Pasta Primavera – A Fresh, Simple Vegetable Pasta
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
A simple pasta primavera made with fresh seasonal vegetables, butter, olive oil, herbs, and pasta. Cooked from scratch, full of flavour, and perfect for easy meals.
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 200 g broccoli florets (keep the stems for another dish)
- 200 g green beans trimmed and cut into thirds
- 130 g asparagus woody ends removed, cut into pieces
- 150 g snow peas strings removed, sliced diagonally or left whole
- 200 g zucchini cut into batons
- 200 g button mushrooms thinly sliced
Pasta & Sauce
- 250-400 g penne pasta or pasta of choice
- 70-80 g unsalted butter
- 70-80 ml olive oil (about ⅓ cup)
- 2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1-2 tbsp pine nuts (they’re strongly flavoured)
Herbs & Seasoning
- Small handful fresh basil, finely sliced or 1 tsp dried basil
- Small handful fresh parsley roughly chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
To Serve
- Finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
- Wash and prepare all vegetables before cooking. Cut everything into bite-sized pieces so it cooks evenly. Keep vegetables separate.
Bring water to the boil
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add 2 generous tablespoons of salt. This will season the vegetables and pasta.
Blanch the vegetables
- Blanch the vegetables one at a time in the boiling water (except the mushrooms). Once the water returns to the boil, blanch each vegetable for about 30 seconds.
- Remove each batch with a sieve or a slotted spoon and spread on a tray to cool and dry.
Cook the pasta
- Top the pot back up with water if needed and bring back to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente.
Make the sauce
- While the pasta cooks, place a large heavy-based pan over moderate heat.
- Into the cold pan, add the butter and olive oil, then add the garlic straight away so it gently cooks as the fats heat.
Cook the mushrooms
- When the butter is foaming, add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened.
Add vegetables and seasoning
- Add all the blanched vegetables to the pan. Toss gently to coat in the butter and oil.
- Season generously with black pepper, add pine nuts, basil, parsley, and a small pinch of nutmeg. Taste and add a little salt if needed.
Combine with pasta
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta directly from the pot into the pan so a little pasta water comes with it. Toss gently to combine.
Serve
- Remove from heat and serve immediately with plenty of grated Parmesan or Pecorino, and extra salt and pepper at the table.
Video
Notes
- Use any seasonal vegetables you enjoy — this recipe is very adaptable.
- Cooking the vegetables briefly in the pasta water preserves colour, nutrients, and flavour.
- Transferring the pasta straight into the pan helps the sauce cling beautifully.
- Works very well with gluten-free pasta.
- Leftovers keep well and are perfect for lunch the next day.
- If you don’t enjoy the flavour of extra virgin olive oil, use light olive oil instead.