Pasta Primavera with Roasted Veggies

My Pasta Primavera is a staple during Spring; it celebrates the bounty of fresh, seasonal, and vibrant vegetables and is bursting with flavor!

It’s a light, refreshing pasta dish that is super easy to make. (Easy is always a must!)

It features a medley of red and yellow bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, carrots, and yellow onion, all roasted to perfection. The roasting process caramelizes the vegetables, bringing out their natural sweetness and adding a super yummy depth of flavor.

The pasta and vegetables are tossed in a garlic herb butter that I would happily eat on its own; it’s that good.

What is Pasta Primavera?

Primavera is an Italian phrase that means “Spring style,” and the culinary term refers to the use of fresh vegetables (raw or blanched) as garnishes for various dishes.

Pasta primavera is one of the most popular dishes prepared in this manner. It typically consists of pasta tossed or topped with diced or julienned cooked vegetables.

Some other recipes I love this Spring are my Best Egg Salad Sandwich, Garlic Herb Cheese Bread, Single Skillet Spaghetti, and Lemon Blueberry Pancakes!

Ingredient Notes

(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)

Pasta Primavera might seem like a hyper-seasonal dish, but this veggie-filled, vibrant pasta can be made almost year-round with various vegetables. Here is what you will need:

• Pasta: I chose Farfalle (bow-tie pasta) for this recipe. However, you can use Penne, Fusilli, Linguine, or any spiral pasta.
• Parmesan cheese: I use a pre-grated Parmesan for ease, but you can certainly use fresh!
• Herbes de Provence: A versatile and aromatic spice commonly used in French cuisine & pairs wonderfully with these roasted veggies. The spice blend traditionally includes thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, bay leaf and dried lavender flowers.
• Herb butter: You will need softened butter, lemon zest, garlic, fresh basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.

• Carrots: You will need to julienne your carrots, which means cutting them into thin, matchstick strips.
• Zucchini: popular summer squash that can be found year-round in most supermarkets. Peak season is late Spring.
• Yellow Squash: Another delicious summer squash great for adding color to pasta primavera and is high in vitamins A and C and niacin.
• Bell Peppers: I love bell peppers’ sweet flavor and crisp, exceedingly juicy flesh. I prefer using red and yellow bell peppers in this dish, but you can use any of your favorites (green, purple, and brown are the other bell pepper colors!).
• Asparagus: The optimum season for fresh asparagus is February-June, although it can be found year-round in most regions. When buying asparagus, choose firm, bright green stalks with tight tips.
• Onion: I use yellow or white onions. When buying onions, choose ones that are heavy for their size with dry, papery skins with no signs of spotting or moistness. Be sure to avoid onions with soft spots.
• Cherry tomatoes: I love adding cherry tomatoes to the pasta because they are bright in color and flavor. The cherry tomatoes aren’t roasted; they simply get tossed into the pasta and veggies.

Does Pasta Primavera Have a Sauce?

• Most recipes toss the pasta and vegetables in a drizzle of olive oil, and some have a light Alfredo-type sauce.
• You can also reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and add it to the pasta & veggies to loosen as desired.
• This recipe uses garlic lemon herb butter to coat the vegetables. You can make a creamy cheese sauce by adding heavy cream, chicken broth, and Parmesan.

Do you serve Pasta Primavera hot or cold?

• You can serve this healthy pasta primavera hot or cold. I like it best hot.

Tips for Making Pasta Primavera

• This recipe is a great way to eat all of the colorful vegetables and use what you have on hand. Plus, you can change up the vegetables! Use green beans, corn, mushrooms, fennel, garlic, spring onions, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, hearty greens, broccolini, and more.
• Roast the veggies the day of, but do not roast them too long. You want them to hold up in the pasta.
• Enjoy this dish as is (vegetarian), or add in a protein! Tofu, chicken, sausage, shrimp or beef.
• Use whole wheat pasta or lentil pasta for pasta that is more rich in fiber.
• When seasoning the vegetables, be generous with salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence. It brings them to life!