Best 5 Healthy Pasta Primavera Recipes

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Pasta primavera is a light, vibrant, and flavorful dish that combines the goodness of fresh vegetables with the comforting taste of pasta. This Italian-inspired dish is a celebration of springtime, featuring an array of colorful and seasonal vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini, tossed with a light and creamy sauce. Whether you prefer a vegetarian or a meat-based version, pasta primavera offers a delicious and nutritious meal that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. In this article, we will guide you through the process of creating the ultimate healthy pasta primavera recipe, providing tips and tricks to elevate the flavors and ensure a perfectly balanced dish.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

HEALTHY PASTA PRIMAVERA



Healthy Pasta Primavera image

For pasta primavera made easy, try this recipe packed with vegetables including asparagus, mushrooms, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes.

Provided by Jill Andersen

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Pasta     Pasta Primavera Recipes

Time 40m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 cups whole grain penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup shredded carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Lemon wedges

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in an extra-large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add asparagus, mushrooms, and squash; cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, carrot, garlic, oregano, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes; cook until tomatoes begin to soften, about 1 minute.
  • Drain penne; stir into vegetable mixture along with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Top servings with remaining cheese and serve with lemon wedges.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 280.7 calories, Carbohydrate 41.5 g, Cholesterol 8.8 mg, Fat 7.7 g, Fiber 8.2 g, Protein 15.8 g, SaturatedFat 2.3 g, Sodium 337.6 mg, Sugar 4.9 g

CHICKEN PASTA PRIMAVERA



Chicken Pasta Primavera image

Ready in under an hour, this pasta and veggie dish is perfect for any night of the week!

Provided by EatingWell Test Kitchen

Categories     Healthy Chicken Pasta Recipes

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 16

2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups cauliflower florets
½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
3 ounces dried whole grain spaghetti or linguine
2 cups broccoli florets, 1-inch asparagus pieces and/or coarsely chopped yellow summer squash
¾ cup bite-size strips red sweet pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
4 chicken breast tenderloins (8 oz. total), halved crosswise
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1 Lemon zest

Steps:

  • For sauce, in a small saucepan heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cauliflower and broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until tender; cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor. Add the water, cheese, salt and black pepper. Cover and process until smooth.
  • Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli and sweet pepper the last 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.
  • Coat a 10-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium. Add chicken; cook 10 minutes or until done (165 degrees F), turning once. Stir in sauce and pasta mixture. Heat through, stirring in enough of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed to reach desired consistency. Serve topped with basil and, if desired, lemon zest and additional cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 451 calories, Carbohydrate 44.9 g, Cholesterol 88.2 mg, Fat 12.1 g, Fiber 8.8 g, Protein 41.8 g, SaturatedFat 2.8 g, Sodium 527.2 mg, Sugar 9 g

PASTA PRIMAVERA



Pasta Primavera image

Provided by Ellie Krieger

Categories     main-dish

Time 55m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, cleaned, seeded and cut into strips (6 ounces)
1/2 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup sliced button mushrooms (4 ounces)
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 (6 ounces)
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup 1 percent milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large carrot (6 ounces) peeled and sliced into strips with a peeler (about 2 cups carrot ribbons)
3/4 pound whole-wheat linguine
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1/4 cup shredded basil leaves

Steps:

  • Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic until soft, about 1 minute. Add peppers and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes and cook until softened, an additional 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken stock, milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrot strips.
  • Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with vegetables and sauce. Add pasta water, if necessary, to loosen mixture. Serve garnished with Parmesan, parsley and basil.

HEALTHY PASTA PRIMAVERA



Healthy pasta primavera image

A healthy spaghetti dish full of broad beans, leeks and asparagus tips. Make the most of spring greens with this vibrant, filling pasta recipe

Provided by Good Food team

Categories     Dinner, Main course

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 10

75g young broad beans (use frozen if you can't get fresh)
2 x 100g pack asparagus tips
170g peas (use frozen if you can't get fresh)
350g spaghetti or tagliatelle
175g pack baby leeks , trimmed and sliced
1 tbsp olive oil , plus extra to serve
1 tbsp butter
200ml tub fromage frais or creme fraiche
handful fresh chopped herbs (we used mint, parsley and chives)
parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), shaved, to serve

Steps:

  • Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and put a steamer (or colander) over the water. Steam the beans, asparagus and peas until just tender, then set aside. Boil the pasta following pack instructions.
  • Meanwhile, fry the leeks gently in the oil and butter for 5 mins or until soft. Add the fromage frais to the leeks and very gently warm through, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn't split. Add the herbs and steamed vegetables with a splash of pasta water to loosen.
  • Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce. Adjust the seasoning, then serve scattered with the cheese and drizzled with a little extra olive oil.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 476 calories, Fat 9 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 74 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 6 grams sugar, Fiber 9 grams fiber, Protein 20 grams protein, Sodium 0.1 milligram of sodium

PASTA PRIMAVERA



Pasta primavera image

Use fresh garden peas in this pasta primavera for a simple, colourful seasonal dish

Provided by Geraldene Holt

Categories     Dinner, Lunch, Main course, Pasta, Supper

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 10

85g unsalted butter
1½ tbsp each chopped parsley , mint and chives
400g shelled garden peas , about 1.25kg/2lbs 12oz in their pods
200g baby carrot , ideally with leaves
200g baby or regular sized courgettes
200g slim green beans
400g tagliatelle
splash of olive oil
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
as much fresh basil as you like

Steps:

  • Gently melt the butter with the parsley, chives and mint and set aside in a warm place. Prepare all the vegetables: shell the peas, wash the carrots and trim away any leaves but leave a short green stalk in place (the stalk is edible but it is also there to show the vegetable is freshly harvested!), thickly slice the courgettes and trim the green beans.
  • Bring 2 large pans of water to the boil (one for the pasta, one for the veg). Lightly salt the water in one of the pans, add the pasta to it and cook until al dente (10-12 minutes or according to the cooking instructions on the packet). While the pasta cooks, add the carrots to the other pan and cook for 2 minutes. Next throw in the peas, green beans and courgettes and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Drain both the pasta and the vegetables well. Return the pasta to the hot pan with a splash of olive oil, half the herb butter and the lemon zest and juice. Return the vegetables to their pan, toss with the rest of the herb butter and season well with salt and pepper.
  • Spoon the pasta on to serving plates, grind some black pepper over and serve with the vegetables on top. Scatter on as much basil as you like and serve straight away.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 634 calories, Fat 22 grams fat, SaturatedFat 12 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 93 grams carbohydrates, Fiber 11 grams fiber, Protein 21 grams protein, Sodium 0.09 milligram of sodium

Tips:

  • Choose fresh, seasonal vegetables. This will ensure that your pasta primavera is packed with flavor and nutrients.
  • Don't overcook the vegetables. They should be crisp-tender, not mushy.
  • Use a light hand with the olive oil. Too much oil will make the dish greasy.
  • Season the dish to taste with salt, pepper, and herbs.
  • Garnish the pasta primavera with fresh herbs or grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

Conclusion:

Pasta primavera is a delicious, healthy, and versatile dish that can be enjoyed all year round. It's a great way to use up leftover vegetables, and it's also a good option for vegetarians and vegans. With a few simple tips, you can easily make a delicious pasta primavera at home.

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