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Penne Pasta Primavera is a delicious and healthy meal that is full of crunchy veggies and tender pasta. Finished off with a simple sauce with lots of fresh lemon juice and topped with Parmesan cheese, this easy meal will quickly become a family favorite.
It’s hearty and healthy, but Pasta Primavera can be served as a hearty light or a light dinner and can even be enjoyed cold, making meal prep a breeze! Just serve some bread or dinner rolls on the side and everything will love it.
Why We Love This Penne Primavera Recipe
I will be the first to admit that eating vegetables isn’t exactly my favorite thing. My preference is to eat them raw, but sometimes you have to mix it up a little. That’s where this Penne Pasta Primavera comes in.
The veggies are cooked just enough to make them easy to eat, but they still have a bite to them. I cannot stand mushy vegetables! A simple sauce of chicken broth and lemon juice coats the al dente penne pasta and the veggies to give them a nice boost of flavor.
This is a perfect lunch to make that will last you the whole week, making it perfect for meal prepping. It’s also great with chicken or shrimp for a complete meal.
Ingredients
- Penne Pasta – Stating the obvious, I use penne pasta for this recipe. However, it will work with all different kinds of pasta.
- Butter and Olive Oil – for sauteeing the veggies.
- Vegetables – Onion, carrots, broccoli, red bell pepper, asparagus, and garlic.
- Chicken Broth – Opt for a low-sodium variety.
- Lemon Juice – To add freshness and brightness to the dish.
- Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Minced Parsley – Optional but highly recommended as the final touch.
How To Make Penne Pasta Primavera
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
This easy Pasta Primavera is quick and simple with just a few fresh ingredients. It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, making it perfect for busy weeknights or simple meal prep. The key is to cook the pasta and the veggies just right, and it can take some practice since every kitchen and stove is different.
Cook the pasta. Boil some water, season well, and cook the pasta. Reserve some of the pasta water to use later.
Cook veggies in batches. Melt some butter and olive oil in a skillet and start by cooking the onions. Stir in and cook the carrots, broccoli, red bell pepper, asparagus, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a plate.
Make the sauce. Once your veggies are cooked, transfer them to a plate and set it aside. Pour some chicken broth and lemon juice in the skillet and bring it to a boil, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet as you go. That’s where the flavor is!
Reduce and thicken the sauce. Once the sauce has started to reduce, add the pasta and let it simmer for several minutes. The starch from the pasta will help thicken the sauce and the boiling sauce will finish cooking the pasta – it’s a win-win! Once the sauce has reduced some more, add the veggies back in and toss it all around to coat everything in that simple, yummy sauce.
Serve. Grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top and you’re ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs
Primavera means “spring” in Italian; add the penne and you have “Spring Pasta.” This dish is the epitome of light and fresh, making it perfect for warmer weather.
Yes, other than the chicken broth, which could easily be swapped for vegetable broth.
Adding a little bit of cream or more Parmesan cheese will make the sauce creamier.
Yes, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated on the stove or microwave.
Serving Suggestions
This dish makes a great meatless option when you’re trying to eat a little healthier. It will serve 4 people, but if you need more, it’s easy to double.
Want to know what we serve with our Penne Pasta Primavera? Try my easy, super tender, and juicy Baked Chicken Breasts, Lemon Pepper Shrimp, or Blackened Shrimp.
Helpful Tips
- Use Fresh, Seasonal Vegetables: The essence of this dish is the fresh, crisp vegetables. Try to use vegetables that are in season for the best flavor.
- Don’t Overcook Your Vegetables: To retain a nice crunch and bright colors, slightly undercook your veggies during the sautéing process. They’ll continue to cook a bit with the hot pasta.
- Add The Veggies In Layers: not all vegetable cook at the same rate, so it’s important to add them at different points in the cooking process, based on how long they take to cook.
- Salt Your Pasta Water: Always salt your pasta water. It’s your main opportunity to season the pasta itself.
- Reserve Some Pasta Water: Before draining your pasta, reserve some pasta water. The starchy water can be used to loosen the sauce if needed.
- Cook Pasta Al Dente: For the best texture, cook your pasta al dente (firm to the bite). It should have a slight chew which pairs nicely with the tender-crisp vegetables.
- Use Quality Olive Oil: A good quality olive oil will add a wonderful, rich flavor to the dish.
- Grate Your Own Cheese: If you’re adding Parmesan cheese, grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese often contains additives and doesn’t melt as smoothly.
- Try Other Veggies: Add other vegetables like mushrooms, olives, zucchini, squash, or eggplant.
- Adjust To Your Liking: Feel free to modify the recipe based on your preferences. You can add in cooked chicken or shrimp for protein, or spice it up with some crushed red pepper flakes. This is a very versatile dish!
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Classic Pasta Carbonara
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Lemon Garlic Chicken and Vegetable Pasta
- Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta
- Creamy Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
- Garlic Parmesan Broccoli Pasta
Penne Pasta Primavera Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked Penne Pasta
- Butter
- Olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large carrot thinly sliced on the bias
- 1 ½ cups broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
- 1 cup asparagus or zucchini cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- Juice from 1 lemon about ¼ cup
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan Cheese optional
- Fresh minced parsley optional
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne pasta to just before al dente (1 minute less than package instructions). Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook until translucent; 1-2 minutes. Stir in vegetables in the following order, cooking and stirring for 1-2 minutes after each addition: Carrots, broccoli, red bell pepper, asparagus or zucchini, minced garlic. Add another tablespoon of butter to the skillet if it starts looking a little dry, usually just before the asparagus. Season vegetables with a pinch of salt and pepper, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- To the skillet, add a tablespoon of butter, ¾ cup chicken broth, ¼ cup lemon juice and ¼ of cup pasta water. Bring to a boil and simmer until slightly reduced; 2-3 minutes. Stir in the pasta and continue to simmer until sauce is reduced by half; 3-4 minutes. Stir in vegetables and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh minced parsley and serve with lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
delicious! Made it once as is, second time i added a little red pepper flakes and subbed noodles for tortellini. excellent recipe
Thank you Katrina.
Is this serve cold or hot?
It’s typically served hot, but I suppose it could be cold as well.
Great recipe! It was exactly what I was craving & looks beautiful on a plate. The instructions are so well-written. I’m not the greatest at cooking. I always follow recipes to a ‘t’, not the greatest when it comes to intuition and not comfortable with improving. The way the order to add the vegetables is laid-out along with cooking times between each was much appreciated. I will definitely make this again. 🙂 Only thing I actually changed was I used yellow pepper instead of red. I went with the zucchini (asparagus season was 6 months ago) & did add the peas because we love peas; also did not omit the “optional” freshly grated Parmesean & fresh parsley garnishes.
*improvising, not “improving”, lol
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience and positive feedback.
I used white wine and just a dash of lemon and it was amazing!
Nice! Thank you so much Brittany for taking the time to leave some positive feedback.
Yummy! One of the best lemon pasta recipes I’ve tried. Instead of parsley, I garnished with basil. Thanks for the easy dinner!
You are so welcome Alicia, thank you so much for taking the time to leave some positive feedback.
Just read your story and the beautiful story of your beautiful children. It is true that God works in mysterious ways, it makes me happy when I read stories like yours. May He continue to bless you, your children and the man with a beautiful heart who married the three of you.
Love your blog too.
Thank you so much for the kind words Janice!
Amazing!!! So easy and delicious. I’ve made it twice with similar results– make sure to give the final sauce plenty of time to reduce. Topped with sundried tomatoes and fresh basil. Had grilled salmon with it tonight <3
Thank you Amanda! and thanks for sharing your positive experience!
Very delicious. Perfect for a light summer meal. We added roasted chicken to it!!
Yum! adding roasted chicken, great idea! thank you so much for stopping by Gina!
I didn’t expect this to be so good. I was running low on groceries but I had all of these ingredients on hand. I used a bag of frozen veggies in place of the fresh. It was done in 20 minutes. Easy and delicious!
Best ever. I added mushroom (pre-cooked) and grape tomatoes. yum. best recipe I’ve found.
Thank you Barbara! and thanks for sharing your positive experience.
We had a mix of vegetarian and traditional foods for our Easter dinner this year, and I was looking for something that could be a side or a main dish. What a nice way to enjoy all the fresh spring veggies from the market! We used red peppers, red onion, zucchini, broccoli, asparagus and cherry tomatoes. I love how the lemon brightens up the dish. Definitely a do-over.
Great idea to add this to a holiday meal!
This was outstanding. I used zucchini which was delicious. And all the Other ingredients that are listed in the recipe. I suggest cooking the pasta a tad bit al denote as it will continue to cook when you transfer it to the pan with the sauce and vegetables. Will definitely make this again. I think the Parmesan cheese is fantastic. The only thing I did not use was the parsley.
Thank you Steph for sharing your positive experience.
I made this today and OMG, delicious!! Definitely a new regular in my menu planning!
Delicious, thank you! Found this on a quick search for a new veg recipe. One swap to make it vegetarian (veg broth for chicken) and one for personal preference (mine and the kids – cauliflower for the red pepper) and voila! Deliciousness. Thank you so much.
Thank you Lynn!
Just delicious! So yummy and healthy. I used fresh pasta from the deli to highlight this meal. I used onion, zucchini, broccoli I, asparagus, capsicum, cherry tomatoes,?mushrooms and kale. The whole family loves it. Definitely a keeper!
Hi Nicole, I love that you were able to make it work for you!
This was excellent! Weight Watcher friendly too.
Glad you enjoyed it Sheila!
Love this recipe! The veg were perfect and the sauce was light but flavorful. Super easy too! I stirred in some fresh basil and it was A+
I made this last night for my husband and we loved it. Very light for summer and so tasty. Will be making this regularly. Simply delicious and easy to make.
This is an excellent recipe, definitely one to save! I made this for three friends who came to dinner and they lived it. I used zest from two lemon in the sauce and it gave it a nice, bright flavor.
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’m looking forward to making this during the week.