Pasta Primavera Recipe with Pesto

5 from 1 vote

This Pasta Primavera with Pesto is flavor-packed! Tender-crisp seasonal vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes are tossed with perfectly cooked pasta and coated in a rich, homemade basil pesto sauce for a satisfying vegetarian dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 740kcal

Author: Jami Powell

Equipment

Pasta pot
Instant pot or steamer
Mixing bowls

Ingredients

16 oz Trottole or other spiral shaped pasta
1 bunch broccolini trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small zucchini diced
1 small squash diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1 jumbo carrot peeled and thinly sliced
20-25 qty spring peas trimmed
1 large radish thinly sliced
½ qty orange bell pepper diced
¾ cup fresh pesto homemade or store-bought
¼ cup fresh basil leaves torn
shaved parmesan cheese to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the Trottole pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.
In an Instant Pot or steamer, add about 1 cup of water and the broccolini, diced zucchini, squash, and carrot slices. Steam the vegetables with the Instant Pot's timer set to 0 on high pressure with an instant release once they are tender-crisp. Alternatively, you can steam the vegetables on the stovetop until they are just tender. Drain any excess water and set the vegetables aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, steamed vegetables, halved cherry tomatoes, spring peas, sliced radish, and diced orange bell pepper.
Pour the fresh pesto over the pasta and vegetables. Gently toss everything together until the pesto evenly coats the ingredients.
Taste the pesto primavera and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Garnish the salad with torn fresh basil leaves and generously top with shaved parmesan cheese.
Transfer the pesto primavera to a serving dish or individual plates. Enjoy this nutritious meal warm or chilled.

Video

Notes

Storage Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Freeze This dish is not freezer friendly.

Reheat Eat chilled, or reheat the pasta in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water to restore its creamy texture.

Substitutions

- Pasta - Opt for gluten-free pasta or whole wheat pasta to add more fiber and nutrients to the meal.

- Vegetables - Substitute broccolini with fresh asparagus or green beans. You can also use other colorful veggies like yellow or red peppers in place of orange peppers for a different color combination. Snow peas can be substituted for sugar snap peas.

Nutrition The provided nutrition information is only an estimate.

Adjustments Cooking time may need to be adjusted based on the geography of the area (high vs. low elevation), cookware (stoneware vs traditional bakeware), and outdoor temperature if grilling.

Nutrition