One Pot Spring Vegetable Pasta (Printable)

Vibrant pasta with tender spring vegetables cooked in one pot for easy preparation.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta & Broth

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta
02 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
03 - 1 cup water

→ Spring Vegetables

04 - 1 cup asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
05 - 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed
06 - 1 cup zucchini, halved and sliced
07 - 1 cup baby spinach
08 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
09 - 1 small leek, white and light green part, sliced
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Flavorings

11 - 2 tbsp olive oil
12 - 1 tsp lemon zest
13 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
15 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
16 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced leek and minced garlic, sauté until softened, approximately 2 minutes.
02 - Add pasta, vegetable broth, and water to the skillet. Bring to a boil while stirring, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
03 - Incorporate asparagus pieces, sugar snap peas, and zucchini slices. Continue cooking for 7 minutes while stirring, until pasta reaches al dente texture and vegetables are tender-crisp. Most liquid should be absorbed.
04 - Stir in baby spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, and grated Parmesan. Cook for 2 additional minutes until spinach wilts completely and tomatoes are heated through.
05 - Remove from heat. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley and additional Parmesan. Serve immediately with optional lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one pan so dinner is ready in 35 minutes with almost zero cleanup
  • The pasta cooks directly in the broth creating its own luscious sauce that actually clings to every strand
  • All those fresh spring vegetables stay vibrant and tender crisp not mushy like they sometimes get in other preparations
02 -
  • The liquid will look worryingly abundant at first but trust the process as the pasta releases starch it will thicken into a silky sauce
  • Stir fairly often during the first 10 minutes or the pasta will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn
  • Add vegetables in stages based on their cooking time so everything finishes perfectly tender crisp at the same moment
03 -
  • Reserve a handful of raw vegetables to stir in at the very end for extra texture and color contrast
  • Grate extra Parmesan right before serving because freshly grated cheese melts and integrates better than pre grated

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