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Home » Recipes » Pasta

Pasta Primavera

Published: Jul 21, 2020 · Modified: Aug 11, 2020 by Lexi

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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!

overhead view of vegan pasta primavera in a bowl with fork

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.

overhead view of vegan pasta primavera in a bowl with fork

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.
side view of vegan pasta primavera in a bowl with fork

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!

overhead view of vegan vegetable pasta in bowls

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!

overhead view of vegan pasta primavera

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
overhead view of vegan pasta primavera in a bowl with fork

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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overhead view of vegan pasta primavera in bowl

Pasta Primavera


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

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!


Ingredients

  • 12 oz pasta of choice, cooked in salted water
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced (1 ½ cup)
  • 1 tbsp (2 cloves) finely minced garlic
  • 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly
  • 1  carrot, grated
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • ¾ cup frozen edamame or green peas
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ of a lemon, juiced and zested
  • 2 cups baby spinach or kale
  • ⅓ cup minced parsley
  • 3 tbsp fresh basil, minced
  • ¾ cup vegan parmesan


Instructions

  1. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente. (Add 1 teaspoon of salt for every 4 cups of water.)
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in pan over medium heat.
  3. Add onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add broccoli and yellow pepper and cook for 3 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the carrot, zucchini, edamame, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir well and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are fork tender.
  5. Add spinach or kale, parsley, and basil, stir and cook until wilted. Add in pasta and parmesan cheese and toss well.
  6. Enjoy topped with more vegan parmesan, red pepper flakes and fresh basil.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 570
  • Sugar: 9.6 g
  • Sodium: 948.5 mg
  • Fat: 19.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.8 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 81.7 g
  • Fiber: 7.6 g
  • Protein: 18.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 16.5 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

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Comments

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  1. Cyndi says

    July 23, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    OMG you two! This was really good. Easy, customizable, light but still filling and reheatable. Great with homemade vegan parm. I made a batch, and it will be good for work lunches as leftovers, so bonus!! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      July 23, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      Awesome, Cyndi, so glad you enjoyed!! Yum- I bet that homemade vegan parm is awesome! What do you use to make it?

      Reply
      • Cyndi says

        July 24, 2020 at 2:16 pm

        This batch was cashew based, but I've used almonds, brazil nuts too. Nutritional yeast, garlic powder, sea salt. From @minimalistbaker 🙂

Lexi and Beth toasting with wine.

Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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