Creamy Pasta Primavera Delight (Printable)
A vibrant dish featuring creamy pasta and fresh spring vegetables in a luscious, light sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 cup broccoli florets
06 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
07 - 1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
11 - 1 cup heavy cream
12 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 - 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
15 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
16 - Zest of 1 lemon
17 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
# How To Make It:
01 - Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add julienned carrots and broccoli florets; cook for 2-3 minutes. Incorporate zucchini, bell pepper, and peas; cook for another 3-4 minutes until just tender. Stir in cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Lower heat to low. Pour in heavy cream and add grated Parmesan cheese, stirring until cheese melts and sauce thickens slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
05 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired sauce consistency.
06 - Season with salt, black pepper, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir in chopped basil. Serve immediately garnished with extra basil and optionally additional Parmesan.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It tastes like spring actually showed up on your plate, fresh and bright without being fussy.
- Thirty-five minutes from start to finish means you can make this on a Tuesday without losing your mind.
- The sauce clings to every piece of pasta in this silky, indulgent way that feels way more complicated than it actually is.
02 -
- Reserve your pasta water before you drain, it's liquid gold for loosening the sauce and helping everything meld together.
- Don't crowd the pan with vegetables all at once, they need space to cook and brown slightly instead of steaming.
- Add the basil after the heat is off, hot temperature turns it dark and bitter and you lose all the brightness you worked for.
03 -
- Don't let the sauce simmer for more than a few minutes once the cream goes in, it can break and separate if it gets too hot.
- Toss the pasta in the skillet with the vegetables instead of mixing them in a bowl, that's where all the coating happens and everything stays warm together.