Introducing the weeknight hero: One Pot Pasta Primavera! Packed with fresh veggies, creamy cheese, and perfectly cooked
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Dish
If you haven’t already noticed, we’re huge fans of one pot recipes.
It’s not just about the deliciousness; it’s about the cooking and cleaning time being cut down to a breeze. These one-pot wonders are our knights in shining armor during busy weeks, waving goodbye to hours spent in the kitchen. The game-changer?
And let’s talk about the magic of this Pasta Primavera recipe – it’s a fridge-cleaning superhero. Leftover veggies? Consider them conquered. Plus, the gift that keeps on giving: leftovers transform into perfect packed lunches or quick dinners for the rest of the week. Cook once, enjoy for days – that’s our kind of culinary efficiency!
What Is Pasta Primavera?
Often thought of as an Italian dish, pasta primavera is actually an American dish. In fact, it is believed to have been created in 1975 by chefs in a New York restaurant known as Le Cirque. However, it was made famous by a 1977 article published in the New York Times which contained the recipe for the dish. It consists of a mixture of vegetables coated in butter, cream, and plenty of Parmesan cheese.
Today, the recipe can be found in restaurants and homes across the country and exists in a wide variety of forms. However, the basic components always remain the same.
For our pasta primavera recipe, we kept the ingredients simple, highlighting the creamy goodness of the sauce. No matter how you choose to serve it, it’s guaranteed to have your guests coming back for seconds!
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients for this primavera pasta are similar to fettuccine but provide a flavor that is truly unique. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pasta – We use standard
spaghetti noodles, but you could swap them out with whole wheat, high protein, or veggie noodles instead! - Vegetables – A small onion, broccoli florets, and button mushrooms combine to add extra nutrients and fiber, making this dish super filling.
- Broth – Chicken or vegetable broth is used to cook the noodles, infusing them with flavor.
- Seasonings – Garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, dried Italian herbs, and black pepper combine to create a savory, slightly spicy taste. Feel free to adjust them to fit your preferences.
- Heavy Cream – Key to creating an absolutely dreamy sauce.
- Cheese – Grated and shaved Parmesan cheese makes this pasta primavera out-of-this-world!
How to Make This Pasta Primavera Recipe
Prepare to be amazed because this flavor-packed Pasta Primavera is about to become your go-to weeknight wonder. Believe it or not, simplicity is the secret sauce here. Just follow the steps below, and voilà – dinner will grace your table in less than 30 minutes. It’s like magic, but with pasta!
- Combine: Add the uncooked pasta, veggies, broth, and seasonings to a large dutch oven, and stir to combine.
- Boil: Bring the liquid to a boil. Then, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Stir: Add in the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine. Top with extra Parmesan shavings, and serve warm!
Variations
Flexibility is the name of the game with this Pasta Primavera recipe – it’s the culinary chameleon you’ve been waiting for! Whether you’re in the mood for a veggie-packed delight or want to toss in some protein for an extra punch, the choice is yours. This recipe is the epitome of culinary versatility.
Gluten-Free – This dish can be made gluten-free by substituting the pasta for your favorite gluten-free alternative. However, we have found that gluten-free pasta tends to be more delicate than regular pasta. So, we recommend checking the texture of your pasta at the 10-minute mark to make sure it does not get too mushy.
Dairy-Free – If you’re looking to make this primavera pasta dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy products for plant-based alternatives. Personally, we have found that oat milk has the creamiest texture and works best in this dish to replace the cream! However, due to the lower fat content, we recommend using half the amount to prevent the primavera sauce from becoming too thin.
Veggies – As far as vegetables go, this recipe lends itself to variety. Feel free to mix and match your favorites, and use whatever you have on hand. No matter what you include, this dish is guaranteed to be delicious!
Protein – We like to use cooked chicken to bulk up this dish. However, any protein you like best could be substituted. Ground beef, ground turkey, and shrimp would all taste great.
Storage
Trust us, you’re going to want to make a double batch. Luckily, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then, when you’re ready to eat, reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop. If your pasta becomes too dry, add an extra splash of broth to revive the sauce!
Due to the high dairy content, we do not recommend freezing your pasta primavera as it is likely to separate and won’t reheat well once thawed.
More One Pot Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Are you as obsessed with one-pot meals as we are? If so, you won’t want to miss out on more of our top family-favorite dishes!
- This One Pot
Spaghetti with Ground Beef has all the classic flavors you love and is perfect for weeknight dinners, large gatherings, and everything in between. - An easy take on a childhood favorite of ours, this One Pot Macarona Bechamel is rich, creamy, and comforting.
- Quick, nutritious, and delicious, it truly doesn’t get better than this One Pot Chicken Broccoli Rotini!
- One Pot Lemon Garlic Parmesan Pasta is super refreshing and beyond easy to make.
One Pot Pasta Primavera Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti uncooked (cut in half to fit pot)
- 1 small onion halved and sliced thin
- 2 cups white button mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper more or less to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
- 2 teaspoons sea salt more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more or less to taste
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large, deep dutch oven add the uncooked pasta, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, broth, garlic, crushed red pepper, dried herbs, salt and pepper.16 ounces spaghetti, 1 small onion, 4 cloves garlic, 4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 2 cups broccoli florets, 2 cups white button mushrooms, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Stir until everything is combined. Bring the ingredients to a boil, cover and cook on medium heat for 12-15 minutes. *Be sure to stir half way through cooking!
- Remove lid, and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Enjoy!1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was easy and so delish! The only thing I didn’t have was mushrooms, I added more broccoli and extra red peppers! So good I want to smack my momma! Lol
We’re so glad you enjoyed it and were able to make it work for you, Soni! 😂
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
We loved this super easy dish! My 1yr old didn’t stop with the mmmm, mmmm,mmm. We did modify, adding only a pinch of red pepper flake and just a dash of salt. We used our open beef broth along with chicken, and added baby spinach. This will certainly be something to add to our meal calendar!
We’re so glad you were able to make it work and that it was a hit! Thank you for trying it out, Cassandra. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Made this tonight and it was delicious. I changed it up a little. Skipped the mushrooms and added baby spinach and peas at the end. Also used half and half since I didn’t have heavy cream. Turned out fantastic! Went less on the pepper flakes during cooking since my partner doesn’t like spice but I added more to mine at the end. Also, do yourself a favor and use freshly grated parm – makes such a difference. Thanks for the great easy recipe — adding to the regular circulation!
We’re so glad you were able to make it work for you and enjoyed it, Heather! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave your feedback. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I made this for Ladies Monday Night Dinner and it was well received! I work full time, but I host dinners on Mondays so 4-6 of us women aren’t eating alone. I need easy, yet delicious, meals that are ready in under an hour. Many of your meals fit the bill, but I have to say, this one is a favorite!
Thank you, Lisa! That’s so nice of you to do!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I’d like to add chicken to this. Any ideas how I can incorporate it so it cooks together. You mention you like to use cooked chicken.
Hi Robin!
This recipe is best with pre-cooked chicken mixed in after. However, if you want to cook it all at once, you could try sautéing bite-size pieces in oil, cooking them almost all the way through before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Do you think whole milk would work? I don’t have any heavy cream on hand
Yes, it’ll still be fabulous, just not as creamy!
How much is 4 1/2 cups in mls please?
it’s 36 ounces, which is 1,065 mls.
Good recipe too much spice!!!! I halved the crushed red pepper and it still way to much especially with kids
So sorry that this turned out too spicy. Let us know if you try it without the spice! xo, Alia & Radwa
Recipe is fantastic. I’m a cereal red sauce pasta maker. So really like finding something different . Will change the amount of red pepper flakes. I teaspoon will be plenty. And I love spicy food. But it’s a little overpowering in this recipe.
So glad to hear! Yes, the spice can definitely vary!
We love this recipe. So easy and delicious. With all respect to the Food Dolls, who we love, I think its got plenty of kick with just one teaspoon of hot pepper flakes. You can always add later, per dish and individual preference.
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe! It was a great way to use up some left over produce and shredded chicken in our fridge. The only substitution I made was that I used cream cheese for the heavy cream as I didn’t have any on hand. I also cut the crushed red pepper in half as we prefer less spice. Delicious and will make it again for sure!
Really enjoyed this dish, easy and quick to make. I would only add 1/2-1 tsp of red pepper flakes though. I added 1 and it was spicy enough. Going through a no meat faze so I didn’t add chicken but it was still very tasty!
So easy and full of flavor. I added a bit too much red pepper flakes but I just added more cream to calm it down. It was yummy. Thank you Food Dolls.
Have you ever used a different shaped pasta? I was thinking cavatelli or penne?
Yes, it works with different shapes perfectly!
What if I don’t have a Dutch oven, should I use my stock pot and lid? What do you suggest?
Yes, a stockpot with a lid works great!
What size is the Lea Cruiset dutch oven that you use?
This is a 5.5 qt dutch oven!
What cooking temp? 350?
This is not baked in the oven. You bring it to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 12-14 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
This dish is so comforting, delicious and easy to make. Looking forward to trying out all of these recipes!
We are so glad you liked it! Let us know what else you end up trying!
I just made this tonight. My family loved it! I used 4 cups of broth which was the perfect amount of liquid. I also added zucchini because I had some around. Which tasted good. I will definitely make again.
Yay! So glad to hear, love the addition of zucchini!
Loved the recipe! I added more of everything plus some red and green bell peppers.
That sounds amazing, thanks for trying!
I feel like this recipe just abruptly ends. It’s not a detailed helpful recipe. Is the broth supposed to be boiled away at the end? Am I supposed to strain the whole thing? Leave the broth in?
Hi Holly- No, you don’t strain anything. You stir everything together and that becomes the sauce!
You are over thinking it. It’s so easy. All in one pot. No straining.