I’m totally a sucker for one-pot meals. I mean, fewer dishes? Less fuss and muss (whatever “muss” is)? I’m in. So when I saw one-pot pasta floating around Pinterest awhile back, I was intrigued. I made Martha Stewart’s version pretty much immediately, and I loved it. And, because I’m a food blogger and this is what I do, I tweaked and fiddled. This One-Pot Pasta Primavera is one of my favorite outcomes so far.
I love the concept of one-pot pasta. Essentially, you put all the ingredients into the pot, including the uncooked pasta and water (or broth). And then you cook, tossing constantly, for several minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked off and the pasta and accompanying veggies are tender, perfect, and saucy.
This One-Pot Pasta Primavera is perfect for spring. With tender asparagus tips, broccoli florets, and a smattering of peas, it’s got lots of green to go around. Onions, mushrooms, garlic, and parsley add a little more oomph and flavor. True to classic Pasta Primavera form, we make it a tad creamy by ending with a bit of cream (just a splash!) and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
A few tips for one-pot pasta success:
- Use a heavy, roomy pot. There will be lots of stirring and tossing.
- If you have them, use long-handled tongs. Short handles keep you a little too close to the heat. Ouch!
- Select a dried pasta that has a cooking time of between 9-11 minutes. Otherwise, you may end up with under-cooked pasta, or worse, mushy mush.
- Once it starts boiling, be sure to toss and stir constantly! Otherwise the pasta will start sticking, and clean-up might make you sad.
This post was originally published on March 17, 2014.
This creamy, saucy pasta overflows with spring green veggies. But the best part is that it cooks up in a single pot--in just under 10 minutes!
Ingredients
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 8 ounces linguine, uncooked
- 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin
- 1 pound broccoli crowns, cut into large florets (about 2 cups)
- 1 1/2 pounds asparagus, ends snapped off and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 ounces sliced white button mushrooms (about 1 cup)
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (less for milder heat; more to increase heat)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 1 small handful fresh parsley, chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
- Additional Parmesan cheese for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Add the broth, linguine, onion, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to a large pot set over high heat. Drizzle the olive oil over the top.
- As soon as it comes to a boil, set the timer for 7 minutes and start tossing constantly with long-handled tongs.
- Continue boiling and tossing. As soon as the 7 minutes is up, add the peas, parsley, heavy whipping cream, Parmesan, and lemon zest and continue cooking, tossing constantly, for 1-2 more minutes, until the pasta and veggies appear tender. Remove from heat.
- Note that much of the liquid will have evaporated, but not all. And that's okay! Let the pasta sit for a couple of minutes to cool; the sauce will continue to thicken during that time. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese.
About Kare
Kare is a home cook, vegetarian, and mom who coexists with her otherwise carnivorous clan. Her blog, Kitchen Treaty, helps mixed-diet families keep the peace. Read more from Kare →
I totally screwed this up. I accidentally poured the cream in first with everything else and I think it cause my noodles to stick bad. I don’t even think its edible. I will be trying this again one day.
Will this work with penne pasta?
Love this recipe! One dish to clean up. It’s always worked perfectly for us. Thanks!
This is delicious. My first one pot pasta and not last one. Even my meat eating husband liked it.
Made this today and it was absolutely delicious!
Love this dish, have made it every week since discovering it here, but I double the recipe!
Okay, now for the grammar police. Your second sentence: So when I saw one-pot pasta floating around Pinterest awhile back, I was intrigued.
“awhile” is an adverb meaning “for a while”, because “while” is a noun in your sentence it should be separate from the “a”.
Probably a typo, but it’s a common mistake, so I thought I’d repay the favor of a great recipe with a little language tidbit.
Ha, thanks for the tidbit! 🙂 Glad you like the recipe.
I love this dish! Have made it two or three times and it’s always a hit. So easy and delicious!
All I can say is THANK YOU… This really is superb, tasty and easy.
Any chance of getting the nutritional info?
Thanks,
Isher
This is a seriously good one pot pasta recipe. Wow! I made it tonight and my husband and I both LOVED it. Thank you. It’s definitely going to be a regular in our house.
I have made this several times now and LOVE it. It is so easy, and so good! Don’t skip the lemon – it is PERFECT!
Hi! This recipe for One Pot Pasta Primavera looks great! Do you have the nutritional info on it?
This is wonderful. With cream and reggiano it’s a sure winner. I pulled the broccoli and doubled the asparagus. The lemon was a nice kick.
Any suggestions for another veggie besides asparagus? My daughter won’t eat it if it has asparagus in it!
I loved this and so did the family.
I used everything except asparagus.
I added rosemary/oil bread and can’t say how yummy it was.
Next time might add Grilled chicken.
This is truly wonderful! Simple and quick to make, only one pot to wash, and healthy and delicious to boot! Truly everything this working mom wants for a weeknight dinner. Thanks for a real keeper!
Not a great recipe. Firstly, 20 minutes is a very optimistic estimate. Secondly, it definitely shouldn’t take 7 minutes on high to cook asparagus or broccoli–wish I’d noticed that before starting. As it was, I was frantically fishing out limp, overcooked vegetables for the last 4 minutes.
I tried this recipe today and I liked it. Thank you!
Really enjoyed this recipe! Made it with whole-wheat spelt penne. Now realize I forgot the peas. Will be making it again soon, thank you!
Can I also use single cream for this recipe?
Thank you!! 🙂