Why this recipe is so good

Layer the vegetables: I don’t throw everything in the pan at once. Cooking them in stages is the key to tender-crisp vegetables, with their texture and color intact.

The cream sauce: I make it with straight-up cream, butter and Parmesan — no flour or cream cheese is needed to “fake” a thick texture.

Key ingredient notes

Fettuccine noodles in a container, surrounded by a cup of cream, bowl of grated Parmesan, butter slices on a plate, and assorted vegetables on a plate.

You need butter, Parmesan cheese and heavy cream to make pasta primavera sauce.

Pasta: I tend to go classic, with long strands like fettuccine, tagliatelle, or spaghetti — they’re my fave because the sauce clings lightly to the strands. Short shapes like penne or shells are great for catching the vegetables.
Red and orange vegetables: Cherry tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, or yellow squash — use whatever looks best at the market.
Green vegetables: Depending on what’s in the market, you can use asparagus, broccoli florets, or frozen peas. Green beans, zucchini, or snap peas work beautifully too.
Sauce: I make the sauce without flour or thickener, like this quick Alfredo sauce with heavy cream. I add a little lemon zest to keep it lively.

How to prep the vegetables

This dish comes together in minutes, but slicing and prepping takes the most time. You’ll be cooking each of the vegetables in one pan in progressive steps, so they’ll all be tender at the same time.

Have all your prepped veggies ready before you start cooking. Aim for about 6 cups total for a good balance of texture and color.
Slice tomatoes in half, and bell pepper and peeled carrots into matchsticks.
Slice broccoli into bite-size pieces, and the asparagus into 2-inch lengths.

Let’s cook it!

Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet, sized to hold the sauce and pasta — a 12-inch one is my pick. Cook the shallots and garlic until aromatic, 1 minute.
Add the carrots to the softened shallot and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the broccoli and asparagus. Cover the pan and allow them to steam 4-5 minutes, until they turn bright green.

Remove the lid. Add the bell peppers and cook 2 minutes.
Add salt, then pour in the cream and bring to a simmer.

After the cream thickens (about 5 minutes), stir in the tomatoes, peas and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
Stir in the cooked pasta, and gently toss together. Garnish the pasta with fresh basil and remaining cheese. Serve immediately for the best saucy texture.

5 from 13 votes (10 ratings without comment)

3 Comments

Suzy O. says:

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Tastes like a high-end restaurant pasta dish! Followed it to a T except I didn’t add peas (hubby doesn’t like them) and it still came out perfect! I’m never making pasta primavera any other way now. This IS the best recipe! Thanks so much!!!

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Bianca says:

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Loved it! It came out very tasty. I didn’t add the tomatoes (I forgot) but the taste was great anyways! Thank you 🙂

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Sandy says:

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SO SO GOOD!!! My dinner guest raved about this dish and all wanted the recipe! I can’t wait to have this again! Thank you!

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