This Creamy Vegetable Pasta is the perfect Vegetarian Pasta dish. It's packed with veggies and tossed in a simple cream sauce for a lighter version of fettuccine alfredo. Plus, it all comes together in just 35 minutes!
This is one of my favorite Springtime pastas. This Creamy Veggie Pasta is also called Pasta Primavera, which means "Spring" in Italian.
It's packed with the best assortment of vegetables. Add extra veggies or leave any out that you don't love. It's really versatile and a great weeknight dinner.
For more of my favorite weeknight pastas, try this Meatless Baked Ziti, Spaghetti Alfredo, and Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Healthy. This Creamy Veggie Pasta is packed with healthy vegetables and full of color, which gives us lots of nutrients.
- Full of Flavor. The cream sauce is full of flavor, but not in a heavy way.
- Versatile. This recipe is the type where you can use whatever veggies you have in the fridge. I love making this before I have to throw produce away. It's a great way to use all of it up!
- Quick. Create this recipe in about 35 minutes, perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
Looking for more easy Meatless Recipes? Try this Creamy White Cheddar Mac and Cheese, Couscous Stuffed Peppers, & Loaded Veggie Nachos.
Ingredients:
Penne- The perfect pasta to toss with this creamy sauce and veggies. If you love penne, make sure to check out my Four Cheese Penne Pasta recipe too!
Vegetables- Celery, carrot, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, broccoli and kale come together to create an excellent vegetable medley in this recipe.
Garlic- Just a touch to add flavor to the cream sauce.
Butter and Heavy Cream- Forms the ideal base for the cream sauce.
Parmesan Cheese- A nutty, delicious cheese that thickens the sauce. I highly recommend Parmigiano Reggiano for a superior flavor.
Pasta Water- To turn the thick cream sauce into dreamy creaminess. Pasta water can turn any overcooked or thickened sauce into the perfect form again. It really is a game changer when cooking Italian dishes.
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
Feel free to take out any of the veggies used. Onion and mushrooms would also make tasty additions in this recipe.
Baby spinach can be used in place of the Kale, if you prefer.
If you prefer meat with dinner, serve beside this Crispy Chicken Fritta Recipe or these Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs.
How to Make Creamy Vegetable Pasta:
Step 1: Cook the Pasta. Begin by boiling water and cooking the penne noodles al dente according to package. *Save ¼ cup of pasta water in bowl before straining the noodles.
Step 2: Sauté the Vegetables. In a dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat, add in olive oil. Allow it to heat up, then add in the vegetables, except for the Kale. Add a pinch of salt.
Cook the vegetables for 6 to 7 minutes with the lid on, stirring every few minutes. Add in kale or spinach and cover for 2 more minutes. Uncover and set dutch oven to the back of the stove, off heat.
Step 3: Make the Easy Cream Sauce. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add in the butter. Once melted, add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Step 4: Turn heat to low, and add in the heavy cream. Stir constantly for 3 minutes. You want it hot, but not boiling.
Toss in salt and pepper and parmigiano reggiano cheese. Continue to stir until cheese melts.
Add in a touch of pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until it gets nice and creamy. You may only use half the pasta water.
Step 5: Toss the pasta and cream sauce into the veggies.
Step 6: Serve immediately and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Be sure to add the pasta water slowly until you reach the desired consistency of the sauce. If you add it too fast, it could get thinner than you would like.
- You want to use parmigiano reggiano cheese for this recipe or a similar fresh block cheese. Do not use pre-shredded cheese in a bag. They add an anti-caking agent to bagged cheese and it doesn't melt as well.
Love Pasta? Try my Broccoli Orzo Recipe and Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta!
Recipe FAQs:
You can use this recipe with any kind of pasta. Penne is a favorite choice in our family, but any pasta will work! Casarecce, bucatini, or linguine are some other delicious options.
If you don't like cream sauces, try my vegetarian pesto recipe or homemade marinara pasta sauce.
This sauce is a Primavera sauce, which is very similar to Alfredo sauce and uses heavy cream, garlic, butter, parmesan cheese and sometimes chicken stock. I have left out the chicken stock and added pasta water to make this recipe vegetarian friendly.
Storage and Reheating Leftovers:
This recipe tastes best fresh, but it's still yummy as leftovers. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat leftovers, put it into a saucepan and heat on low stirring often until heated. The cream sauce has soaked into the pasta at this point, but it still tastes good. It just won't be as creamy as when it's fresh.
More Weeknight Dinner Recipes You Will Love:
If you tried this Creamy Vegetable Pasta Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Creamy Vegetable Pasta
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Creamy Vegetable Pasta is the perfect vegetarian Pasta dish. It's packed with veggies and tossed in a simple cream sauce for a lighter version of fettuccine alfredo. Plus, it all comes together in just 35 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 package (1 lb) penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 2 whole carrots, thinly sliced
- ½ zucchini, cut into circles then quartered
- ½ yellow squash, cut into circles then quartered
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped broccoli florets
- 2 cups chopped kale (stalk removed), chopped into pieces
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, finely shredded
- ¼ cup pasta water from penne noodles
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Begin by boiling water and cooking the penne noodles al dente according to package. *MAKE SURE TO SAVE ¼ CUP OF PASTA WATER BEFORE DRAINING*
- In a dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat, add in olive oil. Allow it to heat up, then add in the vegetables, except for the Kale or Spinach. Add a pinch of salt.
- Cook the vegetables for 6 to 7 minutes with the lid on, stirring every few minutes. Add in kale or spinach and cover for 2 more minutes.
- Uncover and set dutch oven to the back of the stove, off heat.
- In a pan over medium-low heat, add in the butter. Once melted, add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Turn heat to low, and add in the heavy cream. Stir constantly for 3 minutes. You want it hot, but not boiling.
- Toss in salt and pepper and parmigiano cheese. Continue to stir until cheese melts.
- Add in a touch of pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until it gets nice and creamy. You may only use half the pasta water.
- Toss the pasta and cream sauce into the veggies.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Add in the pasta water slowly into the cream to get the desired consistency. If you add too much at once, it could get too thin!
- You want to use parmigiano reggiano cheese for this recipe or a similar fresh block cheese. Do not use pre-shredded cheese in a bag. They add an anti-caking agent to bagged cheese and it doesn't melt as well.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: italian
George
This was so good! I ate two plates full.