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Penne pasta with broccoli, peas, zucchini, tomatoes, and red peppers, topped with grated cheese, lemon slices, and parsley on a white plate.

Creamy One-Pan Pasta Primavera

Author: Jessica Haggard
Creamy pasta primavera tosses penne and tender-crisp spring vegetables in a light Parmesan cream sauce. Juicy cherry tomatoes folded in at the end make this one-pan dinner as good on the patio as it is packed up for a potluck.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 674 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Pasta & Vegetables

  • 12 ounces penne pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 medium butternut squash sliced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper sliced
  • 1 cup peas
  • 1 medium zucchini sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 leaves basil minced for garnish

Cream Sauce

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
    A stainless steel pot filled with uncooked penne pasta soaking in water, viewed from above against a white background.
  • While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the broccoli, butternut squash and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp; they should still have a little bite, not go soft and mushy. Then add the peas and zucchini and cook for another 2 minutes.
    A cast iron pan filled with stir-fried vegetables, including broccoli, zucchini, carrots, peas, and red bell peppers.
  • Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until you can smell it. Garlic burns fast, so keep it moving and don't step away from the pan here.
    Close-up of assorted stir-fried vegetables including broccoli, zucchini, carrots, red bell pepper, peas, and a topping of minced garlic.
  • Pour in the heavy cream and bring it up to a gentle simmer with small bubbles around the edges of the pan, not a hard boil.
    A close-up of a skillet filled with broccoli, zucchini, carrots, peas, and red peppers cooking in a creamy sauce.
  • Stir in the Parmesan, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if you're using them. Keep stirring until the cheese melts smoothly into the sauce.
    A skillet filled with mixed vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini, and bell peppers, topped with shredded cheese and ground black pepper.
  • Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss everything together until the pasta is fully coated.
    Penne pasta mixed with broccoli, zucchini, red bell pepper, peas, and a creamy sauce, served in a black bowl.
  • Fold in the cherry tomatoes gently, just enough to warm them without breaking them down.
    Penne pasta mixed with broccoli, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes in a creamy sauce.
  • Garnish with extra Parmesan, a crack of fresh black pepper, and the basil right before serving.
    Close-up of penne pasta mixed with broccoli, peas, zucchini, red bell pepper, and topped with grated cheese.

Notes

Melt the Parmesan into the cream once it's at a gentle simmer, not a boil, so it stays smooth.
Add the tomatoes last and just warm them through so they stay whole.
Grate Parmesan fresh off the block for the best melt.
Serve: Serve warm as a main, or at room temperature for potlucks and picnics. Pairs with grilled chicken or fish and a green salad. Stretch to 6 servings with a protein or salad on the side.
Store: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, and add a splash of cream to bring the sauce back, since it thickens as it sits.

Nutrition

Calories: 674kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 21gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 553mgPotassium: 846mgFiber: 7gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 2776IUVitamin C: 100mgCalcium: 215mgIron: 3mg
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