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Home » Recipes » Easy Meals

Creamy Pasta Primavera

Modified: May 30, 2025 · Published: Apr 16, 2020 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 916 words. · About 5 minutes to read this article.

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Creamy pasta primavera is an easy one pot meal that's ready in less than 30 minutes. Fresh seasonal vegetables and pasta are coated in a creamy herb sauce.

A saute pan filled with creamy pasta primavera with bright summer vegetables.

Recipe summary

Flavor: Bright flavor from seasonal vegetables, with a hint of lemon and herbs.

Customize with your favorite veggies: I used bell pepper, peas, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes, but your favorite fresh or frozen veggies work great in this recipe.

Serves: 4 people

Similar to: Creamy Asparagus Pasta and Lemon Garlic Pasta

Jump to:
  • Recipe summary
  • Ingredients and substitutions
  • How to make pasta primavera
  • Tips and tricks
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Recommended
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Ingredients and substitutions

Ingredients on a counter top.
  • Pasta - A strand pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine, or a medium-sized tube pasta like penne, rigatoni, or ziti works best.
  • Vegetables - Just about any seasonal or frozen vegetables you have on hand will work in this recipe. Today I'm using yellow bell pepper, frozen peas (thawed first), zucchini, and cherry tomatoes.
  • Liquids - Broth and heavy cream create a thick, creamy, and savory sauce. Vegetable broth or chicken broth works in this recipe.
  • Flavor - Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes enhance the flavor of the skillet meal.

How to make pasta primavera

Fettuccine noodles and vegetables cooking in a saute pan.
  1. Add broth and pasta to a 12-inch sauté pan and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until 7 minutes remain.
  2. Add vegetables and seasoning, cover, and continue cooking until pasta is al dente.
  3. Add heavy cream, cheese, and lemon juice.
  4. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute, or until cheese has melted.

Tips and tricks

Consult your pasta's package cook times - Different shapes and brands cook at different rates, so consult your pasta's package directions for the 'al dente' cook time. Cook your pasta until 7 minutes remain, add your veggies, then continue cooking for the remaining 7 minutes. This allows enough time for your veggies to cook through without getting soggy.

Accurately measure your pasta and broth - Just enough broth is added to cook your pasta through without leaving excess liquid in the pan. If too much broth is added, your sauce will turn out thin.

Pan looking dry? - Add a splash of water and turn the heat down slightly.

Excess liquid in the pan? - If there's extra liquid in the pan after your pasta is finished cooking, feel free to drain a little broth out. Otherwise, your sauce will turn out thin.

Allow it to rest - Allowing your skillet to rest for 5 minutes gives the sauce time to thicken as it stands.

Close up of fettuccine noodles, tomatoes, and zucchini coated in a creamy sauce.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my sauce turn out thin?

Your sauce can turn out thin if too much broth is added, too little pasta is added, or maybe your veggies released a lot of liquid as they cooked in the pan. If a lot of broth remains in the pan after cooking the pasta and veggies, drain some of the liquid before continuing on. Allow your skillet to rest for 5 minutes before serving - the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools down.

What do I do if my pasta takes less than 7 minutes to cook?

Smaller pasta shapes or fresh pasta may take less than 7 minutes to cook to al dente (the time it takes for your vegetables to cook). If so, bring your broth to a simmer, add your veggies, then add the pasta when needed. Example: If your pasta only takes 5 minutes to cook, add your veggies, then after 2 minutes, add your pasta.

Can I use frozen veggies?

Yes, but keep in mind that adding vegetables straight from the freezer may slow down your cook time by bringing down the temperature of the skillet. Add 1-2 minutes to account for the addition of frozen veggies.

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📖 Recipe

Close up of fettuccine noodles, tomatoes, and zucchini coated in a creamy sauce.
Pin Print Rate
4.80 from 29 reviews

One Pot Creamy Pasta Primavera

One Pot Creamy Pasta Primavera is a quick meatless meal, ready in less than 30 minutes. Fresh seasonal vegetables and pasta are coated in a creamy herb sauce.
Prep Time5 minutes minutes
Cook Time15 minutes minutes
Resting Time5 minutes minutes
Total Time25 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 393kcal
Author: Heather

Ingredients

  • 18 ounces vegetable broth
  • 8 ounces pasta
  • 4 cups seasonal vegetables, cut into bite size pieces if needed
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, *
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Instructions

  • In a sauté pan over medium heat, add broth and pasta. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low.
  • Consult pasta's cooking directions for al dente pasta. Cook pasta until 7 minutes remain, then add vegetables, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir, cover, and cook for remaining 7 minutes. Pasta and vegetables should be cooked through and most of liquid should be absorbed.
    (ex: if pasta takes 12 minutes to cook to al dente, cook for 5 minutes, add vegetables, then cook for remaining 7 minutes).
  • Uncover pan and add heavy cream, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese. Stir and cook for 1 minute, or until cheese has melted.
  • Remove from heat and allow to set for 5 minutes before serving. Sauce will continue to thicken as it stands.

Equipment Recommendations

  • Stainless Steel Saute Pan
  • Zwilling Pro Chef's Knife
  • Boos Maple Cutting Board
  • Pyrex Liquid Measuring Cups

Notes

  • * To make vegetarian: Substitute parmesan cheese with a rennet-free parmesan, vegetarian parmesan, or other Italian hard cheese that is labeled as vegetarian or vegan.
  • 18 ounces of broth = 2 ¼ liquid cups
  • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice = juice from 1 lemon
  • Recommended seasonal vegetables: Zucchini, squash, bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cherry tomatoes, peas, mushrooms, onions.
  • If using frozen vegetables: Thaw before cooking, or add 1-2 minutes to your cook time.

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 0.25of pan | Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 985mg | Potassium: 586mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 820IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

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Comments

    4.80 from 29 votes (25 ratings without comment)

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  1. c.rafferty

    July 10, 2023 at 11:41 am

    This recipe was spectacular. I made enough for a crowd thinking there would be scripted clean. we all loved it.

    Reply
  2. Susan

    June 13, 2022 at 4:46 pm

    The directions state to cook the pasta in chicken broth but the ingredients listed state vegetable broth. Which one is recommended?

    Reply
    • Heather

      June 13, 2022 at 6:33 pm

      Vegetable broth and chicken broth will both work in this recipe. It's written using vegetable broth, but I frequently use chicken broth because I always have it on hand (hence the typo!).

      Reply
  3. Linda

    August 04, 2021 at 5:31 pm

    This recipe was so easy and yummy! I used an artisan fettuccini pasta which is lovely by itself and added locally grown zucchini, orange bell pepper, onion, and green beans. This is by far one of the tastiest and easiest pasta primavera recipes I've ever made. A keeper for sure!

    Reply
  4. Karen

    April 18, 2021 at 6:25 pm

    Tried this tonight and hubby says it’s definitely one to add to the rotation. Didn’t have linguini but I used penne. It only needed 5 minutes so I threw in the veggies first and crossed my fingers. I also added a couple tbsp of pesto (because I had it). Very creamy perfectly seasoned dish. And only 1 pot to wash!

    Reply
  5. Don

    January 04, 2021 at 7:55 pm

    Fantastic!

    Reply

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Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

Hi, I'm Heather!

I love cooking with simple, everyday ingredients and want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

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