What better way to eat your veggies than to bathe them in a garlic and parmesan cream sauce and then wrap them in fettuccine! That’s right, this is my Kid-friendly Creamy Pasta Primavera Recipe and it’s marvelous. This version has kid-friendly veggies asparagus, carrots, and fresh corn kernels that get simply roasted in the oven for a toasty flavor. Then a 5-minute garlic, grape tomato, half and half, and pasta water sauce comes together. Cooked pasta is added with lots of parmesan cheese to create a creamy and luxurious sauce. Finally, the roasted veggies are mixed into all this goodness. In every cheesy pasta bite, you get earthiness from the asparagus, sweetness from the corn kernels and carrots, and fresh juiciness from the tomatoes.
USE VEGGIES YOUR FAMILY LIKES
My biggest advice when it comes to getting kids to eat veggies, is don’t sweat it. If your kids don’t like asparagus, swap in broccoli or another veggie they will eat. That’s what I did here, I used veggies that I know my kids would eat, such as corn and carrots. These may not be traditional in this recipe, but who cares! Make it your own!
Another tip for veggies, is to incorporate them into other recipes. I do this A LOT! I’m not necessarily trying to hide the veggies, but rather, trying to give them another flavor so that my daughters will see that they can be yummy. Here are some of the most successful ways that I’ve done this. My Easy One-Pan Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake with Zucchini cooks all in one casserole dish in the oven, so it really could not be any easier! It’s layered with pasta and sauce on the bottom, then chicken, zucchini, and cheese on top! Or my White Enchilada Casserole with Chicken and Veggies which layers in corn tortillas topped with chicken, onions, peppers, and zucchini, then cheese! How about a Creamy Chicken Sausage and Tortellini Soup with lots of veggies! Finally, try these delicious Lean Beef Meatballs with Zucchini!
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EQUIPMENT NEEDED
For roasting the veggies, you need a large sheet pan (I use a 17×11) and a large pot for cooking the pasta and then mixing everything together. I used a dutch oven for this, but any large pot or good quality enameled cast iron 5-6 quart dutch oven is fine.
You will also need a cutting board and knife. And mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
PREP-AHEAD STEPS FOR THIS CREAMY PASTA PRIMAVERA RECIPE
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
Prep all of the Veggies: clean and cut the asparagus, slice the carrots, prep the corn kernels, cut the tomatoes in halves, mince the garlic.
While roasting the veggies is technically a cooking step, you can definitely do this step 2-3 days ahead. NOTE: If you do this ahead, you will want to give them a quick toss in the pot after you drain the pasta, but before you start the sauce, so take the chill off of them before adding them to the pasta at the end.
Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. To a large sheet pan, add the carrots, asparagus, and corn kernels.
Drizzle with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss with your hands to coat everything with the oil and seasoning. Roast on the center rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and either set aside or store sealed in the fridge until ready to cook the dinner.
What other vegetables can I add?
The short answer is: whatever your family/kids will eat! The longer answer is: try to find a variety of colors and textures, but within the range of what your family will actually eat. Veggies that work with the roasting instructions here are red pepper, peas, zucchini, yellow squash, radishes, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, green beans, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, parsnips, beets, eggplant, or even radicchio. Cut up the veggies into similar sizes and total quantity as the ones in my recipe and enjoy!
Can I add chicken or shrimp?
Absolutely! If you want to add a protein to this, chicken or shrimp would both be terrific! You would want to either cook them in the pot after draining the pasta and before adding the garlic and tomatoes. Or roast it with the veggies. If you go the roasting route for chicken, add the chicken to the pan first and roast for 10-15 before adding the veggies and roasting then another 15 minutes. For the shrimp, they will roast for the same 15 minutes as the veggies. You can also add strips of steak to this recipe or simply pair the pasta with a chicken breast or piece of grilled steak.
COOK & FINISH YOUR PASTA PRIMAVERA
To save on dishes, I cook everything in the same large pot. Cook your pasta until al dente.
Save 1 cup of pasta water, drain the pasta and set it aside as you make the start of the sauce.
Using the same pasta pot on Medium-Low heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and halved tomatoes. Sautee for 4-5 minutes, stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the half and half and the reserved cup of pasta water, then stir to combine. Turn the heat off.
With pot removed from the heat, add the pasta and stir to combine. Add the parmesan cheese while stirring it into the pasta to combine. The cheese should combine with the half and half and pasta water to create a creamy sauce. If the pan and pasta are too hot, it will clump, so be careful with the heat.
Finally, add the roasted veggies into the pasta and stir to combine.
Can this recipe be made in advance?
Yes, but it will be MUCH better fresh. The sauce will get dry out if made too far in advance (even an hour ahead). If you do make it ahead, you can do so up to 4 days ahead. However, I recommend adding liquid and reheating it slowly on the stove while stirring the liquid in to rehydrate and make it creamy again. For the liquid, you can add 1/2 cup of half and half, milk, broth, or even just water. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch of salt or a touch more parmesan cheese if needed.
ENJOY! 😍 Carrie
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Kid-Friendly Creamy Pasta Primavera Recipe
What better way to eat your veggies than to bathe them in a garlic and parmesan cream sauce and then wrap them in fettuccine! This Kid-Friendly Creamy Pasta Primavera Recipe is a marvelous and easy family dinner. This version uses asparagus, carrots, and fresh corn kernels that get simply roasted in the oven for a toasty flavor. A 5-minute garlic, grape tomato, half and half, and pasta water sauce is mixed with pasta and lots of parmesan cheese to create a creamy and luxurious sauce. Finally, the roasted veggies are mixed into all this goodness. In every cheesy pasta bite, you get earthiness from the asparagus, sweetness from the corn kernels and carrots, and fresh juiciness from the tomatoes.
Ingredients
Roasted Veggies
- 2 cups Asparagus, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup Carrots, sliced
- 3/4 cup Corn (2 ears of kernels)
- 1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Pasta and Other
- 16 oz Fettuccine Pasta
- 1 teaspoon Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 5 oz Grape Tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup Half and Half
- 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
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Prep all of the Veggies: clean and cut the asparagus, slice the carrots, prep the corn kernels, cut the tomatoes in halves, mince the garlic.
Cooking Steps
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Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees
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To a large sheet pan, add the carrots, asparagus, and corn kernels. Drizzle with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss with your hands to coat everything with the oil and seasoning. Roast on the center rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and either set aside or store sealed in the fridge until ready to cook the dinner.
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While the veggies roast, bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Add a tsp of salt to the water and then add the pasta to the boiling water and stir so they do not stick together. Bring back to a boil and cook for 7-8 minutes until al dente. Save 1 cup of pasta water, drain the pasta and set it aside until ready to add to the sauce.
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Using the same pasta pot on Medium-Low heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and halved tomatoes. Sautee for 4-5 minutes, stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the half and half and the reserved cup of pasta water, then stir to combine. Turn the heat off.
-
With pot removed from the heat, add the pasta and stir to combine. Add the parmesan cheese while stirring it into the pasta to combine. The cheese should combine with the half and half and pasta water to create a creamy sauce. If the pan and pasta are too hot, it will clump, so make sure the pot is removed from the heat.
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Finally, add the roasted veggies into the pasta and stir to combine. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- While roasting the veggies is technically a cooking step, you can definitely do this step 2-3 days ahead. If you do this ahead, you will want to give them a quick toss in the pot after you drain the pasta, but before you start the sauce, so take the chill off of them before adding them to the pasta at the end.
