Pasta Primavera

A bowl of pasta topped with grated cheese, fresh basil leaves, and vegetables, placed on a light surface with another bowl of pasta and a wedge of cheese in the background.

🍅🧄🌳 This Pasta Primavera is roasted veggie heaven in a creamy sauce! Mediterranean flavors meet comfort food - you'll be making this on repeat!

Course Main

Cuisine Mediterranean-Inspired

Keyword pasta, primavera

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 603kcal

Ingredients

For the roasted vegetables

2 medium zucchinis, cubed
2 cups pitted dark kalamata olives, drained and roughly chopped
14 oz can artichokes, halved
1 cup cherry tomatoes, havled
8 garlic cloves, smashed
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper

For the pasta and sauce

300 g / 10 oz penne
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 small shallots, minced
1/3 cup vegetable broth
¾ cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more to garnish
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
Zest of one lemon
Fresh basil or parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper.
Add the cubed zucchini, olives, artichokes, cherry tomatoes, and garlic cloves to the prepared baking tray.
Drizzle the olive oil on top and season with the salt and ground pepper. Toss to coat the vegetables well.
Bake for 18 – 24 minutes or until roasted, tender, and starting to turn golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Chop up the roasted garlic and add back to the pan with the vegetables.
While the vegetables roast, cook the penne in a large pot of salted water according to the package instructions, minus 1 minute. Reserve ½ cup pasta water. Drain and set aside.
To a large pot or high-sided skillet (something that will hold all the pasta and roasted vegetables), add the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the minced shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
Add the vegetable broth and then whisk in the cream until combined. Bring the sauce to a very gentle simmer, as soon as the sauce just begins to simmer, add the freshly grated parmesan cheese in two additions (¼ cup at a time), whisking after each addition so the parmesan cheese melts fully into the sauce.
Whisk in the salt and pepper and let the sauce simmer one more minute until it thickens slightly.
Whisk in the lemon zest and let cook for one more minute.
Taste and season with more salt and/or pepper if desired.
Then, toss the cooked pasta and roasted vegetables into the sauce, stirring to combine. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if you need to loosen the sauce a bit while tossing with the pasta.
Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley or fresh basil and more freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Video

Notes

If you want to swap the pasta shape, we like rotini or bowties.
Note, if you use a lighter cream the sauce will not be as creamy and will be thinner.
If you forget to save pasta water, vegetable or chicken broth is a good substitute.

Nutrition