Italian sausage pasta primavera is a staple on the menu at our house – quick, easy, flavorful and super adaptable to whatever vegetables are in season. You can also choose to make it without the sausage or with chicken or another protein – this is one of those recipes you can really make your own.
Italian Sausage Pasta Primavera is a staple meal at our house, especially during the summer when I can use whatever our garden is producing at the time. I love that it’s easy to adjust the vegetables to whatever is in season– it’s one of the reasons (besides flavor!) that I come back to it again and again.
It’s also easy and quick (start to finish is 20-30 minutes, depending on what prep is needed for the veggies) and like most pasta dishes is wonderfully inexpensive.
How to Make Quick Pasta Primavera
Here are the ingredients I used for this meal (all the veggies from the garden – yeah!):
- Sliced red and yellow peppers
- sliced and quartered zucchini
- onion
- corn,
- green beans trimmed and cut into two inch pieces
- fresh basil and garden garlic.
I always use garlic and onion while the other vegetables and herbs change with the seasons. You will also need whipping cream, butter, olive oil and Parmesan cheese (yes, it’s OK – we use a little with the benefit being that the real fat keeps us satisfied so we don’t raid the cupboard 2 hours later- that’s the joy of real food).
A pound of pasta and Italian sausage round out the ingredients, but of course the sausage could be left out for a true “pasta primavera” (which would lower the cost, as well) – but then my family wouldn’t like it, ha!
Brown the sausage in a large 12-inch skillet in about a tablespoon of olive oil (you’ll want a large pan to hold all the vegetables).
TIP: I want crisp vegetables, but I’m not willing to add the time (and dirty dishes!) needed to do each vegetable separately, so I have a certain order I cook them:
- garlic and onion are first after the meat has browned
- then add the veggies that need the most cooking next (green beans, carrots, onions, cauliflower)
- work down through to the one that need the least (red peppers, zucchini, broccoli)
In the example shown here, add the green beans after the onion has sauteed for a few minutes and then cook for about 2-3 minutes. Then add all the other vegetables, as they really only need cook while the sauce is thickening a bit- these vegetables shouldn’t be cooked too much.
Add a tablespoon of butter and pour in a cup of whipping cream, and cook a bit to start the sauce thickening somewhat.
Add about 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan and the chopped basil leaves, and cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken a little.
Or until you just can’t wait any longer.
Serving Italian Sausage Pasta Primavera
Mix the vegetables with the drained pasta and serve with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.
This is a true one-dish dinner that you don’t need any side dishes for, but if you are wanting one, I’d go with one of these salads:
- Orange Almond Salad with Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Kale Cranberry Salad Recipe with Feta & Pecans
- Classic Caesar Salad & Dressing Recipe
Italian Sausage Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 to 6 cups total vegetables of choice, chopped and diced (green beans, broccoli, peppers, carrots, etc.)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs basil, chives, thyme OR 2 teaspoons dried
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot according to package directions, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, brown sausage in olive oil. Add garlic and onion and cook a few minutes.
- Add other vegetables according to the amount of time needed to cook (for example, green beans and carrots need more time than peppers and broccoli), sautéing with the meat for a few minutes each. If using dry herbs, add at this point.
- Add the butter and whipping cream, and stir over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain pasta when done and keep warm.
- Add the fresh herbs, if using, and the 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Continue to cook until the sauce thickens somewhat, about 5 minutes
- Mix the sauce with the pasta (in either the pasta pot or vegetable sauce pot, depending which is bigger) and serving in the pot or transfer to a large bowl or platter. Top with more grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
- Spring: asparagus, onion, carrot, broccoli
- Summer: corn, green beans, zucchini, red peppers
- Fall: red peppers, tomatoes, green beans
- Winter: carrots, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower
Nutrition
Other Easy One Dish Dinners to Make:
This recipe has been updated – it was originally published in October of 2009.
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Erin says
Hi Jami,
I made this for dinner tonight since we’re overrun with zucchini, squash, and green beans at the moment and it was delicious! My husband is the real cook in the family and inevitably when I cook, it’s a little bit of a let-down. 🙂 Not the case with this dish!
Thanks for sharing!
Erin
Carolina Country Living
servantsheart says
This looks delicious!
jenelle says
Ah this is one of our favorite dishes too. I make the sauce a bit different though. Once I have saute’d the veggies, I sprinkle a bit of flour over the top and cook it with the vegetables a bit. Then I add 2 cups of what ever kind of milk I have on hand, and cook until it thickens.
I am not opposed to the cream, I just usually don’t have it around, and this is one of my favorite end of the week meals where I can toss in what ever vegetable odds and ends I have left. I call it “Clean out the fridge pasta”. Sounds delicious doesn’t it? 🙂