Wait—Exactly What Is Pasta Primavera?
“Primavera” means spring in Italian, but the Italian-sounding dish is, in fact, not from Italy at all—it’s entirely American. Though it’s difficult to trace its exact provenance, pasta primavera rose to popularity when it appeared on the menu at New York’s storied Le Cirque restaurant in the ‘70s. It became one of the most buzzy dishes in the city at the time, and quickly trickled down to restaurants—and kitchen tables—across the country. The name is a reference to the huge variety of veggies that define the dish, and is perhaps supposed to imply that the pasta celebrates the arrival of spring. Whatever inspired its creation, we’re just glad it exists.
Our Favorite Creamy Pasta Primavera Ingredients
Pasta primavera sauce is a little creamy, and a lot vegetable-y and we adore it. Rather than spring produce, we’ve jumped right ahead and loaded our pasta primavera recipe with summer vegetables! You know what we’re talking about right? Summer squash, cherry tomatoes and zucchini—the kind of veggies that we’ll have a near-problematic bounty of in the garden when August rolls around. They’re inexpensive and they make for a colorful primavera sauce that sings with just a hint of vegetal sweetness. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this easy pasta primavera:
Pasta
Extra virgin olive oil
Shallot
Carrot
Zucchini
Summer squash
Butter
Parmesan cheese
Whole milk
Basil, fresh and dried
Garlic powder
Sun dried tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Red pepper flakes
How to Make Pasta Primavera
Get the pasta water started, and while the pasta boils, make the primavera sauce!
Sauté the shallots and carrots. Set them aside and sauté the zucchini and squash. We’re having you cook them separately so that each vegetable is cooked to perfection!
Time to make the creamy primavera sauce. You’ll whisk together butter, cheese, milk, dried basil, garlic powder, pepper and salt over low heat until it’s creamy and smooth.
Add sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, then add the pasta and toss to coat.
Add the sautéed squash, carrots and shallots back to the pan
What to Serve With Pasta Primavera
While pasta primavera is a meal that stands easily on its own as a one-pot meal, you can round it out into a classic, yummy feast by adding a few sides and an irresistible dessert. We’d serve this pasta primavera with:
Tools You’ll Need:
A Quick, Easy Vegetarian Dinner
Creamy and satisfying, pasta primavera is one of our very faves. We hope you love this recipe, too! When you make it, let us know how you like it, OK? Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!