It’s a light, refreshing pasta dish that is super easy to make. (Easy is always a must!) It features a medley of red and yellow bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, carrots, and yellow onion, all roasted to perfection. The roasting process caramelizes the vegetables, bringing out their natural sweetness and adding a super yummy depth of flavor. The pasta and vegetables are tossed in a garlic herb butter that I would happily eat on its own; it’s that good. Pasta primavera is one of the most popular dishes prepared in this manner. It typically consists of pasta tossed or topped with diced or julienned cooked vegetables. Some other recipes I love this Spring are my Best Egg Salad Sandwich, Garlic Herb Cheese Bread, and Lemon Blueberry Pancakes! Pasta Primavera might seem like a hyper-seasonal dish, but this veggie-filled, vibrant pasta can be made almost year-round with various vegetables. Here is what you will need:
Pasta: I chose Farfalle (bow-tie pasta) for this recipe. However, you can use Penne, Fusilli, Linguine, or any spiral pasta. Parmesan cheese: I use a pre-grated Parmesan for ease, but you can certainly use fresh! Herbes de Provence: A versatile and aromatic spice commonly used in French cuisine & pairs wonderfully with these roasted veggies. The spice blend traditionally includes thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, bay leaf and dried lavender flowers. Herb butter: You will need softened butter, lemon zest, garlic, fresh basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Carrots: You will need to julienne your carrots, which means cutting them into thin, matchstick strips. Zucchini: popular summer squash that can be found year-round in most supermarkets. Peak season is late Spring. Yellow Squash: Another delicious summer squash great for adding color to pasta primavera and is high in vitamins A and C and niacin. Bell Peppers: I love bell peppers’ sweet flavor and crisp, exceedingly juicy flesh. I prefer using red and yellow bell peppers in this dish, but you can use any of your favorites (green, purple, and brown are the other bell pepper colors!). Asparagus: The optimum season for fresh asparagus is February-June, although it can be found year-round in most regions. When buying asparagus, choose firm, bright green stalks with tight tips. Onion: I use yellow or white onions. When buying onions, choose ones that are heavy for their size with dry, papery skins with no signs of spotting or moistness. Be sure to avoid onions with soft spots. Cherry tomatoes: I love adding cherry tomatoes to the pasta because they are bright in color and flavor. The cherry tomatoes aren’t roasted; they simply get tossed into the pasta and veggies.
