Cheesy Vegetarian

15 Minute Creamy Pasta Primavera

This creamy pasta primavera is a quick and easy 15 minute dinner that’s packed with fresh veggies, with a creamy, cheesy sauce.

Pasta primavera with vegetables and a creamy sauce in a pan.

By the time it gets to dinner time, and the whole household is tired and hungry, I need something easy that can be cooked quickly. This 15 minute creamy pasta primavera is one of my favourite quick dinners. It’s packed with veg, full of different flavours and textures, and I can adapt the recipe to use up whatever’s in the fridge!

A portion of pasta primavera with lots of vegetables in a bowl.

15 minute dinner

I love super quick dinners, and it looks like you guys do too – my 15 minute mushroom stroganoff is still one of my most-viewed recipes ever. You are my people.

This pasta primavera ticks all the boxes:

it’s quick
it’s easy
it’s delicious
it uses whatever veg you have on hand
it can be adapted to your family’s tastes

Isn’t that just perfect? Pasta, veggies, and a cheesy sauce, in just 15 minutes. Bingo.

A fork taking a scoop of pasta primavera from a bowl.

What is pasta primavera?

In case anyone’s wondering what the ‘primavera’ part of this recipe title is all about – it’s Italian for ‘spring’. As you can probably guess, pasta primavera is usually made with lots of fresh spring vegetables. It’s full of vibrant colours and crunch.

I’m aware that it’s actually summer as I’m writing this (though the weather here would like us to believe otherwise), but that’s the great thing about pasta primavera. You don’t need to feel limited to just using certain vegetables – you can use whatever veggies you like.

Just use whatever’s in season / whatever’s your favourite / whatever you happen to have in the fridge and freezer. It always works out well.

What is primavera sauce made of?

A classic primavera sauce is made with butter, cream and cheese (doesn’t it sound dreamy?!). However, since I rarely have cream in the fridge, and I don’t like buying ingredients just for one recipe (the rest of the tub always ends up going to waste!), I use something else: cream cheese!

As the cream cheese melts into the warm vegetables, it creates an incredible silky, glossy sauce.

I usually use the garlic and herb stuff, as it automatically brings a lovely flavour to the pasta primavera, with no extra effort from me.

Pasta cooked with frozen sweetcorn and frozen spinach.

How to make pasta primavera

Step 1: Boil the pasta with frozen veg

Begin by cooking the pasta. I always like to add some frozen veg to my pasta, as they cook together in the same time, and it’s a low effort way to get some extra veg into your dinner.

This time, I used frozen sweetcorn and frozen spinach. I like the blocks of finely chopped spinach, as the little pieces stick to the pasta, and it gets some extra goodness into my kids without them even noticing it.

Other frozen vegetables you could use include frozen peas, peppers, mushrooms, or anything else you enjoy. I’m personally not a huge fan of frozen broccoli or frozen carrots, as they often have a bit of an odd texture. But just use your favourites.

Vegetables being sautéed in a frying pan.

Step 2: Cook some extra veg in a frying pan

While the pasta’s cooking, sauté some other vegetables in a pan.

I always aim to get as many different colours and textures into my pasta primavera as possible. Since the main flavour of the dish comes from the vegetables, it’s nice to get a bit of variety in there. The flavours really shine through.

This time, I used onion, asparagus, and tomatoes, as well as a good dollop of garlic paste (it’s quicker than mincing your own fresh garlic!).

The vegetables only need to be cooked for a few minutes, as you ideally want them to have a bit of bite.

Vegetables in a creamy sauce in a frying pan.

Step 3: Create the creamy sauce

Next up, the creamy sauce!

As mentioned, I always use my favourite secret ingredient to make a creamy sauce: garlic and herb cream cheese!

There are all sorts of ways to make a creamy sauce. A white sauce is easy to make using butter, flour and milk… but just melting a bit of cream cheese into the pan is even easier, and it gives such a lovely, silky sauce that coats the veggies beautifully.

I like to mix a bit of grated cheese through it too, to help to thicken the sauce, and to make it nice and gooey.

Step 4: Mix it all together

Once the pasta and frozen vegetables have finished boiling, just drain the water, and mix everything together. Then you’re all done!

A big bowlful of creamy pasta, with heaps of fresh veg, and a little extra cheese sprinkled on top… absolute heaven.

Creamy pasta primavera in a frying pan, with lots of vegetables.

What vegetables can you use in pasta primavera?

The exact selection of veg doesn’t really matter for this pasta primavera, so feel free to change up the recipe depending on what you have in the fridge (it’s a great fridge clearer).

All of these vegetables would work well:

peas
green beans
broccoli
tomatoes
sweetcorn
onion
asparagus
peppers
mushrooms
spinach
courgette (zucchini)

…or pretty much any other veg you have on hand – anything that can be boiled in about 12 minutes with the pasta, or sautéed for 5 or 10 minutes in a frying pan.

Whatever combination you go for, your pasta primavera is sure to be a winner!

A portion of pasta primavera in a bowl with parmesan and parsley.

15 minute creamy pasta primavera

This creamy pasta primavera is a quick and easy 15 minute dinner that’s packed with fresh veggies, with a creamy, cheesy sauce.

Course Main meal

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings people

Calories 645kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

185 g (~ 6 1/2 oz) pasta
75 g (~ 1/2 cup) frozen sweetcorn
3 cubes frozen spinach
1 tbsp oil
~ 15 spears asparagus (~ 150g / ~ 5 oz), sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic paste)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp garlic and herb cream cheese
50 g cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1/2 cup when grated)
2 tbsp water (you can use the pasta cooking water)
Salt
Black pepper

Instructions

Add the pasta, frozen sweetcorn, and frozen spinach to a pan with plenty of water, and boil until cooked al dente – around 12-14 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, and add the chopped asparagus, onion, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, then add the diced tomatoes.
After another 2 minutes, add the cream cheese, grated cheddar, and a splash of water. Cook for a couple of minutes until the cheese has melted and combined to produce a silky sauce.
Drain the cooked pasta, add it to the pan with the vegetables and sauce, and mix well to combine. Season to taste, and serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

15 minute creamy pasta primavera

Amount Per Serving (1 portion)

Calories 645
Calories from Fat 203

% Daily Value*

Fat 22.6g35%

Saturated Fat 9.8g49%

Cholesterol 42mg14%

Sodium 303mg13%

Potassium 816mg23%

Carbohydrates 87.2g29%

Fiber 8.2g33%

Sugar 9.4g10%

Protein 24.6g49%

Calcium 279mg28%

Iron 6mg33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1/2 the recipe.

Love a primavera? Try my creamy gnocchi primavera too:

The post 15 Minute Creamy Pasta Primavera appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Air Fryer Gnocchi (with Pesto and Mozzarella)

Ahh, gnocchi! Adorable little potato dumplings that taste like little pillowy clouds – soft and fluffy, like little hugs for your mouth. I adore gnocchi cooked with all sorts of flavours, and this easy air fryer recipe involves:

crispy gnocchi cooked in a creamy pesto sauce
roasted vegetables that are sweet and tender
gooey little pockets of mozzarella cheese
a layer of rich tomato sauce to bring it all together

Doesn’t it just sound irresistible?! It couldn’t be easier to make, and the classic Italian flavours are just incredible.

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables with mozzarella and pesto.

If you’re a regular reader here on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian, you might know that I’m not a fan of boiling gnocchi, and I usually cook it in a frying pan (see my instructions for frying gnocchi!). However, lately I’ve been experimenting with different methods – like baked gnocchi, and oven-roasted gnocchi. This time, I thought I’d use the air fryer!

Why Cook Gnocchi in an Air Fryer?

I use my air fryer several times a week, and I love it. An air fryer is essentially just a mini oven, so whatever you can cook in an oven, you can cook in an air fryer instead (and vice versa) – but it’s a lot quicker when there’s a smaller space to heat up.

Cooking this pesto gnocchi in an air fryer means you can turn it on, leave it to do its thing for a while, and return to perfectly cooked gnocchi. It’s a lot less labour intensive than cooking the gnocchi in a frying pan, and it’s quicker than using the oven. Best of both worlds!

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

gnocchi – any shop-bought gnocchi will work. I haven’t tested this recipe using homemade gnocchi, but I imagine that would work well too (though you’ll probably need to boil the gnocchi first).
vegetables – I used mushrooms, red onion and a yellow pepper. Any similar Italian-style veggies will work well.
pesto – I used a creamy basil pesto, but use whatever you like the sound of.
fresh mozzarella cheese
tomato sauce – choose your favourite tomato-based pasta sauce, or use your own homemade tomato sauce! It’s worth choosing a good quality sauce for this recipe.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you don’t have an air fryer, you could cook this recipe in a regular oven instead, or in a frying pan on the stovetop.

Recipe Video

Equipment

My air fryer is the Ninja Foodi MAX air fryer, which I really love, and I use it several times a week. I love how it has two separate baskets, so you can cook small or large meals easily. One of the baskets was enough to cook this air fryer gnocchi.

Here’s the one I have on Amazon:

Ninja Dual Air Fryer

I love the two separate zones in this air fryer!

If you’re in the UK or Canada, click the link to see a local product.

A bowl of air fryer gnocchi on tomato sauce.

Printable Instructions

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables on tomato sauce.

Air Fryer Gnocchi with Pesto and Mozzarella

Air fryer gnocchi, with creamy pesto sauce, gooey pockets of mozzarella, and roasted veggies. This vegetarian meal is so easy!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 22

Total Time 32

Servings people

Calories 663kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

2 Tbsp pesto (I used a creamy basil pesto)
2 Tbsp water
120 g mushrooms (~ 6 medium mushrooms)
1 bell pepper (I used yellow)
1 red onion
500 g (~1 lb) gnocchi
250 g (~ 9 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
340 g (~ 1 cup) good quality tomato pasta sauce

Instructions

Add the pesto and a splash of water to a mixing bowl, and mix well to thin out the pesto a little. This will help it to coat the gnocchi nicely.
Chop the mushrooms, pepper and red onion into bitesized pieces, and add them to the bowl, along with the gnocchi. Mix well to coat everything in the sauce.
Transfer the mixture to your air fryer, and cook at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Stir the gnocchi, and cook for a further 10 minutes.
When the gnocchi and vegetables are nicely crisped up, add the torn up mozzarella cheese to the air fryer, and cook for 2 more minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Heat up the tomato sauce – I warmed it in a bowl in the microwave, but you could use a pan on the stovetop instead, if you prefer. Serve the crispy air fried gnocchi on top of the hot tomato sauce.

Video

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this recipe in advance?

You could easily mix up the gnocchi / vegetables / pesto in advance, then store the mixture in the fridge until you’re ready to air fry, just before serving.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

I generally reheat any leftovers in the microwave. If you don’t have a microwave, you could also reheat in the air fryer or in a frying pan, but bear in mind that the sauce will dry up a bit if using these methods, so you may need to mix in a little water to freshen it up.

How should I serve air fried gnocchi?

This recipe can be served on its own, without any additional side dishes. However, if you’d like to serve something on the side, a simple salad would be a great addition.