This vegan pasta primavera recipe is loaded with fresh spring vegetables in a creamy dairy-free sauce. It’s light, bright, and satisfying. Great for lunch or dinner!
Pasta primavera translates to spring pasta in Italian, however the dish is actually American. A chef in New York City served this meatless meal with fresh vegetables, cream, and parmesan cheese over spaghetti.
My vegan version keeps all the yummy veggies but replaces heavy cream with coconut milk or your favorite dairy-free milk. You’ll love the delightful lemon cream sauce with fresh lemon zest and juice.
Next time you want an easy creamy vegan pasta try my dairy free fettuccini alfredo, vegan mac and cheese, lemon capellini, or tahini pasta.
Ingredient notes
This one-pot pasta primavera recipe comes together with a handful of simple ingredients. See below for my recommendations and suggested substitutions.
Pasta
You can use any type of pasta but I suggest penne, rotini, rigatoni, or even farfalle. To make gluten-free pasta primavera, use gluten-free pasta – that's it!
Veggies
My recipe calls for a combination of fresh spring vegetables like zucchini, squash, asparagus, shallot, peas, and tomatoes. Toss in your favorite veggies and make this dish your own like broccoli florets, garlic, red onion, or red bell pepper.
Sauce
To make pasta primavera without cream sauce, we're simply using coconut milk as an alternative along with veggie broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. If you're not a fan of coconut, feel free to use unflavored and unsweetened soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk.
Seasoning
I like to keep it super simple with savory Italian seasoning, slightly spicy red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to enhance all the flavors, and fresh basil to really take this recipe over the top.
How to make vegan pasta primavera
Find the full measurements and directions to this easy vegan pasta primavera in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Once cooked, drain, and set aside.
- Step 2: In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook the vegetables until crisp-tender.
- Step 3: Season veggies and pour in the sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer to slightly thicken.
- Step 4: Add cooked pasta to the pan, toss to combine, and serve!
Storage
Store leftover pasta primavera in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy chilled from the fridge or microwave until heated through.
If you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my veggie pasta salad, vegan pasta puttanesca, vegan macaroni salad, and vegan roasted red pepper pasta.
Serving suggestions
To serve, sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, or a dollop of homemade vegan pesto! This dish pairs perfectly with my kale crunch salad and iced peach green tea.
I hope you love this dairy free pasta primavera recipe as much as we do! If you give it a try, let me know what you think by leaving a rating and comment.
Vegan Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
- 10 ounces penne pasta
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large zucchini sliced into half moons or quartered
- 1 large yellow squash sliced into half moons or quartered
- 1 bunch asparagus chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup frozen peas thawed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta al dente according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain, and set aside.
- As the pasta cooks, warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, squash, shallot, and asparagus. Cook under crisp-tender, you don’t want the veggies to be completely softened, just cooked down so they still have a nice texture.
- Add the garlic, tomatoes, peas, lemon zest, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook for another few minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and coconut milk, bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Stir in the cooked pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Brandy says
It's a light yet satisfying dish, full of fresh vegetables. The colorful and crunchy texture of the vegetables pairs perfectly with the pasta. This recipe, made with vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, and broccoli, is both nutritious and delicious. When seasoned with olive oil and spices, it creates a simple yet impressive meal. It's a perfect alternative for those looking for a vegan option. It's healthy and can be prepared quite quickly. Plus, you can make it your own by adding any vegetables you like! Thanks for the recipe.