté in olive oil.
Step 2: Add the penne and broth.
Bring pasta and broth to a boi, stir until pasta is almost cooked through.
Step 3: Mix in the veggies.
Cook veggies until ender-crisp.
Step 4: Stir in the remaining ingredients.
Add butter, salt, pepper, cream, and parmesan cheese.
Step 5: Toss to coat.
Mix well so that the pasta and the veggies are coated with the sauce.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy.
Serve garnished with parsley, and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Add protein: Top with chicken breast or make my shrimp pasta primavera.
- Boost the flavour: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a zesty kick.
- Cheesy upgrade: Mix in mozzarella or fontina cheese for a cheesier sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add protein to this dish?
Absolutely. Grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu would work well as additions for extra protein.
Can I make this pasta dairy-free?
I haven't tried making this recipe dairy-free, but you can certainly test it out. Swap the butter for olive oil or a vegan butter, the parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast, and the heavy cream for a non-dairy alternative like coconut milk. Keep in mind that the sauce won't be as creamy.
Can I make this pasta recipe gluten-free?
Gluten-free pasta might absorb more of the broth than regular pasta so you may need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly. If you try preparing this recipe with gluten-free pasta, let me know how it works out!
What to serve on the side
While this delicious pasta primavera recipe is quite filling, here are some options if you're looking to serve something with it:
- Homemade dinner rolls
- Garlic bread
- Bruschetta
- Arugula salad
- Shaved brussels sprouts salad
- Stuffed mushrooms
How to store and reheat
Make-ahead: Chop vegetables and cook pasta in advance, storing them separately in the fridge for easy assembly.
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway, or warm in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water or broth.
Freeze & reheat from frozen: Freeze without the cheese in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop with a bit of olive oil.
More one pot pasta recipes
Meal prep tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this pasta into leftovers.
- These aluminum foil containers are perfect for re-heating straight from the freezer to oven.
Easy One Pot Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian
- 4 cups mixed fresh vegetables (I used a combination of broccoli florets, julienned carrots, chopped yellow pepper, diced zucchini and frozen peas)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese make sure the parmesan is vegetarian if necessary
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large Dutch oven over med-high heat. Saute onion and garlic for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add in penne pasta and chicken broth, then bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until pasta is almost cooked through.
- Meanwhile, prepare veggies. Add to pasta and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender-crisp.
- Stir in butter, salt & pepper, cream and parmesan cheese, tossing to coat. Remove from heat. Serve garnished with parsley (optional), and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Audrey O. says
My family of 4 (excluding me as I was not home), just tried this recipe last night. My husband has been more on board with my menu planning and trying new recipes, and so far you are his favorite blog that I pull recipes from.
Anyway, my family is about 50/50 when it comes to liking veggies, but I taught them to try everything once, every time it’s made, and when trying new recipes, I give everybody an opportunity to give it a “star” if they liked it enough to eat it again, so a 5 star rating would be max. My husband cooked this last night, and sent me a picture with a text that said “Here goes nothing…”. Literally like 3 minutes later, he sent me a text saying “Everybody gave it a star”. I sent the shocked emoji as a response, because I was NOT expecting that, LOL!
Anyway, my husband said that the sauce was very runny (and he’s not sure if he did something wrong or not; is it supposed to be runny? He took a picture of his empty plate and you could literally see liquid sauce still covering the plate), but that it tasted fantastic, so I guess this is another recipe from you that will stay in rotation. Thanks as always for sharing.
Taylor Stinson says
Thanks so much for the review and I’m so happy you all liked it 🙂
Linda says
Great instructions and super easy! Very tasty and makes a lot. Will love the leftovers! Thank you.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed, thank you for the kind words 🙂
Rohini Rasa says
I was skeptical about this recipe. Didn’t think it would be flavorful. I was pleasantly surprised on how tasty it was despite not using heavy cream or garlic. I used carrot, broccoli, red bell pepper, yellow squash, zucchini and peas. This is a keeper.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed 🙂
Lorelei says
I can’t have cream because it hurts my stomach. What can I substitute – I was thinking plant based milk and some plain Greek yogurt?
Taylor Stinson says
I haven’t tried it without the cream and personally I don’t like the taste of Greek yogurt when trying to use it as a substitute for something like sour cream for instance, but if you have made similar substitutes before and it’s turned out ok then it might work! Wish I could be of more assistance.
Lisa Solby says
Easy and delicious!
Keri says
This is one of my go-to’s! Great flavor & super easy! I usually add some grilled chicken on top 😋
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you love it!
Krissy says
Hi Taylor!
This recipe looks absolutely delicious! I’m
definitely going to try it. I searched the Internet
for a pasta primavera recipe and yours looks
the most delicious. But best of all it looks the
easiest! I can’t wait to try it. I’ll come back and
let you know how it turns out. 🙂
Taylor Stinson says
Thank you! I hope you enjoy 🙂
Rachelle says
I have some broccoli and bell peppers in my fridge that I would like to use up as well as some frozen veggies so this is perfect I think. I might try it tomorrow. I have a blend of parmesian cheese and asiago. will that be ok? or does it need to be just parmesian cheese?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Rachelle – that sounds like a great veggie combo! And the cheese combo will work beautifully too! Let me know how it turns out 🙂