November 24, 2019

Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables

Primavera means “spring” but a solid pasta dish means “year-round” to me 🙂 We love this flavorful and hearty meal and hope you will, too! Plus, this gives me an excuse to use the good vegetarian Parmesan we found at Trader Joe’s!! (If you’re a vegetarian, you know why I’m so excited!)

Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables is a great way to use up whatever veggies you have. We made this all summer with our CSA co-op veggies (often peppers, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, etc) and we love how easy the recipe is to make. You can swap in your favorite veggies or you can even serve over zucchini noodles as a lower carb option.

Next time you need a good, easy to make meal (most likely with things you already have on hand)–give this a try! And you aren’t in the mood for a heavier pasta dish– here’s a good recipe for roasted veggies 😉

Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables

thedachshundmom

Fresh vegetables roasted and tossed with pasta in a delicious cream sauce. This dish is hearty, full of flavor, variety, and colors, with a base that pairs well with whatever veggies you have on hand. Vegetarian.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 1-cup servings

Calories 424 kcal

Ingredients

16 ounces thick pasta of choice (campanelle, cavatappi, fettucine, etc)

Roasted Vegetables

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets approx. 2 cups
1 large carrot, sliced thin approx. 1/4 cup
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced and quarted approx. 1 cup
1 small summer squash, thinly sliced and quarted approx. 1 cup
1/2 bunch asparagus, snapped and cut into 2 inch pieces approx. 1 cup
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 large sweet or bell pepper, chopped approx. 1/3 cup
Optional swap ins: snap peas, sweet peas, mushrooms, etc.

Primavera Sauce

2 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup white or yellow onion, minced approx. 1/3 of a medium onion
1/2 cup white wine or sub veggie broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup reserved pasta water*
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Optional: fresh basil leaves, torn or use 2 tsp dried basil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 * F for the veggies and boil a stockpot of water for the pasta

Roast the Veggies

Line a large baking sheet with foil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss all veggies in to coat and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Roast veggies undisturbed for 15-20 minutes or until softened and beginning to brown. Remove from oven and leave on tray but set aside.

Prepare the Primavera Sauce

While veggies are roasting, cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente.
*Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for later.
Meanwhile, melt the 2 Tbsp butter in a large skillet on medium. Saute onion for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add in the minced garlic, salt and a dash of pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, until fragrant.
Stir in the wine, scraping up the onion and garlic bits from the bottom of the pan if necessary. Heat through.
Whisk in the heavy cream and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes.

Make the dish

Drain pasta (again, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water). Return pasta to the stockpot or desired large, family style serving bowl.
Remove the sauce from heat and stir in the grated parmesan cheese, a little at a time to avoid clumping. Whisk in 1/4 cup reserved pasta water to thin.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat evenly. Add a little more pasta water if needed (I only ever need 1/4 to 1/2 cup total).
Fold in the roasted veggies and fresh basil, tossing gently to coat veggies with sauce.
Serve with more parmesan and salt/pepper if desired. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate leftovers and use within 3 days.

Notes

Certain cheeses can clump when heated. If your parmesan clumps, simply stir it in and let it sit in the sauce then remove the “clump” before serving. You’ll still have plenty of flavor! A few things can help with this:
- adding the cheese a little at a time and whisking vigorously after each addition
- using freshly grated parmesan instead of the grated shelf-stable kind (it often has added fillers to prevent it from melting)
Almost any steamed or roasted veggies can be used. Use up whatever you have on hand or add in seasonal favorites. Try to keep volume to around 6 cups of veggies.
This dish is best served immediately, but leftovers are delicious! I occasionally add a little water when reheating in the microwave.
Looking to make this dish healthier?
- swap in milk for 1/2 of the heavy cream
- use more veggies and lower the amount of pasta
- use zucchini noodles for 1/2 or all of the pasta

*Yes, we have found vegetarian parmesan!! We have been using the Trader Joe’s finely grated refrigerated parmesan or Organic Valley shredded parmesan. Both give authentic, delicious flavor without animal rennet. Hurray!!