Creamy Farfalle Primavera

Why This is the Best Recipe

Our family cooks a ton of pasta but I think this is the best farfalle primavera recipe because:

1. Perfectly Timed: I've written the recipe so that all the ingredients are finished at just the same time.
2. Perfect Texture: When you're cooking this many different vegetables, it can be difficult to get the texture right for each and every one. I've figured out the best way to ensure they all have a perfect crisp-tender texture.
3. Loaded with Flavor: All these garden fresh veggies are packed with flavor and nutrients. It is such a colorful pasta dish!
4. TONS of Variations: Don't miss my list below of easy ways to make simple tweaks to the recipe for delicious new dinner ideas.
5. Reheats Well: After the effort you put in to make it, not a single bite needs to go to waste. Leftovers reheat wonderfully.

There is definitely a lot going on in this pasta recipe, but I pinkie swear that it will be very easy to assemble in the end.

All you need to make the pasta and cream sauce is:

• Farfalle Pasta: Bowties, butterflies, this pasta shape has several nicknames. You could substitute any short noodle you prefer like penne, rigatoni, or cavatappi
• Olive Oil
• Minced Garlic
• White Wine
• Lemon
• Heavy Cream
• Italian Herb Seasoning
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese

The Primavera Vegetables

There are so many vegetables included in this pasta dish, that there is definitely room for swapping or omitting something your family doesn't enjoy.

You could double up on one and skip another if that works best for you.

• Broccoli: I used a broccoli crown, but pre-chopped florets would make it easier to prepare.
• Red Bell Pepper: Or any color bell pepper you love.
• Carrot: A whole carrot works best but you could cut baby carrots if you have them.
• Red Onion: I love the color and flavor this adds but a white or yellow onion would work, too.
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Cherry Tomatoes: A whole tomato could work in a pinch, but would be more difficult to cook than cherry tomatoes are. I'd recommend chopping the tomato and roasting it on the sheet pan instead of sautéing them if you make that swap.

Prep the Vegetables First

Timing is everything with this dish. To ensure your final pasta dinner is served with the perfect texture and everything hot at once, I recommend following my cooking schedule.

Start by prepping all the vegetables you plan to use.

The chopping is the hardest, most time-consuming part. The rest of the dinner will be very easy to prepare.

Set Up the Assembly Line

Set a large pot of water on to boil. Add a pinch of salt so it flavors the pasta when you cook it.

Set a large skillet with olive oil over a burner and place the prepared squash and zucchini and cherry tomatoes next to it.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

When the oven is preheated and the water is boiling, you're ready to begin cooking.

Roast the Hearty Vegetables

Add the broccoli, carrot, bell pepper, and red onion to a large baking sheet.

Toss with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Roast the vegetables at 425°F for 20 minutes.

When the timer beeps, simply turn off the oven and let them rest inside to keep warm if you need more time to finish the other parts of the dish.

If you end up loving these veggies as much as I do, you may want to serve them with other recipes. In that case, I shared the separate recipe card for roasted broccoli and carrots here.

Cook the Farfalle

As soon as you put the hearty vegetables into the oven to roast, pour the farfalle pasta into the boiling water.

Cook it for 30 seconds - 1 minute LESS than listed on the package directions so it remains firm when tossed with the cream sauce later.

Just before the pasta is finished cooking, use a measuring cup to reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Drain the pasta and return the empty pot to the stovetop. This is where you'll assemble the final dish.

Saute the Delicate Vegetables

Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the chopped zucchini and yellow squash and cook for 7 - 9 minutes.

Do not stir the vegetables too often, you want them to develop a golden brown char that only happens when they sit in the hot oil.

Simply toss them once or twice so they cook evenly on all sides.

When they are finished, scrape them into the now-empty pasta pot on the stove.

Add the cherry tomatoes to the now-empty skillet and turn the heat down to medium-low.

You can add another drizzle of olive oil if necessary.

Cook the tomatoes for 3 - 4 minutes or until the skins just begin to wrinkle.

Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds.

Scrape the garlic and tomatoes into the pasta pot with the zucchini and squash.

Make the Lemon Cream Sauce

Add the white wine to the now-empty skillet. Use it to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the browned bits clinging to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Simmer the wine until it has reduced by half.

Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add it to the skillet.

Add the heavy cream and the Italian herb blend to the skillet and stir.

Whisk and simmer the sauce until it has just slightly thickened.

Scrape all the sauce into the pasta pot with the reserved vegetables.

Assemble the Farfalle Primavera

Now it is time to finish the dish.

In your pasta pot, you've added the sautéed squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and garlic as you finished them.

Pull the roasted vegetables from the oven and add them to the pasta pot.

Add the lemon cream sauce from the skillet to the pot.

Gently toss it all together.

Finally, add the cooked farfalle to the vegetables and sauce and gently toss to coat and warm through.

If the pasta feels too dry, you can add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it up.

However, be careful you don't add too much of the water or the pasta will absorb the liquid and become overly mushy.

If you're using the shredded parmesan cheese, now is the time to sprinkle it over the pasta and toss again.

Serve immediately.

Variations

I absolutely love this farfalle primavera as the recipe is written, but there is definitely room for some delicious variations:

Pasta Chicken Primavera: Add chopped cooked chicken to the pot with the vegetables before adding the pasta. You could use chopped broiled chicken tenderloins or baked chicken breasts that have been seasoned with an Italian herb or lemon pepper seasoning.

Shrimp Primavera: Add cooked shrimp that has been seasoned with lemon pepper or Italian herbs. You can use oven roasted shrimp or my easy frozen shrimp in the air fryer recipe.

Tortellini Primavera: Use 1 pound of cheese tortellini instead of regular pasta. Be extra careful that you cook it for the least amount of time because it is a delicate pasta to toss with all those veggies. The cheese filling would taste amazing in this dish.

Change the Pasta Shape: I think shorter noodles work best with the veggies in this dish but you could honestly use any pasta you love. Spaghetti, linguine, penne, rigatoni, fettuccine, all make lovely pasta primavera.

Gnocchi Primavera: Change things up a bit more and add cooked gnocchi instead of pasta!

Pasta Primavera Salad: If you prefer a cold pasta salad, you could prepare all the veggies as listed and just skip the lemon cream sauce altogether. Instead, toss the cooked pasta and primavera veggies with Italian vinaigrette dressing.

Serving Suggestions

This is a wonderful all-in-one dinner. You've got tons of fresh veggies and a comforting bowl of pasta all together.

If you need something more to complete your menu, I'd recommend serving this alongside a batch of homemade garlic bread or an easy side like slices of cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto ham.

More Vegetable Recipes

If you're looking for more inspiration on how to get your family to eat more vegetables, I think you'll find these veggie ideas very helpful: