Italian · Lunch · Dinner
Pasta Primavera
Whole-wheat pasta tossed with crisp-tender asparagus, peas, courgette and cherry tomatoes in a light garlic, lemon and olive oil sauce, finished with a shower of parmesan and fresh basil. Bright, fresh and full of spring colour.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 60% · Fat 24% · Protein 16%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 300 gWhole-wheat spaghetti or penne
- 3 litres3,000 gWater for boiling pasta
- 3/4 tsp5 gSalt
- 1 bunch200 gAsparagus, trimmed and cut into 4 cm pieces
- 1 cup140 gFrozen peas
- 1 medium200 gCourgette (zucchini), halved and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups225 gCherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp27 gExtra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves9 gGarlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon60 gLemon, zest and juice
- 1/2 cup40 gParmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
- 1 small handful10 gFresh basil leaves, torn
- 1/2 tspBlack pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 tspRed chilli flakes (optional)
Steps
- 1
Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add 1/2 tsp of the salt.
- 2
Add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet time.
- 3
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- 4
Add the garlic and chilli flakes, if using, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
- 5
Add the courgette and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until just tender.
- 6
Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes until they start to soften, then keep the pan on low heat.
- 7
Add the asparagus and peas to the pasta pot and cook 2 minutes more, until the pasta is al dente and the vegetables are bright green.
- 8
Scoop out 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and vegetables.
- 9
Tip the drained pasta and vegetables into the frying pan with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and the pepper.
- 10
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and a splash of the reserved cooking water, and toss for 1 minute to make a light, glossy sauce.
- 11
Take the pan off the heat and stir in most of the cheese, adding more cooking water if it looks dry.
- 12
Serve topped with the torn basil and the remaining cheese.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a dairy-free version, replace the parmesan with 2–3 tbsp nutritional yeast or a dairy-free hard cheese alternative.
- To make it gluten-free, use a pasta labelled gluten-free and cook it according to its packet, as cooking times often differ.
- If asparagus is out of season, use green beans cut into 4 cm pieces or broccoli florets, cooked in the pasta pot for the same 2 minutes.
- For a lighter dish, swap half the pasta for extra courgette cut into ribbons or spirals, added to the frying pan for the last minute.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating with a splash of water until steaming hot. It is best eaten fresh, and freezing is not recommended because the vegetables turn soft and watery.
Make ahead
You can trim and cut the asparagus, slice the courgette and garlic, halve the tomatoes and grate the cheese up to a day ahead, storing them covered in the fridge. Cook the pasta and sauce just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: GlutenMilk
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (1,054 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 425 kcal | 40 kcal |
| Protein | 18.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 67.6 g | 6.4 g |
| of which sugars | 7.8 g | 0.7 g |
| Fiber | 10.9 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 12 g | 1.1 g |
| of which saturated | 2.8 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 635 mg | 60 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
