Pasta Primavera

This vegan pasta primavera is packed with nutritious vegetables and comes together in about 20 minutes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Plus, you can customize with just about any vegetables you have on hand!

This is the perfect recipe for when you're really craving pasta, but still want to get in a hefty serving of veggies.

I don't often eat pasta primavera; I'm a bit scarred from a few restaurant experiences where it was the only vegan item on the menu. (Anybody else have this experience? It always comes out with undercooked veggies and no seasoning whatsoever.)

Just because pasta primavera is largely veggies doesn't mean it can't have flavor! I honestly couldn't stop eating this stuff - it's way better than I expected (considering the amount of vegetables and lack of sauce). Even better, it's SO easy to make.

Ingredients

• Pasta of choice: we used gluten free bowtie pasta, but penne or rotini work well, too.
• Olive oil: you can also sub with vegan butter.
• Onion and garlic: essential for building a flavorful base.
• Vegetables: we used carrot, broccoli, bell pepper, edamame and zucchini and baby spinach
• Lemon juice & zest
• Fresh herbs: parsley and basil
• Salt & pepper
• Vegan parmesan-style cheese: if you're not vegan, regular parmesan works, too.

Vegetables you can use in pasta primavera

The great thing about pasta primavera is that it's so easy to customize. You can really use just about any vegetables you have on hand, as long as they cook quickly in a sauté pan.

Here are the vegetables we used, plus a few more suggestions. Feel free to mix and match your favorites!

• Zucchini or yellow squash
• Bell pepper (any color except green)
• Onion (yellow or red) or shallots
• Carrots
• Broccoli or broccolini
• Snap peas or regular peas
• Edamame (we use frozen, shelled)
• Cherry tomatoes
• Leafy greens, such as kale, spinach or chard
• Asparagus

Or anything else you can think of!

Instructions

First things first, get your pasta cooking. Always cook your pasta in salted water; it's the best way to season it! We use 1 teaspoon of salt for every 4 cups of water.

Don't worry – you can't really overdo it on the salt. Most of it goes down the drain, anyways.

While the pasta is simmering, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add in the onions and sauté for a few minutes until they start to soften.

Add in the garlic and continue cooking, stirring often so it doesn't burn. Next, add in the first batch of veggies (they take a bit longer to cook): broccoli and bell pepper.

After a few minutes in the hot pan, add in the remaining veggies, plus the salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest. Cook until all of the vegetables are fork tender. This should only take a few minutes.

Lastly, add in the spinach, parsley, basil, cooked pasta and vegan parmesan. Toss everything well until the greens are wilted.

Serve topped with more vegan parmesan + fresh basil + a pinch of red pepper flakes!

Meal prep and storage

This vegan pasta primavera is perfect for meal prep because it can be served hot or cold.

Simply make the pasta, let it cool at room temp, then store in an airtight container for up to a week.

To reheat pasta, we suggest doing so in a sauté pan on the stovetop with a bit more olive oil. Stir well until softened and heated all the way through.

More vegan pasta recipes you'll love:

• Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
• Easy Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad
• Nut Free Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Macaroni Salad

If you make this vegan pasta primavera recipe, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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