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This One-Pot Pasta Primavera is a quick & easy take on the traditional dish—hearty, creamy, veggie-packed, and all in just one pot! Vegan, Gluten-Free & Oil-Free.
Ahh, the simple joys of a creamy bowl of pasta primavera…so light and fresh in flavor, yet such a hearty and satisfying meal. “Primavera” means springtime in Italian, and thus the dish is traditionally loaded up with all of the best spring vegetables. Jam-packed with a plethora of colorful spring veggies, this One-Pot Pasta Primavera definitely lives up to its name!
INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION
Pasta Primavera is an American dish that was invented in the 1970s. It was first created when a few chefs mixed butter, cream, cheese, and vegetables with freshly cooked pasta. Today, of course, we’re giving it a plant-based twist!
I used a wide variety of colorful spring vegetables for this recipe, but you can go as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. Swap your favorite veggies in or take some out—I also think this recipe would be great with asparagus, spinach, corn, and even mushrooms! For the cream sauce, I used a combination of nutritional yeast and light coconut milk to recreate that cheesy flavor, without the dairy. Check the recipe notes below for coconut milk substitutions 🙂
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN ONE-POT PASTA PRIMAVERA
A pasta dish that’s loaded up with veggies can seem like a lot of work…you have to cook the pasta AND the veggies to the right consistency, deal with draining the pasta, and then combine it all in hopes that the flavors will come through. But this recipe is different! 😉 For our Vegan One-Pot Pasta Primavera, we’re using…you guessed it, one pot! And there’s no need to drain the pasta because we’ll be cooking it in a delicious cheesy coconut milk mixture. I love how the pasta gets infused with even more flavor this way, and there’s less cleanup. Win-win!
- In a large pot, mix together the coconut milk, water, Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast, and salt.
- Add the pasta, carrot, zucchini, squash, bell pepper, and shallot. Mix well, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook until pasta is almost al dente.
- Add the broccoli, peas, and tomatoes and continue to cook the pasta and veggies for 3-5 mins, stirring occasionally. Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, remove from heat, and stir in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Let sit to allow the sauce to thicken, then top as desired and enjoy!
I love when a recipe can taste super satisfying, but also make my life a little easier! This One-Pot Pasta Primavera is that perfect combo of wholesome & fuss-free. And not to mention the vibrant colors! This recipe makes for beautiful and easy meal prep, or even a cute picnic or date night! Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, but good luck making it last that long 😉
If you’re looking for more quick & easy pasta recipes, you’ll also love this Easy One-Pot Pasta, this One-Pot Cheesy “Beef” Pasta, and this No-Boil Pesto Pasta Bake!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
Vegan One-Pot Pasta Primavera
This One-Pot Pasta Primavera is a quick & easy take on the traditional dish—hearty, creamy, veggie-packed, and all in just one pot! Gluten-Free & Oil-Free.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 3 to 4 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 13.5 ounce (380 ml) can light coconut milk
- 2 cups (475 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning blend
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 8 ounces (225 g) regular or gluten-free pasta*
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 yellow squash, sliced
- 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into thin slices
- 1 small shallot, diced (or sub ~1/4 cup red onion)
- 1 cup (85 g) broccoli, cut into small florets
- 3/4 cup (100 g) frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup (190 g) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Black pepper, to taste
- Optional toppings: vegan parmesan*, fresh parsley, fresh basil, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Make the Broth: Heat a large pot or sauté pan with tall sides to high heat. Add the coconut milk, water, Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast, and salt; mix until well-combined.
- Pasta Time: Toss in the pasta, carrot, zucchini, squash, bell pepper, and shallot. Mix well and bring this mixture to a boil over high heat; once the liquid reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook the pasta for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. The pasta should be almost al dente before you proceed to the next step; cooking times will vary based on the shape and brand you use.
- More Veggies! Add the broccoli, peas, and tomatoes to the pot/pan and continue to cook the pasta for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off once the pasta is cooked to your liking, then stir in the lemon juice and add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Sit & Serve: let the pasta sit for 3 to 5 minutes before serving, to allow the sauce to thicken. Top as desired and serve warm; leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Pasta: I recommend using shorter pasta shapes for one pot recipes, like farfalle, penne, rotini, macaroni, etc. If you use gluten-free pasta, brown rice or corn-based varieties tend to hold up better and break less.
- Substitutions: coconut milk can be swapped for oat milk or a creamy homemade nut milk. You can also blend 1/2 cup of soaked cashews with 1 1/4 cup of water and use that instead 🙂 Feel free to mix and match the vegetables as desired!
- Make it Cheesy: for a more realistic parmesan flavor, stir in 1/2 cup of grated vegan parmesan along with the tomatoes and broccoli. I prefer Violife parmesan, but Follow Your Heart makes a pretty good one as well.
Keywords: vegan pasta primavera, one pot pasta primavera, vegan pasta recipes, creamy vegan pasta, vegan white sauce
Terrific recipe! Simple, quick, and very flexible. I fixed this last night for my wife and me, and she loved it. This is going to be a regular in our house.
★★★★★
Glad you and your wife loved it, Dr.J!
This is one of my favorite recipes on the blog. The coconut milk adds the perfect creaminess to this recipe. And it’s made in one pot?! Amazing.
This was delicious and easy! I had to add a bit more water to get my pasta al dente but I also didn’t measure out my pasta exactly. I used 1 can reg.coconut milk, not lite. Added a t. veggie boullion, used carrots, pepper, green beans, cherry tom., and fresh basil. Sprinkled just a touch of v.parm on top. Another awesome recipe and you could sub in any veggie, just adjust veggie cooking time accordingly so they don’t over cook.
★★★★★
This is my favourite of your recipes, always a hit!
★★★★★
Yum. Thanks for this recipe. It was delicious. I like that it is made with one pot too
★★★★★
You’re welcome, Carrie! Glad you liked it.
Veggies were way over cooked. I would argue letting the pasta cook more before adding veggies. There’s a lot of evaporation that needs to happen here. I used rigatoni for reference…shouldn’t take much longer than bowtie to cook I thought.
★★★★
Thank you for the insight, Shani! Will definitely keep that in mind.
This was SO good. I was really skeptical about the coconut milk but was thrilled not to taste the coconut flavor at all – just lots of creamy goodness. I used whole wheat penne which I would not do again. For those trying to make it extra healthy by doing this, don’t bother. The veggies give plenty of fiber, and the sauce is too delicate for whole wheat. Aside from that, the only thing I would change about the recipe as written is leaving out the peas. I like peas but for some reason didn’t like them in this. That won’t stop me from finishing the leftovers though. And next time I’m going to add some garlic powder. Thanks for a keeper! This was my first time making a recipe of yours, and I’ve asked for your cookbook for Christmas because of it! 🙂
★★★★★
That’s awesome! Thanks for leaving a review, Katie 🙂
This was so easy to make. The whole family loved it. I will definitely make this one again.
★★★★★
Thanks, Kathleen!
Can you use frozen vegetables like frozen brocolli and if so, do you have to adjust the water/coconut milk ratios?
You can use frozen vegetables and just thaw them beforehand.
EASY PEASY! Needed a quick meal and this did it! I added a scoop of tomato paste and subbed water with broth! Thank you!
★★★★★
You’re welcome, Samantha! ♥
This was excellent. Sauce was flavorful. Leftovers heated up very well. Have recommended this recipe to others. Will 100% make over and over again.
★★★★★
Thank you for trying and recommending my recipe, Sara. I really appreciate the support! ♥
Really good! Made it with half a can of full fat coconut milk plus extra water and it worked great. Also with tofu. Tastes a bit like chicken pot pie. Definitely making it again!
★★★★★
I’m glad you loved it, Edoardo! ♥
Used jovial gluten free penne and omitted the shallots due to allergies. Using coconut milk without gums is also key! This recipe was a true easy winner.
★★★★★
Thanks so much for trying it, Brooklynn! ♥
love this recipe! I wonder how the consistency would be using full fat coconut milk! would it still work?
Glad you loved it, Olivia! ♥
Wow! This was so good!! I made a few alterations with veggies I had on hand but otherwise followed the recipe. I was worried it wasn’t going to absorb enough liquid but by the end it was a creamy sauce. I added spinach at the end and let it wilt before serving. My almost 3 year old really enjoyed this too!
★★★★★
Simply delicious, everything works deliciously together. I did not have carrots on hand, so I used butternut squash. I’ll double the recipe next time, it is that good! Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
I’m glad you loved it!
Question from a non-vegan here: does the coconut milk make it taste coconut-y? I’ve only used it with curries or other recipes where the coconut flavor shines.
I personally did not think it had an overpowering coconut taste because of all of the other seasonings and vegetables added, but if you are sensitive to coconut you might notice it more. You could use a full-fat oat milk or a creamy cashew milk in place of the coconut milk for a more mild flavor as well
I am somewhat lost for words on this one. It really is just that good.
★★★★★
Less talking means more time to eat! 😉
Amazing! However, to add more flavour, I used vegetable stock instead of just water, and a table spoon of tomato paste. It was amazing! Tastes like a cheezy pasta recipe
★★★★★
Yum! That’s a great idea
I loooooooved this! I would never have guessed there was no butter or cream in this! It was one of those recipes that I had all the ingredients so I figured I’d give it a go but had low expectations, lol….I was blown away! Simple to make, easy cleanup, and delicious! Thanks for all you do!
★★★★★
I’m glad I exceeded your expectations, haha! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂