This Creamy Vegetable Pasta is a simple, satisfying vegetarian pasta that combines a medley of fresh spring vegetables with a light, silky cream sauce. It’s an easy take on fettuccine Alfredo—but brighter and full of color—and comes together in about 35 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners.
This spring-inspired pasta, often called Penne Primavera, showcases tender vegetables tossed with penne and a delicate parmesan cream. The recipe is flexible: add the vegetables you love, omit what you don’t, and adjust quantities to suit your household.
For more easy weeknight pasta ideas, try recipes such as Meatless Baked Ziti, Spaghetti Alfredo, or Giant Cheese Stuffed Shells on this site.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Healthy and colorful. A variety of vegetables gives this dish great texture, vitamins, and color.
- Full of flavor, not heaviness. The cream sauce is lightened with pasta water and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan.
- Highly versatile. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand—this is a great recipe for reducing produce waste.
- Quick to prepare. Ready in roughly 35 minutes, it’s ideal for busy evenings.
Ingredients for Penne Primavera:
Penne works beautifully with the cream sauce and vegetable pieces. If you prefer another shape, use what you have.
Vegetables in this version include celery, carrot, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, broccoli, and kale — a great mix for texture and flavor.
Garlic adds a subtle savory note to the sauce.
Butter and heavy cream form the base of the sauce; we temper their richness with a little reserved pasta water.
Parmigiano-Reggiano lends a nutty, salty depth and helps thicken the sauce. Freshly grated is best for melting evenly.
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities are listed below.
Substitutions and Variations:
Feel free to swap or omit any vegetables. Onion and mushrooms are tasty additions, and baby spinach works in place of kale for a milder green. For non-vegetarian meals, serve with roasted or grilled chicken on the side.
How to Make Creamy Vegetable Pasta:
Step 1: Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until al dente according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside.
Step 2: Sauté the vegetables. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the celery, carrot, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, and broccoli, season lightly with salt, and cover. Cook 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir in the kale or spinach, cover for 1–2 minutes until wilted, then remove from heat.
Step 3: Make the cream sauce. In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to low and add the heavy cream, stirring continuously for about 3 minutes—keep it hot but do not let it boil. Stir in salt, pepper, and the finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes smooth. Add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches a silky consistency; you may not need all of it.
Step 5: Add the drained pasta and toss gently with the cream sauce and sautéed vegetables until everything is evenly coated and heated through.
Step 6: Serve immediately while warm. Garnish with extra grated Parmesan and a grind of black pepper if desired.
Expert Tips:
- Add the reserved pasta water slowly to the cream sauce until you reach the desired thickness; adding too much at once can thin the sauce too much.
- Use freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or a similar fresh hard cheese. Pre-shredded, bagged cheeses often contain anti-caking agents that prevent them from melting smoothly.
Recipe FAQs:
Penne is a classic and works very well because it holds the sauce and vegetable pieces. That said, most pasta shapes will work: casarecce, bucatini, linguine, or rigatoni are all fine alternatives.
Yes. If you prefer a lighter or dairy-free option, substitute a basil pesto or a simple tomato marinara. Adjust cooking times and seasoning to taste.
This sauce is similar to an Alfredo-style sauce and typically includes butter, garlic, heavy cream, and Parmesan. In this recipe, reserved pasta water replaces chicken stock to keep the dish vegetarian and to add smoothness.
Storage and Reheating Leftovers:
The dish is best eaten fresh, but leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, warm gently over low heat in a saucepan, stirring often and adding a splash of cream or water if needed to restore creaminess.
More Weeknight Dinner Recipes You Will Love:
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Risotto-
Crispy Chicken Fritta
-
Spicy Spaghetti Arrabiata
-
High Protein Pasta Salad
If you try this Creamy Vegetable Pasta, please leave a star rating and share your feedback in the comments — I love hearing how tweaks and variations turn out for you!
Recipe
Creamy Vegetable Pasta
Total time: 35 minutes • Yield: 4 servings
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 rounds then quartered
- ½ yellow squash, cut into rounds then quartered
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped broccoli florets
- 2 cups chopped kale (stems removed)
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely shredded
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, and broccoli. Season lightly with salt and cover; cook 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add kale or spinach, cover for 1–2 minutes until wilted, then remove the pan from heat.
- In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter and sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream, keeping the mixture hot but not boiling for about 3 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, stirring until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
- Gradually whisk in reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce reaches a silky consistency.
- Toss the drained pasta and cream sauce with the sautéed vegetables until combined and heated through.
- Serve immediately with extra grated Parmesan and fresh cracked pepper if desired.
Notes
- Add pasta water slowly to avoid thinning the sauce too much.
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano melts best and gives the richest flavor.