Skinny Pasta Primavera
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jan 27, 2025 
Skinny Pasta Primavera Recipe – This easy one-pot pasta primavera recipe is loaded with fresh veggies and features a lighter cream sauce, but tastes just as rich and decadent as the original!
The Best Skinny Pasta Primavera Recipe
Today’s Skinny Pasta Primavera Recipe is a twist on a classic Italian-inspired recipe, with loads of fresh seasonal vegetables, a mindful cream sauce, and lightened-up pasta.
While the traditional version typically includes a heavier parmesan-based sauce, we’re using low-fat cream cheese to achieve that same tangy, creamy goodness that you love for our lighter pasta primavera.
It’s a vegetarian pasta dish that is both refreshing and rich and is perfect to enjoy on a warm evening for an easy dinner or as a satisfying lunch. It is fresh, vibrant, and bursting with cozy appeal… Your kids will gobble it down as if it were made with heavy Alfredo sauce!
And BONUS: it’s super quick to make and is a perfect one-pot wonder!
Ingredients You Need
- Fusilli pasta – or other pasta you prefer
- Red bell pepper – cut into small pieces
- Snow peas – halved
- Broccoli – cut into florets
- Carrots – sliced
- Cream cheese – softened to room temperature
- Garlic – minced
- Scallions – chopped
- Zucchini – sliced and halved
- Fresh thyme – or dry
- Salt and pepper – just a pinch of each
- Parmesan cheese – grated
How to Make the Best Skinny Pasta Primavera
- Start by boiling the pasta according to the package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, go ahead and prep all of the veggies.
- When the pasta is almost cooked to al dente, drop bell peppers, carrots, snow peas, and broccoli florets into the boiling water to blanch for one minute. Drain the pasta and veggies in a colander, while reserving 2 cups of pasta water. Rinse the drained vegetables and pasta with cold water, and set aside.
Pro Tip: You don’t want the veggies to cook through, just to soften and brighten in color.
Get the Complete (Printable!) Skinny Pasta Primavera Recipe Below. Enjoy!
- Then, using the same pot for cooking, make a quick creamy sauce using reserved pasta water, garlic, and cream cheese.
- Lastly, toss the pasta and sauce together with fresh scallions, raw zucchini slices, thyme, and grated parmesan cheese if you like.
Ta-da! Healthy never looked so good!
You can serve this dish warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Variations
- Pasta – While we recommend fusilli, you can use just about any hearty, medium-sized pasta for this recipe. Some similar shapes include rotini noodles, penne pasta, or elbow macaroni.
- Gluten-free – I used organic whole grain pasta, but you can use any type of pasta you like, even gluten-free and high protein varieties made with legumes.
- Skinnier Primavera – To make this an even lighter pasta recipe, use low fat or nonfat cream cheese for the sauce.
- Without Dairy – Use your favorite plant-based vegan lowfat cream cheese replacement.
- Veggies – Primavera in Italian means “Spring Style” and the spring vegetables are squash, broccoli, carrots, and red peppers, but of course, you can add any vegetable that you would like to this pasta dish! Asparagus, yellow squash, sweet peas, onion, and cauliflower are all great options as well.
- Protein – We’ve kept this a vegetarian pasta dish. But feel free to add cubed or shredded chicken or turkey, cooked and chopped ham or bacon, cooked shrimp, or other proteins you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Primavera is the Italian word for “spring.” The dish was traditionally made with fresh veggies from the spring harvest, and is a delicious way to celebrate the light and bright flavors of the season!
Leftovers are fantastic for up to 4 days kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and can be reheated or enjoyed cold.
I do not recommend freezing this dish. The cream sauce will not hold up very well to freezing, thawing, and reheating.
Looking for More Delicious Vegetarian Recipes?
- Zesty Greek Pasta Salad
- Vegetable Pot Pie
- Gobi Manchurian
- Saag Paneer Recipe
- Vegan Fruit Pizza
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Grilled Vegetable Kebabs with Fajita Butter
- Chunky Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Grilled Fruit Salad with Creamy Lime Dressing
- Avocado Pesto Stuffed Shells
Get the Complete (Printable!) Skinny Pasta Primavera Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Skinny Pasta Primavera Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried whole grain fusilli pasta, can sub gluten-free or high-protein pasta
- 1 cup red bell pepper cut into small segments
- 1 cup snow peas, halved
- 1 cup small broccoli florets
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 2 cups reserved pasta water
- 4 ounce cream cheese low-fat or nonfat
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chopped scallions
- 1 cup sliced zucchini, halved
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- salt and pepper
- grated parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Place a large stock pot of water over high heat. As the water begins to boil, add a tablespoon of salt. Stir in the pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- When the pasta is almost al dente, drop the red peppers, snow peas, broccoli, and carrots into the boiling water to blanche for one minute. Then drain the pasta and veggies in a colander, reserving 2 cups of pasta water. Set the pasta water aside and rinse the pasta and veggies with cold water.
- Using the same pot, place the pasta water, cream cheese, and garlic over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and whisk to create a thin smooth cream sauce. Once the sauce is completely smooth, add the pasta and blanched vegetables back to the pot. Stir well to coat the pasta.
- Toss in the chopped scallions, raw zucchini slices, and thyme. Stir to incorporate. Taste, then season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
I made this for dinner tonight, along with a couple small grilled chicken breasts. We really enjoyed it, light and creamy. The only thing I might do different next time would be, add a little chicken bouillon to the pasta water when adding the cream cheese. But, might just leave it the way it is too. You guys do have the best recipes I have found, and have tried several. Thank you
This is an outstanding pasta primavera and it looks soo good & sound too delicious as well……! I will trying to make it tonight dinner…Thanks for sharing….!
Today I made this delicious pasta primavera while meal prepping for the busy week ahead! This is the perfect cool-weather recipe for lunch or dinner.
What a bright and delicious summer dish! Will totally make it again.
This is one of my family’s favorite pasta recipes! I come back to time and again and is a staple in our house. Thank you SO much for the beyond delicious recipe!!!
Love all those veggies you snuck in there!
Love this fresh spring/summer pasta!