Chef John's Pasta Primavera

This recipe is FANTASTIC for so many reasons. I've been making this for about 3 years in every season because I can, because it's so healthy, and because my family and friends all love it. I added the friends part because my kids take the leftovers to school in a thermos and their friends fight to share it with them. Funny, my family wouldn't enjoy half of the vegetables on their own but somehow love it in this combined dish. Do chop ALL the vegetables and have them in prep dishes as well as having all the other ingredients readily available before starting the cooking process. It helps tremendously in the timing, speed, and enjoyment of making this dish. No need to flood the reviews section with ideas to delete or add ingredients, just go green in whatever you have available and let the basil sauce blend it all for you. This is the second recipe (after no kneed bread) that got me hooked on the wonderful world of Chef John. Enjoy ...you have just stumbled on a goldmine.

What's not to love about a pasta dish packed with healthy vegetables? I felt great serving this to my family.

This recipe lends itself well to modifications. I reduced the olive oil to 1\3 cup to cut calories. I found it was lacking in salt, so you may wish to add some extra. I didn't have jalapenos, so I skipped that step. I added broccoli instead of snap peas because that's what I had on hand. To keep the zucchini from getting mushy, add it with the asparagus at the end. I found 3 cups of broth to be too much; if I make it again, I will reduce it to 2 cups.

What a surprise! Delicious! I admit I was hesitant looking at all these green vegetables chopped up thinking there was no way my family was going to like this. My husband was skeptical, too. Also, at first it seemed like way too many vegetables for the pasta. Then I was chopping jalapeño thinking this is going to be hot. And then cutting the huge bouquet of basil from the garden thinking this was going to be wayyyyy too much basil flavor. The odds were stacked against it all in my mind, but I trusted the reviews, and Chef John has never steered me wrong. Glad we did! Everyone was surprised and LOVED this dish! It doesn't taste anything like what you think it will based on the individual ingredients. It comes together magically flavorful and filling. Even if you don't like one of the ingredients, you probably won't notice. My step-daughter said, "I don't like zucchini, but I like this 'cause there's hardly any zucchini in there"--to which my husband replied, "Keep believing that." Haha. What a great way to "get your vegetables."

We have been snow and cold bound in the Northeast this winter. Yesterday was the first warm day of the winter. We spend the entire day outside and then came home and made this AMAZING pasta dinner. This recipe is perfect as written. Not even one change is needed. Be sure to use fresh vegetables and really GOOD cheese. I used a combo of Parm and Asiago which I grated by hand. I will be making this again and again in the warmer months.

I give it a 4 only because I make a few alterations, so cannot comment on the original recipe. Changes: I use my homemade pesto instead of the garlic-olive oil-basil ingredients; the pesto provides essentially the same flavors plus a bit of thickening from the pine nuts or walnuts. Other main change: I would first boil the pasta (I recommend Bionaturae whole wheat spaghetti, and don't dismiss the idea until you try it. Available, at about 3 bucks a pound, from Amazon), then stir fry everything in a big wok, adding the veggies in the order of leeks, onions, and peppers first, then the other stuff. But that's just me.

I wasn't a huge fan of this recipe. I wish there would have been more sauce to the dish. Also, I thought there was way too much greens. Maybe more colors to the dish.

I just made this recipe the other night and it was so delicious!! My teenagers even ate it!! Perfect dinner for a cold evening. What's even better, it's full of healthy vegetables so I didn't feel guilty eating the pasta.

Use less chicken stock. Perhaps 2 cups so result will be less soupy. I used 2 garlic cloves as recommended - and I love garlic - but the cloves were large and strong in flavor and so they overpowered the basil sauce - so just a tip to taste the strength of your garlic first or just add 1 Clove to start with and then see if you'd like to add another. . Cook veggies less than recommended time - I prefer peas and zucchini with a bit of crunch to them. I don't care for food that is over salted so I always use sodium free chicken broth so I can control the salt/flavor. This dish is definitely lacking in salt/seasoning. Granted the Parmesan does add a bit of saltiness. I'd suggest salting your pasta water well and adding salt to taste if you used sodium free stock. I also think using only two cups of stock will help with the whole salt issue - won't be as diluted. A great dish you can feel good about serving your family, especially. One last note - I'm admittedly a basil freak - but I would use a VERY large bunch of basil, otherwise the basil flavor gets lost a little for my tastes. And I'd save some fresh basil to sprinkle over the too of the dish as well.

Made this last night. It was delicious! Husband kept going back for seconds.

Very good. I didn't have everything but went with what I had and it was awesome. I will try it again when I have it all. I did add some broccoli and little sweet peppers along with asparagus and snow peas. Wonderful. The chopping up takes longer than anything. Worth the trouble.

This is absolutely delicious! And the brilliant, fresh green color of the herbs and veggies dazzles.

Wow, this was delicious. It had the perfect amount of everything and we had a ton of leftovers. We also just tried Chef John's Italian meatballs and I've got to say we're hooked on his recipes and can't wait to try more!

Excellent. Made for St. Paddy's day dinner. All enjoyed. No need to blanch the basil because it gets blended into sauce. Use a strong, sharp cheese.

I add some kale to this!! Super

delicious, varied this since I did not have leeks or fresh basil, I used a pasta seasoning. I added extra green onions,fresh broccoli, brussel sprouts and extra parmesan cheese (I love cheese and wanted extra veggies). Also used chopped garlic instead of cloves aside from that it turned out great

Outstanding! I loved the fresh flavors.

Loved it

I made this today. It is a little labor intensive, but the next time, I know it will seem easier. I really didn't think I would like this. The basil, olive oil, broth mixture just did not seem thick enough for my tastes. One complaint: I wish the amount of basil was stated. Basil is a very strong flavor and while I love basil, the amount really makes a difference. Stating "a bunch" is specific enough and too much can ruin a dish IMHO. I substituted broccoli for the zucchini because my son doesn't like zucchini. I let the whole dish sit for a minute under foil and then brought it to the table. I put more cheese on because I didn't think it had enough flavor, but I took a small helping more and wow, what a difference a few minutes made. I really like this dish and my husband did too. I personally think that broccoli was a better addition than zucchini would have been. It has so much more flavor and it did not overpower the other veggies. What a delicious dish. Will make again.

This was excellent. Followed the recipe 100% and I wouldn't change a thing. I did not cut the asparagus in half vertically like he did in the video because I didn't want to spend that much time cutting each stalk, but it was still cooked to the perfect tenderness.

This recipe is absolutely delicious! I love that it is "Green"! I did not have English peas, but I had some fresh Garbonzo beans (green), so I used those and it made the meal complete! I will make this again!

This is delicious...the pesto like sauce is amazing. I substituted spinach for the zucchini. Far easier to make than it seems when skimming the directions.

Made as is and added diced grilled chicken. Loved it!

This recipe is great; give you a health and tasty alternative to the usual white and red sauce. One tip if you are using low sodium chicken stock you need to add more salt. Mine came out a little on the light side. I added more cheese as well. This is another great recipe from Chef John.

Pretty tasty, with lots of fresh veggie flavor. I think I would cut the chicken broth down to 2 cups total next time, as the sauce was a little runny for my tastes.

This was sooooo good! I usually shy away from recipes with so many ingredients, and so much prep, but this recipe intrigued me, and we had almost all the ingredients in the fridge just begging to be used up. The sauce was somewhat thin, but I thought the flavour was delightful. And although there are a lot of steps to the preparation and the cooking, it is definitely worth it. And the fact that you can sub any veg just makes it all the more appealing. Give it a try, it's delicious!

Amazing! I used fresh garlic and herb linguine from the farmers market. My boyfriend looked doubtful when he saw how many vegetables were going into this, but he just finished his second helping!

Great for spring! The bite of the raw garlic was a bit much for me so I used a few cloves of roasted garlic the second time. Delicious!

Loved all the fresh vegetables. I added baby bellas , too. My family said it was delicious! Will definitely make this again.

Amazing, the best new recipe I've made this year. Highly recommended and I used every ingredient and step by Chef John. The amount made is huge but our family of four devoured the entire big bowl immediately. Well done!

It's vegetarian and every body loves it. You got to try it!!!

I needed more salt and seasonings but that's easy enough for you to do on your own; otherwise followed the instructions to a tee and it came out great.

The whole family likes this and leftovers went quickly! I didn't use the jalapeno since my kids don't like spicy food but it still had a nice flavor.

I followed the recipe except for using Trader Joe's Spinach and Chive Linguine to make the dish green throughout. (Perfect for St. Paddy's or Green Eggs and Ham celebrations!) Hubby, who hates asparagus, loved it. We did choose to add some salt after serving, but that's a matter of taste. Another winner from Chef John!

This was so god! Especially since we are waiting for spring. I had to half the veg because my husband is not so into veggies. I would have loved it with it with what it called for, really awesome.

Made this tonight, of course I modified because I didn't have the peas or zucchini. I used yellow squash instead and really enjoyed it. Will make again that is for sure!

Absolutely delicious!

I loved it just the way it is.

I had 4 friends coming, so I wanted something special for our early warm day supper, so I fixed this. We all LOVE spicy, and we all love the flavor of jalapeno, but it just seemed to detract HUGELY from this dish. I'll try it again, perhaps, sans the jalapeno !

Fabulous recipe and it's healthy to boot. I've made this recipe twice now, and I agree with other reviewers who state that not as much chicken broth is needed; two cups is fine. Don't skimp on the grated cheese!

I forgot to get basil and left out leek as I wasn't a fan. Used dried basil instead. I am sure it is not as good, but I still liked it that way, so I'm pretty sure with fresh basil, it will be fantastic.

This was time consuming but I cut everything up first and followe directions exactly (watching video helped) with the exception of reducing from 3 to 2 cups-- and it was absolutely delicious.

The veggie combination and basil sauce were great, but the stock was never fully soaked up so the result was a very watery pasta. Will do it again but with less stock.

This was a great spring recipe that is adaptable to many different greens you have on hand. However, you'll need to know when to add each type of ingredient so that it cooks the right relative to the rest of the mix. I suspect reviewers that found the recipe too runny did not let it sit under the plastic wrap for enough time for the pasta to absorb the liquid. Mine was not runny at all. Rather than leaving out liquid, just let it sit a little longer if it looks too runny.

Delicious! Took a little bit of work, but it paid off. I added some chicken, well... because I like chicken. Also added an extra half cup of chicken stock, because I like lots of sauce. I don't even really like asparagus or zucchini, but it was great! Highly recommended!

Divine!!!!! That's sum's it up!

I wish I had taken a photo.... I'll just have to make this *again*! Wow. I'm experiencing some dietary "challenges" and this arrived in my "Allrecipes Daily Dish" inbox today. Given my challenges it was a no brainer, except I didn't use any cheese (dairy) and I used brown rice fettuccini (wheat), instead. I thought this would taste "green" with some pasta thrown in for make-believe. I even tossed some chicken breast on top so that it would help me to choke it (all the green,) down. The asparagus at the store looked too thick, so I used (blanched,) chopped French green beans instead. And the store didn't have any leeks (wth?) so I used 1/2 of a small red onion finely chopped. I read all the reviews first and because I was only making this for two, I only used half of the basil/garlic/oil/chicken stock. I didn't even bother with anymore liquid except for some olive oil to sauté the onions, etc., first. Because I blanched the snap peas and green beans in the water (after the basil) first, all I did was add the basil/garlic/stock//oil to the pot to heat up real quick after I strained the pasta. Then, to the pot I added the veggies and strained pasta to the hot liquid, tossed, then covered for 5 minutes as per Chef John's instructions. Next time I make this, I am going to marinade colossal shrimp in lemon, oil and garlic for an hour, grill them, and then toss a couple (per serving) on top of this Primavera. Thank you, John! This was positively scrumptious! Mwah!

It was SO bland. I managed to eat enough to not be hungry. My husband and kids did not like this at all. There was way too much liquid and not enough flavor.

Just ok to me.

Made exactly as written....Do not despair! It takes about one hour for the juices to be fully soaked up by the noodles. Stir once every 15 minutes for one hour. Buy thick asparagus spears and chop the veggies a little bit larger than you normally would. I would have given this 5 stars if the directions were complete.

I can't really think of any thing I would necessarily change. It just want a big hit with my family. My mom refused to eat it. The rest of us ate it, but it wasn't our favorite. I most likely will not be making this again.

My daughter is very ill so I brought all ingredients with me to her place to surprise her & make something I knew we would enjoy together. Meal was absolutely fantastic!! Was concerned when I saw all the “extra” liquid. We let it rest & the pasta absorbed all the deliciousness!! Doubled recipe as I knew everyone was hungry. All went back again & again till it was gone! This is a recipe you should not pass up - so easy to put together & tastes soooo good!!

Use half basil and half baby spinach to enhance taste and make your own pasta. you never look back.

Very good! Definitely will make again!

I had been tempted by this recipe for quite a while, but had stayed away because of all the prep involved. I ended up making it recently, and while all the chopping did take a while, it was worth the effort. I made the recipe exactly as written, but really, I imagine that any combination of vegetables would work. I will definitely make this again!

frickin awesome, halfed it to serve 2, still overate. worth it

Loved it, the vegetables were cooked perfectly(instructions were spot on) the sauce was strong and tasty. Great Mediterranean dish that is light and healthy. I skimped on adding salt--will add more next time I cook it.

Ohh it's super delicious and healthy!

Pasta primavera is not supposed to be spicy. Skip the jalapeños. If you like a bit of heat, it is more “Italian” to add some red pepper flakes at the table, which allows each person to have it spicy or mild.

Lovely pasta primavera recipe! Everyone I've made this for has really enjoyed it! As written, I'd give 4 stars, just because the amount of basil isn't specified, and the recipe as written results in a bit too much liquid in the dish. After making this a couple of times, I've done as follows for the best results: 1. use at least 3 oz./2 cups of fresh basil; 2. use 1/2 cup of chicken broth in the sauce (instead of 1 cup); 3. add the zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon to the sauce to brighten the dish and add complexity to the otherwise somewhat olive oil-heavy flavor profile (the acid also keeps the sauce very green); 4. proceed as written until step six of the written recipe. Here, instead of adding some of the sauce to the veggies, remove the veggie mixture from the heat and drain off all of the broth, and then add the veggies and sauce to the pasta, as in step seven of the recipe. When covered and allowed to sit for 5 min., the sauce will be sufficiently warmed and the flavors will meld well in spite of skipping step six. Out of personal preference I also add some pine nuts to the sauce, double the garlic, and use a lot more parmesan on top. I've also found that the amount of saltiness in the dish is fine as written; you may even want to exclude the added salt if you're using normal chicken broth (not low sodium) and you've salted the pasta water well.

Chef John came through ... again! Seems like there was a lot of prep work, but it was so worth it. A wonderful dish, just as it's written.

easy and very tasty! loved it!!

This recipe as written is fantastic. Deviations can be made to equal praise and ease. I added at the last minute sliced grape tomatoes for color. I am already thinking about the next time I fix it with maybe shrimp. Delicious.

I made this recipe exactly as written. It tastes fine, but I had a problem with the sauce - it was too watery. The pasta never absorbed all the liquid. If I make it again, I will use less chicken broth, and also eliminate the sugar snap peas, as they are kind of stringy, and not very tasty. Some family members thought the jalapeno made it too spicy, but I thought the spice level was just right.

This was fabulous. Even my finicky toddler ate it! I added cooked chicken breast, omitting the leek (only because I didn't have one.) Super awesome yumminess.

Delicious!!! just as is!! maybe with a little more salt :)

Fairly easy to make and tasty.

I would go with only one jalapeno. I thought it was kind of hot. I did love all the green veggies in it tho. Especially the asparagus! Delicious!

Made this recipe exactly as written except subsituted brocolli for asparagus because of cost and used only 1 jalapeño instead of 2. It is delicious! Was a bit apprehensive about the mix of ingredients and time involved but well worth it. My teenagers and their friends even loved it. Will be making time and time again.

Absolutely delicious! I only used 2 cups of broth total, I think 3 would have been too much broth for the amount of noodles, and I also used a 1/4 cup of olive oil. Blanching the basil and blending it with chicken broth & garlic really gave the sauce an unique taste! It was quite the hit! Nice work Chef John!

Worked well. I might change a few things--difference veggies maybe--but it really was perfect for a light supper or with left overs, perfect for lunch.

I will definitely make this recipe again. It turned out well. I can't say that I measured properly but I did follow the recipe as best as possible.

Loved this recipe! I made a few small changes...,I omitted the jalepeno (I have young children), I added chicken while sautéing my leeks and lastly I added 1 Tbs of finely grated lemon rind to the oil/basil/broth blender mixture. I also used different vegetables (julienned carrots, bell peppers, grape tomatoes and snap peas.....they were in my fridge and needed to be used up). Will definitely make this again! Loved it!

Delicious. Lots of veggies and the sauce is perfect.

Four stars as I modified the recipe. Added white wine!!!!! A little more oil and the wine made a great sauce. Let the pasta finish cooking in it. Also, used a red chili instead of the jalapeno. Added mushroom b/c I didn't have zucchini. Lots of parm!!!

Came out phenomenal. The leeks and green onion are key. Another home run by Chef John.

I used my immersion blender to mix the basil/garlic/oil/broth. I also used veggies on hand - cauliflower made it wonderful. Will definitely make again.

Very bland, a lot of work. I'm a vegan but decided to make this despite the cheese because it got so many great reviews and I would love to find a meal that my meat loving husband and I could both enjoy. This recipe did not deliver. Many of my vegan cookbooks have more flavorful recipes because they know how to use spices and herbs. I agree with another reviewer who said just use regular pesto, skip the broth. Unless you are a creative and confident cook I'd say skip it all together.

I substituted my own pre-made pesto recipe for the basil/oil/garlic, but I did sautee and simmer the veggies in broth as directed. Then I topped it with diced turkey bacon. Loaded with veggies, lots of flavor. Delicious!

Adding well tasting color is what's missing. Steamed Cauliflower spuds and fresh flowered cut tomato grape is the attitude to invite.

I added more garlic, and did not have the peas. Used a yellow squash, and oyster mushrooms. So good I drank the sauce.

I made this dish, and thought it was so-so. My wife thought it was lacking in flavor and needs something to jazz it up a little. She suggested black olives, which is her favorite. Maybe someone has some thoughts about other options.

This was delicious and a very pretty green pasta dish. I often tailor a recipe to suit personal preference (no asparagus) and what I have on hand (wonderful frozen organic green beans, celery), so I did make a few substitutions. However, what is important to me is to note ingredient proportions and cooking method of a recipe, and ideas from the reviewers. My husband and I both liked this, and I will make it again - according to what's in the pantry!

I was really looking forward to this dish and all the great greens the recipe included. However, there was way too much liquid even after reducing by a cup. Also reduced the olive oil and added red and yellow bell peppers for some extra color. Love Chef John recipes but this is the first one to miss the mark for me.

Tastes delicious but I think I would go with one jalapeno next time, it was quite spicy ;D

Bland as written but easily adjustable. I recommend tripling the garlic, adding another jalapeño, increasing the cheese and/or salt, increasing the basil, adding pepper.

I'd make it again. In spite of all the veggies, the kids loved it!

This didn't come out well at all. I'm a big fan of veggies in all forms but I really disliked this result. Too much liquid and ended up just tasting like garlic.

March 23, 2017: 1st time made: Well impressed how visually, it exactly matches picture and the taste was pleasantly surprising . If you find flexing your knife chopping skills relaxing, you're in for a nice recipe prep time--especially for those with recipe step organization talents. Highly recommend finding ingredients from local farmer's markets. Made per instructions: Makes a meal for family of 5, with guests or you can gift neighbors / friends with some. Do use the powdery Parmesan cheese to help absorb additional liquids, with additional cheese taste being a bonus; worth using top shelf shredded Parmesan to top this Primavera--which I can see pairing beautifully with grilled or rotisserie chicken.

I made this recipe a couple of months ago. It was delicious, BUT........After I ate the pasta, all of the vegetables were still in my bowl. Next time, I'll be sure to use a short pasta so that I get a taste of veggies with each bite. I think that pasta dishes with smaller pieces of protein or veggies should be served with short pasta so that the diner gets a taste of both flavors.

Vitamin K filled meal that revels in subtle flavor. I stuck pretty closely to the instructions of the recipe, only deviating by adding some spinach to further increase the green density. Overall, the result is tasty, but the flavors are very mild. I may try this again with more spices added in.

I used gluten-free pasta and added shrimp. Delicious!

yes I did not add snap peas the rest was great it tasted great I would make it again

This was a great way to eat vegetables we don't often have. We found it to be a little bit lacking in flavor, next time I will try a little (or a lot) more garlic and some fresh ground pepper. I followed the directions as written except I added the zucchini at the end with the asparagus. Definitely worth a try.

Very flavorful and I love the mix of veggies!

Only added 1 cup of broth and all the pesto. More than enough liquid. Forgot to buy the zucchini but threw in 2 handfuls of baby spinach in the end. Also sauteed some shrimp before making the sauce and added that in at the end for a complete meal with a protein.

The flavor was okay, but the consistency was not right at all. It was better on day 2.

I made it as written, At the end I added 2 lbs. of shrimp sautéed in garlic and butter. Which made it perfect.

this is the 2nd time I've made this and it came out just right. I reduced the amount of broth by 1 cup and left out the jalapeños. My husband doesn't like jalapeños. I used 2 leeks instead of 1, but only used 2 green onions. Fresh and a little crunchy (snap peas)and really satisfying. A great Lenten dish. I really trust Chef John for providing tasty recipes.