Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables
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.
Servings 8 1-cup servings
Calories 424kcal
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
Nutrition
Calories: 424kcal