Pasta primavera is a celebration of spring vegetables in a bowl! This quick, one-pot, pasta is as customizable as it is delicious. Feel free to swap in your favorite in-season vegetables to make this pasta your own!
You can think of this pasta as a template of sorts because of how customizable it is. You can swap the vegetables listed for any of your favorites or what you have on hand. Keep the vegetables all about the same size so they cook evenly in the same pan, and avoid root vegetables like potatoes unless you want to cook them separately.
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What you can change about this pasta primavera:
- If you eat meat you can add chicken, ground turkey/beef, or chicken sausage! Veggie “meat”, chickpeas, or white beans would work as well.
- You can also add more veggies such as mushrooms, peas, spinach, kale, red onion, cauliflower, zucchini, or summer squash.
- Any type of pasta will work, so use whichever you prefer! Protein pasta would work here too. Use GF pasta if needed.
- Red Pepper Flakes are optional- skip them if you don’t like heat!
- The capers add a salty tang to this pasta, but that can easily be swapped for your favorite olives or left out entirely.
- If you don’t want to use cherry or grape tomatoes, you could chop up larger tomatoes (remove the seeds) or use sun-dried instead.
Related: How Long Do Meals Last: A Quick Cheat Sheet
What is primavera sauce made of?
The sauce used in pasta primavera is super simple which keeps the dish light and delicious! The main ingredients of our primavera sauce are butter, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. For a creamier and more classic primavera sauce, you can add cream!
Related: 12 One-Pan Dinner Ideas You Can Also Meal Prep
How to double or add more volume to this meal:
To double this meal, simply double the ingredients. You will probably need to cook in batches or in two pans at once. To add more volume to this meal, I recommend doubling up on broccoli or adding in a protein like chicken or white beans.
How do I store pasta primavera?
This meal can last in the fridge for up to four days and is freezer-friendly. It’s best when reheated in the microwave or on the stove. I recommend adding a splash of water to the container before reheating and/or reheating the container partially covered to revive the pasta.
Happy Prepping!
Related: How To Keep Produce Fresh: Storage Tips For Fruits & Veggies
And don’t forget to try all our other delicious pasta recipes!
- Green Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe| No Reheat!
- Veggie Pesto Pasta With Chickpeas
- 20-Minute Ground Beef Pasta With Swiss Chard
- Veggie Mac and Cheese With Cauliflower, Zucchini, and Bell Pepper
- Lemon Garlic Orzo & Broccoli Skillet With Sausage
- Sheet Pan Ratatouille Pasta
Check out our full catalog of free, meal prep-friendly recipes here!
Meal Prep Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter sub olive oil
- 1 shallot diced
- 8 oz short pasta I used penne
- 3 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 head broccoli chopped small
- 1 bunch asparagus chopped small
- 14 oz can of artichoke hearts drained and chopped
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes sub grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 tbsp capers optional, sub chopped olives
- 2 clove garlic minced or grated
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 TBSP butter
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional, skip if you don't like heat
Instructions
Prepare the Shallots
- In a big skillet over medium heat, add the butter and let it melt. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the shallot has softened and darkened in color.
For Cooking the Pasta
- Add the pasta, water, and a bit more salt to the skillet. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, uncovered. Once boiling, reduce the heat back to medium. Stir the pasta frequently to prevent it from sticking together or to the bottom of the skillet. Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes until most of the water is absorbed and the pasta is almost al dente.
Add the Vegetables
- Stir in the broccoli and asparagus. Keep cooking, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are bright green and tender, and the pasta is fully al dente, about 3-4 more minutes.
Make the Sauce
- At this point, there should be a small amount of water left in the skillet—this will help create the sauce. Add the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, capers, garlic, 1/2 the lemon juice, butter, and parmesan cheese. Stir everything together with a sturdy spatula, ensuring the butter and parmesan melt into the sauce evenly.
- Taste the pasta, vegetables, and sauce and add salt and pepper. Add more lemon or capers if necessary, and add red pepper flakes if you like heat.
Portion out for Later
- Transfer the pasta to the containers with a large spoon. Once all the pasta is divided, spoon in any leftover sauce into the meal prep containers equally. If there is a lot of extra sauce, put some in a separate container to use to add to the pasta when you reheat it. Once the pasta is cooled, put the lids on and put in the fridge. That’s it!
Shannon says
This recipe was incredibly hard to follow, because of this I had to go rogue. Definitely recommend rewording your instructions so they are clear and easy to understand.
Workweek Lunch says
Hi Shannon – thank you for the feedback. We went ahead and retested and updated the instructions. Take a look and let me know what you think