This vegan pasta primavera is so full of flavor! It includes spaghetti with spring vegetables like asparagus, peas, spinach and zesty lemon.
Are you ready for delicious-tasting veggie-filled pasta without the cheese? meet this vegan spring pasta. Pasta primavera is made from fresh, green spring vegetables and has a delicate, light taste. It’s everything a heavy mac and cheese or lasagna isn’t. So when the first green shoots appear in spring, we get in the mood for Pasta Primavera. Turns out the concept is pretty loose, so here’s our take on the classic: full of flavor and entirely plant-based.
What is pasta primavera anyway?
Excellent question. The name suggests that pasta primavera is an ancient Italian recipe that dates back hundreds of years. Italian grandma’s fare, isn’t it? Couldn’t be further from the truth. Pasta Primavera was born in New York in the 1970s! It was a dish at a restaurant in New York called Le Cirque, made with spaghetti, lots of fresh spring vegetables and a lemon and cream sauce. So much for the centuries-old tradition. (We learned the same goes for Broccolini and Saint Germaine. Who would have thought!)
Ingredients of this vegan Pasta Primavera
Are the vegan Pasta Primavera classic Pasta Primavera? Well, it turns out it’s one of those things that can be done a number of different ways. There is no real “recipe”: except pasta and fresh seasonal vegetables. Plus, it usually contains parmesan and it’s a vegan version! It is therefore a loose interpretation of the general term.
Primavera means spring in Italian, we wanted to highlight all our favorite spring vegetables. Here are the healthy veggies in this vegan pasta primavera:
Variations on this recipe: other ideas for vegetables and sauces!
Since there are many variations on the vegetables in Pasta Primavera, you can really combine this recipe with any vegetables you like. Some we recommend are:
- Sliced ripe cherry tomatoes: Tomatoes are more summer than spring, but they add a nice color. Whatever you do, make sure they’re ripe (some grocery store hydroponic tomatoes may be fine out of season). Add 1 handful with the garlic at the end.
- Thinly sliced carrot: Carrots also add a nice color. Cut into matchsticks and add to the asparagus.
- Zucchini: Many Pasta Primavera recipes include zucchini; You can also add zucchini slices to the asparagus.
- Creamy sauce: want it creamier? Try it with our vegan alfredo sauce (remove the spices at the end).
noodles ! Use long or short cuts
Long spaghetti noodles feature in our vegan Pasta Primavera because we love the elegant look of long noodles. But this dish also works with short pasta! Here are a few types we recommend trying:
- Long Noodles: Goes great with bucatini, linguine and fettuccine.
- Short pasta: It goes well with penne, rigatoni, cavatappi, gemini or farfalle.
For gluten-free dishes, use your favorite gluten-free pasta or try some of the legume or lentil pasta on the market.
How to cook pasta al dente
The key to a good pasta dish is always: cook the pasta al dente. You should make sure it’s perfect for this Pasta Primavera. what is al dente? In Italian it means “until the bite”. These are noodles that are still firm on the inside after cooking. The ideal al dente texture is a delicate exterior balanced by a firm bite with a white spot in the heart. How to cook pasta al dente:
- Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water.
- While cooking, constantly check the cooking of the pasta.
- When the noodles are soft on the outside but have a white spot in the middle, drain! Just a few seconds can make the difference between al dente and soft pasta.
More vegan pasta recipes
Do you like making vegan pasta? We have many great recipes that you might like. Here are our favourites:
- Vegan Pasta Alfredo Decadent, creamy and full of healthy plant-based ingredients. An easy dinner in under 30 minutes!
- Favorite Vegan Lasagna On the verge of becoming your new favorite: guaranteed. Full of flavor, it’s a winner for everyone!
- Roasted Eggplant Noodles Flavor of roasted eggplant and tangy marinara sauce! An impressive plant-based dinner.
- Vegan Pesto Pasta This stunning vegan pesto pasta gets its flavor from emerald green basil pesto, ripe cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil.
This vegan pasta primavera recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free. For gluten-free pasta, use gluten-free or legume pasta.
The description
This vegan pasta primavera is so full of flavor! It includes spaghetti with spring vegetables like asparagus, peas, spinach and zesty lemon.
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 Portable mushrooms
- 1/2 pound (½ bunch) asparagus
- 1 Bunch of broccolini (or 2 cups broccoli florets whose stems are kept as long as possible)
- 3 cups coarsely chopped spinach (or 3 ounces baby spinach)
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 2 cups frozen peas (10 ounces)
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce (or Liquid Amino Acids)
- 4 tablespoons Olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice, plus lemon zest for garnish
Or mix: Try our vegan alfredo sauce instead (omit the last 4 ingredients).
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente (start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want them to be tender but still a bit firm inside). Then drain the noodles and put them back in the pot.
- Cut vegetables: Meanwhile, thinly slice the Portobello mushroom caps (remove the stems). Cut off the tough end of the asparagus. Halve lengthwise so each stalk forms 2 long, thin stalks (this may not be perfect). Then cut in half lengthways. Cut the thick ends off the broccolini and save the large florets (if using broccoli, cut the broccoli into medium florets and keep the stalk as long as possible). Wash and roughly chop the spinach, removing the long stems (skip if using packaged baby spinach). Chop the garlic.
- Cook Vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add broccolini and asparagus and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until tender, 1 minute. Add frozen peas and sauté for 1 minute. Add chopped garlic and sauté for 1 minute. (You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes at this point!)
- To add olive oil to pasta: Once the pasta is cooked and drained, drizzle with olive oil.
- Add the final flavors and serve: In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and onion powder, dried oregano, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Once the veggies are cooked, stir in the pasta and toss to evenly distribute the veggies, then pour the olive oil and seasoning mixture over the pasta and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt if necessary (or serve with salt). Serve immediately garnished with lemon zest.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Italian
- Diet: vegan
Keywords: Vegan pasta in spring
