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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

  • This is such a fabulous dish. Many great flavors and seasonings make this a perfect dish. I didn’t have any pine nuts so I toasted some walnuts. Still delicious and crunchy. I will purchase pine nuts the next time that I make this recipe. Thanks for another flavorful dish.

    • — Diane on July 17, 2022
    • Reply
  • We are sweltering with triple digit temperatures right now in Texas. This recipe is perfect to serve during a heat wave. The minute my husband took the first bite he said: “This is really good”. The flavors and colors of all the fresh ingredients came together beautifully! I added some grilled shrimp, but it would be great all on it’s own. I suggest doing all the prep work in the morning and then it comes together very quickly in the evening. Thank you for another fabulous recipe, Jenn.

    • — Jean on July 17, 2022
    • Reply
  • Jenn is a culinary genius! Always the perfect amount of every ingredient as though she knows our taste buds better than we do! Lol!
    I love this recipe but then again, I love all of her recipes!

    • — Sophie on July 14, 2022
    • Reply
  • Made today for a girls lunch and it was excellent. I used orecchiette because that’s what had the most of and this recipe doesn’t disappoint. Otherwise made exactly as written. I actually went out in the early morning to the farm stand for fresh corn and local zucchini. The orecchiette were like little saucers with the other ingredients laying in there just waiting for my mouth. This is the perfect summer pasta. Basil and scallions (I always have fresh scallions as I trim the bottom about 2” and stick root side in soil and a few days later they’re about 3-4”) growing on the patio. This is a keeper. No need to refrigerate so great at room temp. Thank you, Jenn. You are the best.

    • — Judy Schell on July 14, 2022
    • Reply
  • Thank you, Jenn! I NEVER have to worry when I receive a recipe from you! We served the Pasta Primavera with barbecued pork loins for 10 people. Raves from all demanding the recipe. Easy and a guaranteed winner!

    • — Julie Schmiesing on July 14, 2022
    • Reply
  • A great vacation rental house summer meal as it can be adapted with whatever’s available in the house, farmer’s market and garden. I chopped up regular tomatoes, used 1/2 t of seasoned salt since there was no herbs de Provence, chopped chives from the herb garden, black pepper and Parmesan. The olive oil roasted vegetables (the foil covered sheet pan makes clean-up a snap) create a savory, jammy sauce that’s delicious. I look forward to making the dish in my home kitchen using the ‘correct’ ingredients but like so many of your recipes, it’s infinitely and easily adaptable! Thanks for another winner!

    • — Betsy on July 13, 2022
    • Reply
  • This was SUPER YUMMY! We’ve been doing Meatless Mondays for a few years now and finding options for the summer is a little more challenging than other seasons when I can get away with chili or soup. I don’t love pecorino-romano so I subbed in feta and shredded parmesan. I think next time I may grill the zucchini and corn first, may even try to do the tomatoes and shallots on the grill.

    • — Julie on July 12, 2022
    • Reply
  • Jenn, would this go with your sheet pan butter garlic shrimp if I served this cold or room temperature and the shrimp straight from the oven

    • — Carol J Winkelman on July 10, 2022
    • Reply
    • Sure, Carol, I think the two will pair nicely!

      • — Jenn on July 11, 2022
      • Reply
  • Summer in a bowl! Delicious! Your recipes never fail me!

    • — C on July 2, 2022
    • Reply
  • Fantastic! The roasted vegetables provided a richness so yummy my husband said “I don’t miss the meat at all”.

    • — Kaci on July 2, 2022
    • Reply
  • Hi, wondering if anyone has used the Banza pasta (GF) for this with good results?
    Looks so yummy!

    • — Laurie S on May 23, 2022
    • Reply
    • I used Barilla Gluten free pasta – my favorite brand. I’ve made it with both Barilla gf spaghetti and GF penne. Delicious!

      • — Maxine F on July 16, 2023
      • Reply
  • This recipe is yet another winner from Jenn! It celebrates summer and is made of all the things I tend to have on hand then, including fresh basil and cherry tomatoes. Every ingredient brings something to the flavor and texture party – the corn kernels are perfect as are the shallots and toasted pine nuts. Don’t forget to hold back some pasta cooking water at the end in case you need to add some back. Great depth of flavor, just so good! Thank you Jenn.

  • Just finished my second helping – absolutely delicious! Thank you Jenn!

  • I made this pasta recently for some friends and we all loved it! The flavours are so delicious, and the pine nuts are a perfect addition. I cooked the pasta until al dente and by the time I added all the other ingredients and mixed them together, I felt the pasta was a little over cooked. Next time I will drain the pasta a minute earlier. All in all it was soooo good.

  • Was looking on your website for a recipe to use some of my garden zucchini and cherry tomatoes. This sounded perfect! It was actually better than that…it was amazing!! Great combination of flavors and was so easy to make. I did have to substitute dried thyme for the Herbes de Provence, did not use the pine nuts, and had only frozen corn, but still it was absolutely delicious. I love that it can be served hot or cold. This will definitely be a regular summer time recipe! Thanks SO much!!

  • I love all your recipes. A lot of recipes don’t have enough flavor and I’m always changing them. Not yours, they are perfect! This was very flavorful but I didn’t like the corn. I guess because I’m Italian I thought corn was not right for this recipe. Next time I make it, I would omit the corn and maybe add mushrooms or eggplant.

  • This is delicious! Will definitely make again

  • I have a bumper crop of grape tomatoes and have been freezing them whole. Could these be used in this recipe? And if so, should I try to halve them before roasting?

    • Sure, I think they should work. And I’d thaw them before roasting (and cut then in half). Hope you enjoy!

  • This was a total hit. Thank you!!

  • Made this for first time. Didn’t change a thing, except for doubling the garlic. We love our garlic. Absolutely delicious! Very simple, and the roasting veggies smell great! Will become a staple at my home.

  • I’m taking this to a family gathering today. My kitchen smelled so good I had to do a taste test. This is absolutely delicious! The roasted veggies alone are mouthwateringly good. Highly, highly recommend this recipe. Thank you, once upon a chef!

  • Do you like this served cold?

    • Yes, it’s good hot or cold (or at room temperature). 🙂

  • Hi, I made this for a potluck dinner. It was the first dish to go. Everyone loved it. If I want to serve this non dairy should I add more olive oil instead of the butter and is there anything I could use instead of the cheese?

    • Glad this was a hit! Yes, you can use more oil in place of the butter. You can either omit the cheese or substitute it with nutritional yeast. (I haven’t used nutritional yeast but I know a lot of vegans will use it in place of cheese.) Hope that helps!

  • Hi Jenn! We just had this for dinner and it was delish! Served with Italian sausage and used tri-color rotini(cause that’s what I had ). Thanks for all the foolproof recipes!

    • — ELIZABETH KIPP
    • Reply
  • I just made a half order of this tonight. I scooped out a generous portion for one of our neighbours and my wife and I had the rest. It was exactly the right amount and everybody liked it.

    I made a few minor changes. There didn’t seem much point in having a leftover half zucchini so I used the whole thing. I didn’t have fresh corn on hand and substituted frozen. Also, I added the corn and zucchini with the other ingredients and baked the whole thing for 25 minutes. Worked out well.

    The pinenuts kind of get overshadowed by the other things, especially the corn, but they do add a subtle flavour.

  • Hi Jen!
    I did make this recipe and it was delicious. I added 2 carrots left in my fridge as well and some garlic cloves. I will definitely be making this again…..thanks

  • A winner. I made as written and used fresh produce. It was fast, filling and the 7 yr old ate it up!

    • — Mary Lew McCarty
    • Reply
  • Made this tonight, fantastic as expected!!! Will make again for sure!!

    • — Michelle Burch
    • Reply
  • Loved this recipe! So simple and easy. Had it with your best grilled chicken on top and it was the perfect summer dinner, all my kids devoured it.

  • The best pasta salad! We make it weekly..
    Thank you so much

  • This is my #1 summer pasta dish! Its fresh, great textures and its adaptable to alot of other fresh veggies I have in the garden or fridge. I always pair it with her recipe for sheet-pan garlic butter shrimp. Both super easy and simple to get a flavorful dinner!

  • I made this last night for my family. It was a big hit. Roasting the veggies gives them a really good flavor. I made the Artisan bread to serve with this. An outstanding meal!

    • — jackie tuckerman
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,

    Do I add all of the salt (2 teaspoons) to the tomato and shallot mixture? Or is part of that supposed to be reserved for the pasta cooking water? Thanks!

    • Hi Alina, The 2 teaspoons of salt are used in the tomato/shallot mixture. You put additional salt in the pasta cooking water. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy!

  • hi Jen, could this salad be served cold or at room temperature? thank you
    Barbara

    • — BARBARA RIDDLE
    • Reply
    • Sure – enjoy!

  • Hi jenn,

    I made this last night! It was delicious! What a great flavor the herbs de provence add to it! It’s usually the little things in your recipes that make all the difference. I just love it!

    Thank you!

    Kristen Berry

  • Absolutely loved this recipe! Do the leftovers freeze well?

    • Glad you liked it! I think this one is definitely best fresh, but if you have leftovers that you don’t want to go to waste you could certainly try freezing it. If you try it, please report back about how it is when you eat it the second time around. 🙂

  • This was the best pasta dish I have made in a long time! I randomly came across it googling “summer pasta recipes.” I love that the veggies are roasted verse sautéed as they had so much flavor and loved the addition of the corn! Already shared and have rave reviews from my family. Thank you!

  • I made as directed, except that I used a good Parmigiano-Romano I had at hand. It was delicious, and so perfect for a summer evening dinner al fresco! Thank you!

  • This is a wonderful summer dish…light and fresh tasting. I made it exactly as written, but in future I think I would add the zucchini and corn at the same time as the other vegetables. I would still cook the entire 25 or so minutes, stirring midway. I think the corn in particular would benefit from a little more roasting. This is all you need for a summer evening meal, with maybe some good bread. One note: I didn’t have herbes de provence on hand, so I looked up what it was made of, and mixed my own. Putting that on the shopping list.

  • This was REALLY good! I did add a medium baby eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (I had it on hand and didn’t weant to waste it) and upped the seasonings and olive oil just tad as a result, otherwise, made it exactly as written and it was delicious. It also reheated well, which I was sceptical about given the amount of butter. Definitely makes closer to six servings, especially if served with a side salad. I can’t say the tomatoes ever browned, and in my experience, roasting doesn’t ever make zucchini and corn crisp, so those seemed odd things to judge the doneness by, but if you just follow the times and the temp settings it will all tunr out good. I’ll definitely be making this one again and may add a couple of rosemary sprigs to the veggies as they roast. Cheers!

  • Absolutely delicious! My family loved it!

  • The flavor from the roasted tomatoes drives everything home wonderfully. I’m going to be one of those “I substituted” reviewers, and I apologize upfront. It’s roughly 90 degrees here and I was afraid my husband would divorce me if I asked him to run to the store one more time for me. I didn’t have shallots, so I used thinly sliced yellow onions. I had no zuchini nor fresh corn so I did without both. I had a couple of handfuls of spinach that I sauteed just to try and beef the dish up since I hadn’t the other two vegetables to roast. I also didn’t have Pecorino Romano, so I used Cotija cheese that I had on hand which turned out to be an awesome stand in. I was lucky enough to have just the right amount of pine nuts to toast and add. The flavors were a hit with my family. I cannot wait to have all the original ingredients and give it another go. I love your recipes and I thank you for providing the delicious framework that allowed for some substitutions.

  • The first recipe of yours that I made was the French Apple Cake, which is simply perfect.that was two years ago, and since then I have shared your recipe with dozens of friends, for everyone who tries it loves the simplicity and wonderful flavor
    During the past two weeks I have been staying at a friend’s home at the beach, and in that time I have made 3 of your recipes: Baked Ziti, Pasta Primavera (the addition of corn is brilliant👍), and Raspberry Ricotta Cheesecake. All were delicious. Your directions are so clear and precise and there is no question left unanswered. I was especially impressed at how well the cheesecake turned out because I initially was nervous about taking it out of the oven when the center was still so jiggly, but I trust your recipes and so I followed them to a “T” and was gratified when the consensus was that this cheesecake is a 10.!

    • — Barbara Dedman
    • Reply
    • So glad you like the recipes! 🙂

  • Delicious, and a perfect way to use veggies from our CSA.

  • Great recipe. One of our favorites!

  • Hi Jen,
    A friend passed along your chicken Marsala recipe which I thought was fabulous. I’ve loved every recipe of yours that I’ve made so far. Your Summer Pasta Primavera is, hands down, the best pasta salad I’ve ever had! It has the body of a great Italian entree, a little heat with the garlic/shallots/red pepper flakes, and the pine nuts, (while $$$) give it a nice bit of crunch. Simply fabulous. I’ll be making it again next week!!!!!! Thank you!

    • I made this summer pasta primavera recipe about three times. Every time, it’s always delicious and conforting. I will make this recipe many more times to come. It’s a simple dish to cook, but the flavors are there and it’s vegetarian. It was really appreciated by a friend who ate with me for lunch one day.

      • — Caroline Blais
      • Reply
  • So good!

  • Hi Jen
    Can I substitute the sugar for honey or even omit adding either?
    Love your recipes Jen and look forward to making this pasta fish tonight.
    Martine

    • Sure, Martine. It’s no problem to omit it. Enjoy!

  • This recipe was delicious! I made it as instructed minus the pine nuts. The flavor was incredible. I highly recommend making this!

  • Very good, I substituted asparagus for the zucchini and it was great.

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