Summer Pasta Primavera
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With roasted tomatoes, zucchini, and corn, this pasta primavera is an ode to summer.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
I realize the title of this dish is a bit of an oxymoron — the word “primavera” means springtime in Italian. But, generally, when we think of pasta primavera, we think of pasta with a chorus of vegetables from any season. With roasted tomatoes, corn, and zucchini, this pasta primavera is an ode to summer. It is a modern version of the classic pasta primavera made popular in the 1970s by Le Cirque restaurant in New York City that a NYT food columnist called “by far, the most talked-about dish in Manhattan.” The dish is rich in flavor so I serve it as a main course, but it also makes a fantastic side to grilled chicken or Italian sausage.
What you’ll need To Make Summer Pasta Primavera
Classic pasta primavera is made with heavy cream, but this version gets its richness from a combination of olive oil, butter, and pecorino romano cheese. Toasted pine nuts add more rich flavor and crunch. For the pasta, most short noodle shapes will work – good options include fusilli, penne, farfalle, gemelli, or campanelle.
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, combine the tomatoes, shallots, garlic, olive oil, salt, and sugar on the prepared baking sheet. Toss with your hands or a rubber spatula until the vegetables are evenly coated.
Arrange the vegetables in a single layer and roast at 450°F for about 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes are starting to brown.
Remove the pan from the oven and add the zucchini and corn. Toss with a rubber spatula (the tomatoes will collapse; that’s okay) and spread into an even layer.
Roast for 5 minutes more, until the zucchini and corn are tender-crisp.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente and drain.
Add the pasta back to the pan, along with the roasted vegetables and all their juices. Add the butter, herbes de Provence, red pepper flakes, pecorino Romano, basil, and pine nuts.
Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Spoon into pasta bowls and drizzle with olive oil, if desired. Serve with more grated cheese. Enjoy!
Pasta Primavera Video Tutorial
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- Fusilli Alla Caprese
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
Summer Pasta Primavera
With roasted tomatoes, zucchini, and corn, this pasta primavera is an ode to summer.
Ingredients
- 1¼ lbs (2 pints) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch chunks
- 1½ cups fresh corn kernels, from 2 ears corn
- 12 oz fusilli (or similar shape) pasta
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (see note)
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup grated pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving
- ½ cup tightly packed basil leaves, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.
- Combine the tomatoes, shallots, garlic, olive oil, salt, and sugar on the prepared baking sheet. Toss with your hands or a rubber spatula until the vegetables are evenly coated. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes are just starting to brown. Remove the pan from the oven and add the zucchini and corn. Toss with a rubber spatula (the tomatoes will collapse; that's okay) and spread into an even layer. Roast for 5 minutes more, until the zucchini and corn are tender-crisp.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain, then add the pasta back to the pan. Add the roasted vegetables and all their juices to the pasta, along with the butter, herbes de Provence, red pepper flakes, pecorino Romano, basil, and pine nuts. Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Spoon into pasta bowls and drizzle with olive oil, if desired. Serve with more grated cheese.
- Note: Herbes de Provence can be found in the spice section of your supermarket. Most markets carry it but if you can't find it, dried thyme may be substituted.
- Note: To toast the pine nuts, put them in a dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden in spots, about 3 minutes.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 540
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Sodium: 695 mg
- Cholesterol: 27 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I’ve made this twice now for dinner parties. It is delicious and healthy and I’ve gotten so many compliments. Last time we doubled the recipe so we could have leftovers. Yum!
I’ve made this many times. Definitely a favorite. Could the vegetables be roasted and frozen for later use?
Yep good idea!
This is a delicious change from a traditional pasta salad. I loved the sweetness of the corn. I reduced the salt slightly, added red and yellow bell peppers to the tomatoes, and added the garlic with the zucchini and corn so that it wouldn’t get too brown, but followed the recipe otherwise. The leftovers the next day were excellent.
Hi Jenn…we so enjoyed this amazing recipe! I’m going to double it and bring it to a barbecue this weekend. I have to swap out the pine nuts due to an allergy. What type of nut would you recommend to replace them? Thanks in advance!
This would be nice with pistachios or slivered almonds. And glad you like it!
I printed your recipe for-well it doesn’t matter because they are all so incredible! I did make one of the pasta recipes and it was to die for. Please put out another cook book. I only have four million other cookbooks that I can throw out now! You are the ONE!! Haven’t made anything that my family isn’t crazy about. Mary C.
❤️❤️
Absolutely delicious! I made this last night for family and the pasta received rave reviews. We have an abundance of garden vegetables at the moment, and the balance of cherry tomatoes, corn, zucchini, along with the pasta was simply lovely. The basil and pine nuts added at the end rounded off all the amazing flavors. Great recipe!
Delicious! I did not have the basil or the pine nuts, but this was a great summer dish, I used a box of barilla tri-color rotini.
One of my absolute FAVORITE summer meals. The only thing I do differently is add asparagus tips in place of the zucchini. It’s such a fresh, light, satisfying seasonal supper. Don’t forget to pair this deliciousness with a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc, everyone! Thanks as always, Jenn. Always on point!
Absolutely delicious!!!! Thank you.
This was absolutely delicious! Jenn, if you only knew how often your name comes up at meal time, as we use SOOO many of your recipes! This will be at the top of my recipe pile, with an easily garnered “10 stars” from everyone at my table! Thanks!
Loved this! Doubled the recipe for a family gathering. My uncles went back for seconds and thirds, then asked for the recipe.
Fantastic pasta recipe. Easy to make. I followed the recipe exactly as provided. We’ll be having this again soon.
I’ve made this twice. Second time for the neighborhood picnic. I couldn’t find my pine nuts in the freezer, so I used walnuts that I ran thru the food processor for a couple pulses. I added a few tbs of diced sun-dried tomatoes for a little more zing. On the first roasting my veggies get really caramelized and I liked that. Super great dish.
This was a wonderful dish! So flavorful and satisfying but not heavy. Perfect pasta dish for summer! Definitely a keeper!
This Pasta Primavera salad is another keeper! I have not been disappointed yet!
Thank you, Jen for recipes, instructions and delicious ideas❣️
Just made it and followed the recipe. Absolutely delicious! Next time I will use my largest sheet pan so the veggies get more roasted, but it still turned out great. I can always count on your recipes. Thanks for another winner!
Made this last night and my family loved it! Absolutely delicious!
Made this recipe tonight and was so yummy! As I was putting things away I realized that I did not add in the butter ~ was still so good, and since I have high cholesterol, missing the butter without actually missing it was wonderful! Will make again (may try to add a bit a butter next time 🙂
This pasta dish hit the spot on so many levels. It’s very tasty, especially the next day. It’s fast and easy to make, and it’s another great way to cook zucchini. Thanks for sharing.
I printed this out a few months ago and finally made it this evening. My husband and I absolutely loved it!! He said it was “restaurant quality”! We also discussed the taste, ingredients and other aspects of the dish and both agreed it is perfect as it is! I served it with the arugula salad with lemon and Parmesan reggiano and it was a very complimentary salad. Thank you for the BEST recipes!!
The only change I made to this recipe was a reduction of the amount of sugar and I am happy with that change. This dish was outstanding! The roasted vegetables and fresh and dried herbs were a heavenly combination. I highly recommend this recipe….it is delicious…..like so many others from Jenn. Thanks.
I gathered all my ingredients and got started on this right away. I thought I had Herbes de Provence but when I looked in my spice cabinet, I only had Bouquet Garni so I use that instead. It turned out delicious! I also added some cut up turkey breast for an additional protein and made this as a main meal. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks, Jen!
So tasty!!! Served this with beer can chicken and it was great. . Even my daughter who does not typically like pasta salad raved about it. Definitely a keeper.
What a lovely summer salad. Cook the tomatoes and veggies in my air fryer and they came out beautifully. I lowered the temperature by 25° since it’s so close to the heat. This was so good and easy to make on a summer evening.
I just made a double recipe of this when family visited for the week before the Fourth. SO good – enjoyed by young and old alike. It made a very large quantity and this recipe was the favorite of the leftovers at lunch the next day. Thank you, Jenn – your recipes are always enjoyed!
Can this be served at room temperature? Can it be made ahead of time?
Thanks.
Yes and yes. 🙂
Hope you enjoy!
The best summer zucchini dish ever!!! I love and so does my family!!!!
I purchased your digital cookbook and found this recipe while flipping through to determine what should be on the dinner menu for this evening. It was a hit and had such great flavor! Around minute 15, I used parchment paper to cover the vegetables roasting in the oven because the shallots were beginning to brown too much, and I didn’t want to burn them. It worked really well, and the dish turned out beautifully. To finish my dish, I cooked some cut up chicken tenderloins seasoned with some salt and pepper and then added the chicken to the dish. Thank you for adding another dish to my dinner rotation!
This is one of my favorite summer pasta recipes. Last night when I was contemplating ingredients in my fridge, I pulled out this recipe and substituted the corn and zucchini for asparagus and peas. The rest of the recipe I pretty much followed completely. The result was a success with compliments from my husband and son and hardly any leftovers (the biggest compliment of all)! I’ve named it Spring Pasta Primavera.. Thank you for the original recipe and inspiration Jenn!
Could you add rotisserie chicken to this for an entree?
Sure!
This was so delicious! I love your recipes. But it always take me three times as long to make 😅. I’m just on the slower side I guess. Thank you so much!
Best summer pasta recipe ever. It was delicious. Going into the rotation. Thank you!
Another excellent recipe, I will be keeping this in my rotation this summer and passing along! Also very easy to alter for my vegan daughter who is home from college. You are always my go-to!!
Fantastic recipe. I prepared it as a make ahead side, and observed it room temperature, and still delicious. Used the full lb of pasta in the box and just increased the tomatoes and shallots a bit. This is a repeat recipe!
With the exception of the cheese, the pasta and a few of the spices everything was fresh picked out of our garden, even the garlic, and the corn!! This dish was a hit. I paired it with Marry Me Chicken by the Modern Proper, a garden salad with roasted butternut squash, and a few bottles of wine and garlic bread. What could be better? Mmmmmmm Ina Garten brownies for dessert? I invited 2 other couples to join, I had never previously made either of the dishes and was super surprised with my first bite. I think my eyes lit up when I exclaimed “This is really good!” Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. I love your cookbook.
Do you think this is best served immediately or made in advance and served cold/room temp.? I’m sure either works, just would like your professional opinion? Thanks! Love all of your recipes; haven’t tried one yet I’ve not enjoyed.
Hi Andi, it’s truly good hot, cold, or at room temperature, but if I had to pick, I’d probably say hot is my favorite. Hope you enjoy it!
This was delicious!! Made no changes. The roasted tomatoes were everything.
I am wondering if anyone has added Italian sausage to this? I was thinking that might be tasty? I love the veggie version, but my husband is a meat-eater, and I thought the sausage would appeal to him.
Did you try that? It sounds good.
If I wanted to make this in steps how far in advance could I roast the veggies and then mix with cooked pasta at later time?
Hi Janice, You could roast the veggies up to 2 days ahead. Enjoy!
Would this go well as a side with your Parmesan Crusted Chicken recipe or your Easy Parmesan Chicken?
Hi Heather, It’d be really good with the Parm Crusted Chicken. 😊
Ok great, thanks! What about your Easy Chicken Parmesan recipe? Would it go as a side with that one?
It would work, but I think it’d be better with the other one.
Ok, thank you for answering all my questions! 🙂
This may be a silly question but do you need to boil the corn first or put it in the oven raw off the cob with the zucchini?
Not a silly question! You put it in the oven raw. Hope you enjoy the pasta!
This was so good we went back for seconds and thirds! No fusilli in the house so I used gemelli, no shallots so used red onion. Added a bit of dried tarragon, rosemary and oregano as well as thyme for the herbes de provence. Parm instead of pecorino. Even with the substitutions, this was so tasty! Perfect summer produce pasta.
Very yummy and easy to assemble. Can’t wait for leftovers.
This recipe is Summer in a bowl! I was able to use tomatoes, basil and zucchini from my garden. I love the addition of pine nuts too. Will definitely make again.
Delicious! Will make again and again.
I made this last night for myself. I was so tickled by how sweet and yummy it tasted. The roasted veges were so yummy. I don’t usually care for the little tomatoes but, I committed to the recipe and followed it except I added asparagus and broccolini for fun. OMGoodness, such a delicious wonderful meal warm and then, cold the next day for lunch. Thank you again for another fabulous recipe.
Not crazy about zucchini. What, if anything, can be substituted?
Hi Alan, you could use more tomatoes and corn. Another option is to replace the zucchini with eggplant. If you do that, I’d roast the eggplant the entire time along with the tomatoes, etc. I’d love to hear how it turns out!