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Summer Pasta Primavera

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With roasted tomatoes, zucchini, and corn, this pasta primavera is an ode to summer.

Fork on a blue plate with pasta primavera.

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

ingredients for 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.

tossing tomatoes, shallots, and garlic with oil and seasoning

Arrange the vegetables in a single layer and roast at 450°F for about 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes are starting to brown.

roasted tomatoes, shallots, and garlic

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.

adding corn and zucchini to roasted tomatoes

Roast for 5 minutes more, until the zucchini and corn are tender-crisp.

roasted summer vegetables for pasta primavera

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente and drain.

draining pasta for pasta primavera

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.

mixing the pasta with the other ingredients in pot

Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

mixed pasta primavera in pot

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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Summer pasta primavera on a blue plate with a fork.

Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)

Summer Pasta Primavera

With roasted tomatoes, zucchini, and corn, this pasta primavera is an ode to summer.

Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • I have been waiting for fresh corn to make this dish, and wow- well worth the wait. Easy, delish dinner that even my picky kids loved.

  • Had planned on making this recipe to get rid of a lonely and unwanted zucchini – surprise no fresh tomatoes. I used a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes instead. I debated whether to drain the tomatoes or not and finally decided to include the juice too. It worked and we were able to enjoy this wonderful pasta. (The original recipe is a 5 star too)

    • Thanks Jen…..we loved this pasta salad…..I roasted chopped red and yellow peppers and it was delicious!!! I’m also want to try Every recipe on your site!!! You’re the best Jen!!!

  • This was fun to make and tasty and satisfying! I had to use Roma tomatoes and red onion because those are what I had on hand. Also used a whole pound of pasta and was able to get two lunches out of it for our family of four. Thanks, Jenn!

  • Substitute with parmesan cheese. turned out excellent nevertheless.
    really easy and delicious recipe!

  • Made this for a second time, cooked the corn and squash a little longer than suggested and doubled the pinoli nuts after the first time. Wife and I Love this dish. Served it with side a steamed artichoke and some grilled chicken thighs.

    • What great additions to serve by its side! Thanks for the idea. Will like to do the same next time.

  • Excellent, followed the recipe exactly. I use a convection oven so I would roast the tomatoes a little less and same for squash/zucchini. Used tricolor rotini and served it with some grilled hot Italian chicken sausage and some grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs. Fam loved it, grandkids even liked it.

    • — Raymond J Leone
    • Reply
  • Jenn, this looks wonderful. Two questions: 1) Can I roast the veggies a day ahead of time and 2) can it be served at room temperature?
    Many thanks.

    • Hi Macky, Yes and yes! 😊

      • Oh wow, have you ever made my day. Thank you so much.

  • Tonight was a Once Upon a Chef dinner: cioppino, summer pasta primavera and the plum galette. Everything turned out simply delicious! My goal is to try every single recipe. Already through about 30-40 percent. Thank you so much Jenn for making cooking such a joy.

  • Greetings Jenn,

    I found your site (blog?) accidentally awhile back. I fell in love with your recipes and the fact that as a professional chef your recipes are incredibly delicious yet unfussy. As a home cook, I love the fact that someone with your training is kind enough to share your expertise with everyone. Consequently, when you created your cookbook, I bought it IMMEDIATELY and LOVE IT❣ I missed your book signing here in DC. I do hope to meet you in person just to say “thank you” for sharing your talent with the rest of us. This is my first-ever review. Please forgive the its length. This recipe was in my email and decided to make it this afternoon. LOVE AT FIRST BITE🤗🤗🤗

    You are fabulous.

    Peace & blessings,
    Sunni☀️

    • Hi Sunni, thanks so much for your incredibly sweet words–so glad you enjoy the recipes! xoxo ❤️

  • I didn’t use exact measurements (since pasta salad very forgiving) but followed ingredients and it turned out great. Thanks for the recipe – you can teach old dogs new tricks!

  • Another of your marvelous recipes. Made exactly as written. The flavors are complex and the texture is terrific. I added roasted shrimp for a protein and it was sensational. Thank you again!

  • I made it exactly per the recipe the first time and it tasted like pasta sauce. The second time I just roasted the veggies and added some Japanese eggplant. I liked it even better. Great recipe! I think the little bit of sugar is the magic ingredient.

    • Just made this for dinner. SO YUMMY!!! My husband said it would be okay with him if I made it everyday! A great way to use all those summer vegetables. Thanks Jenn! I’ve tried many of your recipes and all have been delicious!

      • So good….a bit of prep work but worth every step. I love your recipes.

  • Hey Jenn–

    We made this tonight and loved it! I was wondering if I were to double it for a party would I need to increase the roasting time? If the vegetables still fit in an even layer than I probably wouldn’t need to, right?

    As everyone else who comments says, I love ALL of your recipes. You’re amazing.

    Thanks for the help!
    -Kellie-jo

    • Hi Kellie-jo, So glad you like the recipes! Yes, if the veggies are in a single layer, increasing the recipe shouldn’t affect the roasting time too much. You may just need a few extra minutes. Hope that helps. 😊

  • This is the best past primavera I have ever eaten, and I made it!! 😎

    Flavors were perfectly balanced. (Now that I have discovered herbes de provence, I will look for other opportunities to use it.)

    I cannot wait to make this recipe for our family lobster fest. I’m sure it will be a hit!

    Thank you!!

  • Wow! Jenn……….this pasta is fabulous! Everyone here loved it! Definitely a keeper. Thanks so much for all the great recipes!!

  • This pasta is delicious! I halved it for the two of us. I had a couple of leftover strips of good bacon that I chopped and added, and that gave it even more flavor. I used a mixture of green and golden zucchini. I didn’t have the cheese it called for, but always have Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggio on hand, and it worked well. Couldn’t find the fusilli at my store, so I used mini farfalle.

    It took a bit of time to prepare, but well worth it. I will definitely be making this again in the summer as I love using vegetables from my garden!

  • OMG..killer pasta! Made it this afternoon and, if there’s any left :), I plan to serve it tomorrow with hamburgers on the grill.
    Love your recipes…and the easy to follow directions. I print the ones I use and I am needing a bigger binder
    Thank you
    Lucy W
    Sheridan, WY

  • This pasta looks fabulous. Can you serve it as a pasta salad at room temperature or cold?

    • Yep 🙂

    • My hubby loves pasta and I love roasted veggies. The two combined were fabulous in this recipe! Made exactly as written and we ate it warm. Definitely hearty enough for a main dish. We thought it was a bit salty, but we have been trying to cut back our sodium intake and that is likely why. I will cut back the salt a bit next time as the pecorino is also delightfully salty. Can’t wait to make this again with plentiful end of summer produce. The addition of fresh sweet corn is delightful! Thanks, Jenn, for another winner!

      • — Christine H. on August 13, 2022
      • Reply
  • Made this recipe last night. What a treat! The flavors were excellent and actually, even better was the smell of roasting the veggies. Loved the sweetness the tomatoes and corn brought to the dish. There were a few small changes that did not effect the dish at all. I need to avoid dairy, so I substituted the Romano cheese with Follow Your Heart Parmesan (Vegan). Nothing is as wonderful as cheese, but when you cant use it, the new fake options are doing a good job of getting in the neighborhood. I roughly halved the entire recipe since I was cooking for two and this turned out to be ample, with leftovers for lunch the next day, and the pasta I used was whole wheat since that was the only Fusilli I could find and it was not too course and held onto the wonderful little bits perfectly. Seems like I go through phases where I can not think of a single thing to make for dinner. This website has bailed me out so many times. Such great recipes! Thank you Jenn Segal!!!

    • So glad you enjoy the recipes, Janiene!! ❤️

  • Hi Jenn, I just tried it and I love it, absolutely love your recipes. Thank you so much❤️❤️❤️

  • FReakin-a Jenn!!! This was so delicious!!! I had to modify slightly and my husband said best pasta ever!!!

    I added shrimp cause we love it. I used Roma tomatoes cause that’s what I had. I used Tuscan dried seasoning. I used aged hard Gouda. I also grilled on the gas grill so I didn’t heat up the house. Amazing!!! Thank you!!! ♥️

  • Devine!! While putting the sauce together, I added 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, some of the pasta water, some fresh spinach and a little extra olive oil. Delicious!! Very flavorful! This is a keeper!! Thanks so much!!

  • Your cookbook is the best, love your website, and always look forward to receiving your Thursday emails with delicious, new recipes to try. I am anxious to try this primavera recipe; however I am unable to eat corn due to health issues. What may I substitute for the corn?

    • ❤️
      So glad you like the recipes! You can use more zucchini or more tomatoes in place of the corn. If you’d like to use something different, yellow squash or diced bell peppers would work nicely too. Hope you enjoy!

  • Excellent! I made a few changes (omitted cheese and butter due to dietary restrictions), used diced Roma tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes, and added mushrooms (because they needed to be used). A surprisingly easy meal, using ingredients that were already on hand, and yielded fabulous results. I will be making this often both for company and just for us. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.

  • Fab-u-lous!!! Even my picky teens loved it! I did have to substitute the herbes de Provence with dried Thyme and left out the pine nuts – but nonetheless it was YUMMMMY! Adding it to my go-to list as we speak!

  • Can you serve this at room temperature? I would like to prepare ahead of time for my book club.

    • Definitely, I’ve served it that way. Enjoy!

  • With all the fabulous reviews, I am definitely going to make this recipe this weekend. One question: I’m going to grill some sausages for the carnivores in my family. Any suggestions of what type of sausage would go best with the pasta? Thank you!

    • Hi Pam, I’d do spicy Italian pork sausage. Hope your family enjoys!

    • Just finished making this and I’m waiting for my daughter to come home for dinner. I HOPE there’s some left for her. Is THAT good! I made it as close to the original recipe as I could. I had to substitute yellow squash for the zucchini because the store was sold out of zucchini. Everyone must have seen this recipe online and rushed to the store for the ingredients before me. Lol
      Also, I used 1/2 teaspoon red pepper instead of 1/8. We like a little heat.
      This will definitely become a summer go to dish. Thanks for all your great recipes!

  • Do you think parmesan would make a good substitute for the pecorino?

  • This was so delicious—made it exactly as written, except increased the corn, because we love corn! Used best quality cheese and fresh picked basil from our garden. Made it with Trader Joe’s Red Lentil Gluten Free Pasta—absolutely amazing!

  • Hi Jenn
    I want to make this but cant seen to find pecorino romano cheese. Would you please suggest
    a substitute?
    Thanks
    Donna

    • Hi Donna, Parmigiano Reggiano will work nicely. Hope that helps! 🙂

  • I made this and loved the flavors, but I really hate the rolled up tomato skins that are left after the roasting process. I’ve heard of plopping a tomato into boiling water for a minute to take the skin off, but they seems a little crazy with grape/cherry tomatoes. Any ideas?
    Thank you—Jenn P.

    • Hi Jenn, That’s the only way I know how to do it; they do pop right out of the skin after being boiled and then shocked in cold water so I don’t think it’d be too tedious. Hope that helps!

  • I made this with grilled sausages for a bbq this weekend. Everybody enjoyed it. I had not have cherry tomates so used four large which I cut into 1 inch cubes. I ran out of corn so omitted and added I yellow pepper and two large handfuls of spinach when the pasta was hot to add more vegetables. I will definitely make this again. So quick and easy.

  • This recipe is one of my husband and I’s favorite pasta recipes! It is super tasty and easy to make. I frequently make it for our work lunches. I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone who loves vegetables and pasta!

  • This is one of our favorite Jenn recipes! We make it year round (using frozen corn in the winter and roasting the veggies a bit longer after adding it)!

  • One of my all time favorite recipes from Jenn’s blog! Absolutely delicious, so flavorful, beautiful and easy to make. I love to make extra so I can have leftovers for lunch.

  • This is a super hit recipe with our family. My kids keep coming back to this recipe and they have asked me to make this so many times . Simple , delicious and super yummy.

    • — Madhuri Krothapalli
    • Reply
  • This was delicious! I made it as written and the only thing I would change is to put less garlic as I had big cloves and it was too much garlic, but I love the veggies with the crunch of the pine nuts. I’ve made it twice now!

  • Also – Is the corn roasted raw off the cob or cooked first?

    • Hi Linda, You’ll remove the kernels from the uncooked ears before roasting them. Hope you enjoy!

  • This was FANTASTIC. I mixed it up with the veggies a bit based on what I had in the fridge (no shallots, added carrots and string beans) and cooked them a bit longer; also substituted Parmesan cheese. Hands down the best pasta dish I’ve made and a new favorite. THANK YOU!

  • I do not have access to shallots, could I substitute yellow onion? What amount?

    • Sure, Linda – I think one large (or 2 small) yellow onions will work well.

  • I am obsessed with Jenn’s recipes and my family and I have loved every one of the many we’ve tried. This pasta is just ridiculously good. My 11 year old and I made it together in about 35 minutes and everyone, from my picky vegetarian teen to my meat loving husband, cleaned their bowls and begged for more. I can’t stop thinking about which friends and family members I can share this with. Thank you so much Jenn! You’ve brought so much joy into our house.

  • Delicious summer recipe! My whole family loved it. It makes quite a lot, but the leftovers held up very well. I opted to omit the butter at the end and used pasta water instead. Turned out great. Thanks!

  • Well Jenn you have done it again ….make me look fabulous in my family’s eyes! This dish is a perfect summer meal! I’m trying to do more plant based eating and was shocked when my hubby and son raved about it and then took 2nds and 3rds! Now I’m a bit upset I don’t have anything to eat tomorrow 😕.

  • Will this work with coarsely chopped big red tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes?

    • Sure Daria, that will work. Hope you enjoy!

      • It did, and it was AMAZING! My kids still refused to eat it (because it was delicious, I suppose), but I don’t care! More for me! 🙂 Definitely entering our frequent rotation list. Thank you Jen – your recipes are amazing!

  • Delicious summer dinner! I love the idea of adding fresh mozzarella mentioned in an earlier comment. Will make again and again.

  • Delicious!! I did add 1/2 cup pasta water as another reviewer suggested. Yummy enough for company.

  • We made this last night and really loved it. It is a perfect summer dinner. My husband, who is a novice cook, made it mostly by himself and had no problem following the recipe. It looked exactly like the photo and tasted fabulous! We will definitely make it again.

    • — Katherine Scruggs
    • Reply
  • O. M. G. Jenn, this might be the best recipe of yours I have made – and I have made a lot of them! If you are reading this review, make this immediately!

    The roasted tomatoes are the best part – they come out super sweet and with an amazing flavor. I roasted the veggies over the weekend and then put the rest of it together on a week night for a fast meal. I added pre-cooked chicken sausage to it to please my husband, but it really doesn’t need that in terms of flavor if you’re looking for a vegetarian dish. Served with arugula/corn salad with lemon and Parmesan for a complete meal.

  • Jenn, this salad is next-level good. I’ve used tricolor rotini (for more color), added a bit more zucchini for more veg and it turned out great. Pairs well with a mild Italian sausage.

    • — Kristin (Chicago)
    • Reply
    • Jenn, an update! I’ve made this so many times, and tonight I made some substitutions that I think I will keep forever. I used a chopped yellow onion because I had no shallots and after checking if your roasted green bean recipe was done at the same temp and time as this one I added green beans cut in halves or thirds. Flavors were more defined and people ate more tonight than ever before! The green beans added another veg that made this dish even more dynamic. Thanks again for such great inspiration!

  • This was fantastic! Easy to make and very tasty. I reserved a bit of the pasta water to increase the sauciness, which worked well, and also added some bococcini balls. Delicious.

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