Pasta Primavera
This is one of our go to meals when I need something quick and healthy. Plus, it's an easy way to clean out the fridge before the forgotten veggies go bad.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 423kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound whole grain penne
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium zucchini chopped into half moons
- 1 medium yellow crookneck squash chopped into half moons
- 1 cup roughly chopped asparagus
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper more to taste
- 4 ounces finely grated Parmesan see notes
- 10 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. When pasta is al dente, reserve 1 cup of starchy cooking water and drain the rest.
- While the pasta is boiling, heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
- Add the pepper, zucchini, squash, and asparagus to the skillet and continue cooking for about 5 minutes to soften the vegetables.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Add the pasta, 1/3 cup pasta water, and Parmesan to the skillet with the vegetables over low heat and toss to combine. Continue tossing until the cheese has melted and you have a glossy sauce that clings to the pasta. You may need to add additional pasta water, a tablespoon or two at a time to reach the desired consistency.
- Tear the basil leaves into small pieces and combine with the pasta before serving.
Notes
We add about 2 tablespoons of salt to the water when boiling pasta.
Swap the whole grain pasta for protein pasta to amp up the protein in this recipe.
This recipe has simple ingredients with minimal seasonings, which means we’re going to want a good quality Parmesan cheese to be the star here. We would not recommend the green shaker can of Parmesan in this recipe. We prefer Parmesan that is freshly grated into a powdery cheese from the cheese counter at the grocery store. You can also finely grate a wedge of Parmesan yourself. If you’re using shredded cheese, it won’t melt as nicely to form the sauce.
You can easily customize the veggies to use whatever you have on hand.
Nutrition
Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 734mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1343IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 282mg | Iron: 4mg