Pasta Primavera Italian Vegetables (Printable version)

Colorful Italian pasta with fresh spring vegetables in a light lemon-Parmesan sauce

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 small zucchini, sliced into half-moons
03 - 1 small yellow squash, sliced into half-moons
04 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
05 - 1 cup broccoli florets
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 small carrot, julienned

→ Sauce & Flavorings

10 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
11 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
13 - Zest of 1 lemon
14 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 - Pinch of red pepper flakes

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add carrot, bell pepper, and broccoli. Sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
04 - Add zucchini, yellow squash, and peas. Cook 4-5 minutes until vegetables are just tender but vibrant.
05 - Stir in cherry tomatoes, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Sauté 2 more minutes.
06 - Add drained pasta to skillet. Toss everything together, adding reserved pasta water as needed to create sauce.
07 - Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
08 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and fresh herbs if desired.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The vegetables stay crisp tender instead of mushy because you cook them in stages and stop while they still have bite
  • Its faster than delivery but feels like something youd order at a nice Italian restaurant
  • The lemon zest brightens everything up so you dont need a heavy cream sauce to feel satisfied
02 -
  • Adding all the vegetables at once means the delicate ones turn to mush before the crunchy ones are done, so follow the order in the instructions
  • That pasta water is liquid gold, the starch helps the cheese cling to everything and creates a silky sauce without adding cream
03 -
  • Use a box grater to make a mountain of Parmesan instead of buying it pre grated, the texture difference is worth the extra two minutes
  • Zest your lemon before you juice it, its nearly impossible to zest a squeezed lemon without scraping your knuckles on the counter

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