Name: Perfect Pasta Primavera
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 14-16 oz dry pasta, such as spaghetti; 4 TB extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 onion, chopped; 8 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 cups broccoli florets; 2 cups matchstick carrots; 1 large red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced; 1 large yellow squash/zucchini, sliced; 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved; 1 cup mushrooms, sliced; 1 1/2 TB dried Italian seasoning; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 TB cornstarch; 2 cups regular strength chicken broth; Garnish: Freshly grated parmesan cheese, freshly sliced basil leaves

Perfect Pasta Primavera

This Pasta Primavera is everything a spring or summer dinner needs. It’s light on calories, big on flavor, and bursting with all the colorful seasonal vegetables. So good, we could eat this every night.

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 35 mins

Yield: 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale

14–16 oz dry pasta, such as spaghetti
4 TB extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups matchstick carrots
1 large red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large yellow squash/zucchini, sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 TB dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TB cornstarch
2 cups regular strength chicken broth
Garnish: Freshly grated parmesan cheese, freshly sliced basil leaves

Instructions

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions, just to al dente; do not overcook. When pasta is done, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Return drained pasta to pot and drizzle cooked/drained with enough oil to prevent sticking; cover to keep warm.
While pasta is cooking: heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and stir 2-3 min. or until softened. Add garlic, stirring 1 minute. Add broccoli and carrots, stirring 2-3 min. Add bell pepper and cook another 2 min. Add the squash/zucchini, tomatoes, and mushrooms, stirring 2-3 minutes or just until all veggies are softened to your preference.
Add Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the veggie mixture, stirring to combine well. Dissolve 1 TB cornstarch in 2 cups chicken broth; when fully dissolved, add to the veggie mixture and bring to a boil until thickened.
Pour veggie mixture over cooked pasta in pot. Gently toss to combine; add some of the reserved pasta water if needed. Add additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I add about 1/4 tsp here.) Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan and fresh basil.

Notes

Leftovers are delicious, but may need to be “thinned out” with additional broth upon reheating.

Author: Chew Out Loud
Category: main, dinner
Cuisine: Italian