Pasta Primavera, or “spring pasta,” highlights tender spring vegetables — asparagus, peas, leeks, and pea sprouts, tossed with pappardelle, lemon zest, olive oil, and spring herbs.
If you were a vegetarian and ate out in the 80’s, there was a good chance Pasta Primavera was the only option on the menu. Back then, it was often heavy and cumbersome with just a few random veggies. I really felt sorry for my vegetarian friends.
In those years it was difficult to be plant-based, especially if you didn’t live in a metropolitan area. Wow, how things have changed! Vegetables really shine in the restaurant world these days, and it’s been such a delight to watch this change over the decades.
What is Pasta Primavera?
In Italian, pasta primavera means spring pasta, but contrary to popular belief, this pasta dish was created in Canada and popularized in NYC in the ’70s. Pasta primavera typically consists of pasta and vegetables in a light creamy sauce. We’ve made a few changes here to loosen things up a bit.
Ingredients in Pasta Primavera
What I love about this Pasta Primavera recipe is how easy it is. Using just olive oil or some plain yogurt adds a little creaminess without being overly heavy. Lemon zest brightens it up. Using spring veggies is a beautiful way to celebrate this season!
Notes on ingredients
- Pasta- Use whatever pasta you prefer. Here I use pappardelle, but tagliatelle, fettuccine, linguini, or even short pasta like penne or bow tie would work well.
- Vegetables– Any quick cooking veggies you like. Here we mainly used spring vegetables; Asparagus, snow peas, fennel, leeks and pea sprouts. But fiddleheads, broccoli, red peppers, carrot ribbons, and zucchini are fine additions.
- Cheese: Pecorino gives the best flavor, but feel free to sub-parmesan or vegan parmesan.
- Lemon peel- adds a delicious touch of brightness.
- onions/leeks/garlic We use leeks and garlic, but you can also use onions, spring onions or shallots. Garlic is a must!
- pea shoot Optional, but a great way to get acquainted with these delicate and nourishing spring greens!
- Herbs- Using a combination of fresh herbs is nice here. Tarragon, mint or dill paired with fresh Italian parsley.
- olive oil or yoghurt Drizzle the last dish with olive oil or Greek yogurt for extra creaminess.
Pasta primavera tips
- Use more vegetables than pasta! As with most of the pasta dishes on this blog, we switch the ratios. More vegetables, less pasta.
- Salt the pasta water, as this is how you flavor the “sauce”. A good rule of thumb is: 1 teaspoon of salt to 1 liter of water.
- To make it vegan, omit the cheese and add a generous drizzle of olive oil at the end. Or try a vegan parmesan.
How to make Pasta Primavera
Bring salted water to a boil for the pasta. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per liter of water.
Prepare vegetables, cheese and lemon zest.
Cook the pasta al dente and start sautéing the vegetables at the same time.
Sauté the vegetables until translucent and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the pasta, fresh herbs and pecorino.
Add pea sprouts to warm pasta to gently collapse. If you like a creamy pasta, stir in some full-fat yogurt. Add warm pasta water to loosen. I love this sheep milk yoghurt. Kefir will also work.
Salt and pepper to taste and adjust. Serve on a platter and sprinkle with more herbs.
What to serve with Pasta Primavera
Frequently asked questions about Pasta Primavera
Pasta Primavera means “spring pasta” in Italian. Primavera means spring.
In the ’80s, Pasta Primavera sauce consisted of parmesan, garlic, and cream, although modern versions omit the cream, replacing it with olive oil to create a lighter meal.
Yes, skip the cheese, add more garlic, olive oil, lemon, and salt to taste. If you like, you can stir in vegan yoghurt or vegan parmesan.
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Description
Pasta Primavera, or “spring pasta,” highlights tender spring vegetables — asparagus, peas, leeks, and pea sprouts, tossed with pappardelle, lemon zest, olive oil, and spring herbs.
- 6–8th ounces Pasta – tagliatelle, fettuccine, pappardelle
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Leek, thinly sliced (or sub 2 shallots or one Onion)
- 1 Cup Fennel bulb, thinly sliced, or other spring vegetables – see notes
- 1 Bundle asparagus, cut into 1 1/2-inch slices (approx 3 cups)
- 2 cups Sugar snap peas, cut diagonally 1/2 or 1/3 lengthways (or frozen peas, English peas, or edamame)
- 4 Garlic cloves, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- spice off one lemon
- optional additions: large handful of pea sprouts, 1 watermelon radish
- 1 tablespoon Tarragon, mint or dill, more to taste!
- 1/4–1/2 Cup fresh Italian parsley
- 1/2–2/3 Cup grated pecorino or subparmesan or vegan parmesan
- Optional: 1/4-1/2 Greek yogurt (or plain kefir) for extra creaminess, or a drizzle of good quality olive oil.
- Cook pasta: For pasta, bring salted water to a boil – 2 liters of water with 2 teaspoons of salt, and cook the pasta al dente, reserving 1 cup of hot salted pasta water.
- Sauté Vegetables: In an EXTRA LARGE skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Sauté the onion and fennel until soft, add the asparagus, snow peas (see notes for substitutions) and garlic, season with salt and pepper and continue to sauté until tender and light green. Slightly undercooking is better than overcooking here. 🙂
- Combine: Add the pasta, lemon zest, cheese, pea sprouts and watermelon radish and some pasta water to loosen, toss to coat the pasta, heat gently and allow the cheese to incorporate. Fold in 2/3 of the herbs. Taste and add more salt as needed. Add a generous drizzle of good olive oil or extra creaminess, toss in some plain yogurt – start with 1/2 cup, more as desired.
- Try again, adjust salt and pepper. If it’s bland, it needs more salt.
- Place on a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining herbs. Enjoy!
Remarks
Vegetables: You will need about 6 cups of veggies, including the onion. Other veggies will work too – broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, etc. Frozen peas or edamame can be thrown in with the pasta in the last minute of cooking to thaw.
Nourishment
- Serving size: 1 ½ cups (with pecorino & yogurt)
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 8.6 g
- Sodium: 507.4 mg
- Fat: 16.1g
- Saturated Fatty Acids: 4.3g
- Carbohydrates: 49.6g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 16.8g
- Cholesterol: 11.8 mg
Keywords: Pasta Primavera, Spring Pasta, Pasta Primavera Recipe,