Vegan Pasta Primavera Recipe | One Ingredient Chef (2024)

byAndrew Olson

Pasta primavera has a very silly history. During the 1970s, long before my time, the chefs at world-famous Le Cirque in New York created a dish called “pasta primavera” (primavera meaning spring in Italian) that set the world on fire. The New York Times gave it rave reviews. Restaurants around the world rushed to copy it. And primavera became the most talked about dish in elite foodie circles. So, what was this revolutionary culinary masterpiece? Spaghetti with chopped tomatoes, herbs, and a light cream sauce. That’s it.

Um… I guess you had to be there to understand what all the hype was about?

Regardless, that first dish paved the way for modern pasta primavera, which is certainly the most well-known pasta dish in America (even though Italians have never heard of it). In my opinion, a great primavera has 4 important components: good pasta, fresh veggies, perfect herbs, and a nice cream sauce. For our vegan version, we’re using a little of my cauliflower Alfredo sauce to give this dish just the right creaminess when tossed with the fresh veggies and pasta.

I must say, I’ve posted about 10 pasta-like dishes this year and the primavera here is absolutely my favorite. It’s actually one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes. If you love it as much as I do, maybe we can rekindle the primavera hype all over again.

Vegan Pasta Primavera Recipe | One Ingredient Chef (2)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz pasta (any kind)
  • 1/2 recipe of Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
  • 15 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 carrot, sliced
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced
  • 1 handful torn basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Vegan Pasta Primavera Recipe | One Ingredient Chef (3)

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

This Alfredo-like sauce is one of my favorite recipes on this website. You can get that recipe at the following link: Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce. Although, this dish only requires about 1/2 cup of sauce and that recipe makes quite a bit more. My suggestion? Make the full batch, have the fettuccine Alfredo one night and this one the next. No one will complain about pasta two nights in a row. 🙂

Step One

Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Meanwhile, chop all the veggies. Primavera works with basically any veggies you want. A classic combo is tomatoes, peas, carrots, bell pepper, asparagus, and zucchini. But mine is slightly different and I hope yours is too. Use what you have on hand or anything you think will work. Whatever you use, use a lot: you’ll want to have about equal parts veggies and pasta in your final dish.

Step Two

Heat a large skillet with either a splash of water or olive oil and begin sautéing the veggies. Add the pasta to the water, which should now be boiling. The idea is to soften the veggies while the pasta cooks so they finish at exactly the same time. You do want a little bite in the veggies though – both the pasta and the veggies should be al dente, or a little firm.

Step Three

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water, and return to the pot. Add the veggies to the pot and toss. Then add about 1/2 a cup or more of the cauliflower alfredo sauce and toss again with a little pasta water to create the perfect creamy consistency. Finally, add the spices to complete the dish. The combo of salt, pepper, and fresh basil with dried oregano, rosemary, and sage is absolutely killer.

Give the pasta a taste, adjust any spices as needed, and serve immediately.

Vegan Pasta Primavera Recipe | One Ingredient Chef (4)

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9 Comments

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  1. I’ve made this twice in the last two weeks…my husband and I found it to be absolutely delicious! I never liked the cream and cheese version before I went vegan, but this one…try it NOW! Yummmmm. Thanks, Andrew!

    Reply

    • Awesome! Thanks so much, Maureen. I’m really glad you guys liked it! 🙂

      Reply

  2. My husband and I went to Olive Garden last night and I was happy to see they had a new sauce – Primavera! I immediately thought of a dish similar to yours here, and ordered it. I was very sad to find it was a red-sauce, even though it did have lots of nice veggies in it. My craving wasn’t satisfied, however, so I went looking for a recipe to try at home. I’m always glad to find tasty vegan options, and can’t wait to try yours!

    Reply

    • Ohh, Olive Garden… 🙂 Haha, it’s so weird (but not entirely surprising) that they would make it into a red sauce, when Primavera was originally a vegetable and cream sauce. I doubt many people will notice though *sigh* … Anyways, I really hope you like this recipe better, Kimberly! It’s one of my favorites 🙂

      Reply

  3. Made this last night – thank you, this is a fab addition to my recipe rotation. I love the possibilities to mix it up too!

    Reply

    • Yay! Thank you, Susan! I’m so glad to hear it 😀

      Reply

  4. YES!! YUM!! Thank you 🙂 I made this exactly as recommended and it was fantastic (still is, actually. enjoying leftovers)

    Reply

  5. My picky eaters asked for seconds. That makes this recipe a keeper!

    Reply

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Vegan Pasta Primavera Recipe | One Ingredient Chef (2024)

FAQs

What does vegan pasta have in it? ›

🥬 Pasta ingredients that are always vegan

Most dry pasta is made from durum semolina as the main ingredient. This is simply wheat flour. The only other ingredients are usually water and salt which are also vegan.

What does Primavera mean in Italian cooking? ›

In Italian, primavera (pree-muh-VEHR-uh) means spring style; with foods, it refers to fresh vegetables. This side dish stars squash, carrots, red pepper, and broccoli.

What is the healthiest pasta for vegans? ›

Vegans can eat whole grain pasta as long as it does not include egg or other non-vegan ingredients. Whole grain pasta is also plant-based in most cases, but be sure to read the ingredients before purchasing. Whole-grain pasta has the added benefit of extra fiber and is a good addition to any vegan diet.

What makes vegan pasta vegan? ›

Most pasta is made from wheat flour and water, both of which are vegan. However, some pasta may contain eggs or milk, so it's important to check the label before you buy it. You can also find vegan pasta made with alternative flours, such as chickpea flour or lentil flour.

What is pasta primavera sauce made of? ›

Ingredients
  1. 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes.
  2. 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste.
  3. ¾ cup fresh broccoli florets.
  4. ¾ cup thinly sliced carrots.
  5. ¾ cup sliced onion.
  6. ½ cup zucchini chunks.
  7. ½ cup sliced green bell pepper.
  8. ½ cup red bell pepper, sliced.

What is pasta primavera made of? ›

Pasta Primavera Ingredients

Feel free to substitute with what you have on hand and what is in season. Fresh veggies: Zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, bell peppers, red onion, and grape tomatoes. Flavor-makers: Garlic, dried oregano, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper, and fresh lemon zest.

What makes something primavera? ›

In Italian, primavera means spring, and this classic warm-weather dish is surely a favorite this time of year on account of its celebration of all things light and fresh. It takes little more than vibrant seasonal vegetables to make a meal primavera style, but most traditional interpretations pair it with pasta.

What does it mean when a pasta is vegan? ›

Most dried pasta does not contain egg, meaning that lots of brands are vegan friendly. Brands like De Cecco, Napolina and Barilla have products that have the exact same ingredient list. Other Supermarket own brands, like Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda, also carry pasta of all different shapes that are vegan.

How is vegan pasta different? ›

Fortunately, most traditional boxed pasta contains only one or two plant-based ingredients, such as semolina and enriched wheat flour. There are more creative varieties, as well; some manufacturers make pasta from rice, beans, legumes, sea kelp, and sweet potatoes, among other vegan ingredients.

What is the difference between vegan pasta and regular pasta? ›

Pasta dishes are almost always vegan-friendly. There are many different pasta types, most without animal ingredients like eggs. But some of your favorite types of pasta may not be vegan because there are types of pasta that are made with eggs, flour, and water.

Is vegan pasta healthy? ›

Plant-based pasta portions weigh in heavy on the healthy scale. That's because they retain the nutritional components of the plants they're made from. Not only is each pasta on our list a natural source of nutrients such as iron and calcium, but they're also excellent plant-based sources of complex carbs and protein.

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