Pasta primavera is creamy, yet light celebration of spring! It’s the perfect combination of fresh, green spring produce together with pasta in a delicious parmesan and crème fraîche sauce. It’s simple and fast to prepare, making it the perfect easy dinner for spring or summer night. It’s ready to serve in only 30 minutes!
Primavera which means spring, is usually made with lots of spring produce. But, like any easy pasta recipe, it’s also versatile meaning you are free to use your favourite vegetables. In this version, I like to stick to a mix of spring green veggies, but you could also add a pop of colour by adding a sliced red bell pepper, julienned carrots or mini Roma tomatoes.
Origins of pasta primavera
Pasta primavera is an Italian-American recipe, that was originated from New York in the 1970s. Primavera means ‘spring’ in Italian and this pasta recipe is primarily made with in-season spring vegetables that are either lightly sautéed or blanched and typically tossed with fettuccine (or other something similar) in a creamy, buttery sauce. There are countless versions of this classic pasta dish, however one thing remains the same — it’s quick and easy to prepare!
Easy recipe variations
In my version, I like to feature spring vegetables like green asparagus, fresh soft herbs, peas and spring onion. However you can easily tweak this pasta primavera recipe to your own taste. Here’s how:
Go ahead and trade out the vegetables!
This primavera recipe would also be delicious with broccoli florets (or bimi broccolini), fava beans, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, spinach leaves, cauliflower florets or sliced red onion. However, depending on what type of vegetable you use, you might want to consider blanching them instead of stir-frying them.
Add protein.
This recipe has a decent amount of protein thanks to the peas and cheese. However, if you’d like to add even more try serving this with grilled prawns or roasted salmon. Or try topping with toasted pine nuts!
Looking for more pasta recipe inspiration?
Then try one of these delicious favourites!
- Pasta with Green Beans, Potatoes and Pesto
- Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Salad with Chickpeas
- Wild Garlic Pesto
Pasta Primavera (Spring Pasta)
Ingredients
- 100 g sugar snap peas
- 250 g asparagus, woody ends trimmed, halved at diagonal
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 50 g fresh or frozen peas
- 3 green onions, white part and light green part thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 400 g dry pasta of choice
- 30 g freshly grated Parmesan, plus more to serve
- 1 x 150 g container crème fraîche
- Generous handful fresh chopped soft herbs (I like basil, mint, parsley and chives)
Method
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions, until al dente . Reserve 1/3 cup / 80 ml of the pasta cooking water before draining.
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Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add snap peas, asparagus, peas and green onion. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are barely tender (al dente), 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook 1 additional minute.
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Reduce heat and stir in the crème fraîche, parmesan, and a little of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta and herbs, and toss to combine. If desired, add a little more of the cooking water to further thin the sauce.
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Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste and serve immediately. Garnish with freshly chopped basil and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- For fans of lemony flavours, feel free to add a little fined grated lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end.
- I like to use olive oil, however butter can be used instead to add an extra bit of richness and flavour.
- Toasted pine nuts also make a delicious addition to the primavera recipe.
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