The secret of this creamy lemon pasta primavera is simple: roast the vegetables in the oven first.
You won’t regret the extra flavor, not one bit.
Plus, if your kids are used to eating roasted vegetables, that’s a flavor ladder you can use to introduce them to something slightly new.
All the familiar characters are here: pasta, roasted veggies, cheese. It’s just mixed up in a fresh new way.
What you need to make creamy lemon pasta primavera
- any assortment of fresh veggies to roast (we used 2 bell peppers, 1 pint cherry tomatoes and 2 zucchini, then added a cup of peas)
- one pound of pasta
- a lemon
- a little cream plus cream cheese
- heavy cream
- and Italian seasoning
This is a three-pan affair and I’m sorry about that.
But trust me, it’ll be worth it.
And while you’re already roasting veggies for this dinner, why not double it for another dinner another night?
How to make creamy lemon pasta primavera (recipe below)
PrintCreamy Lemon Pasta Primavera
Use any variety of vegetables you have one hand, or your family likes. Mushrooms, carrots, asparagus or broccoli would all be wonderful — even from frozen. Just pour from the bag and follow instructions below.
Ingredients
- 1 pound bow tie pasta (plus salt for the pot)
- 1/4 cup olive oil, separated
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 red bell peppers, cut into thin slices
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 scallions, finely diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start heating. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Prep the veggies and lemon. Slice zucchini and bell peppers. Chop the scallions. Thaw peas if frozen. Zest the lemon.
- Roast veggies. Arrange the zucchini and bell peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 20-ish minutes until the edges are dark.
- Cook pasta. When the water boils, add a palm of salt and the pasta. Cook according to package instructions MINUS 2 minutes. Keep 2 cups of cooking water.
- Make the sauce. In a large saute pan, pour the remaining olive oil. Add the chopped scallions plus Italian seasoning, stirring for about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the cream, stirring constantly. Next add the lemon zest and sprinkle all but a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese, stirring again. Allow to thicken, adding as much cooking water as needed to make a sauce that’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Combine everything. In the large saute pan, add your cooked veggies, plus the peas. Pour the pasta on top and gently stir to combine. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and an extra sprinkle of salt plus pepper to serve.
How to Get Kids Excited about Creamy Lemon Pasta Primavera
1. Start with VERY SMALL servings.
- For some kids, this is literally one bite or two. And a fancy cup doesn’t hurt).
- For others, it’s deconstructed (so the ingredients aren’t touching).
- For others, it’s just a smaller bowl (like this dipping bowl below) l (instead of an adult’s dinner plate.
That’s only one of my favorite 5 ways to help picky eaters actually enjoy family meals.
This is the physical part. What to feed, how often and how much.
But don’t forget about the 3 Cs.
These were the real game-changers for my own four kids, plus hundreds of families I’ve written for and heard from through foodlets.com.
- Curiosity
- Confidence
- Courage
That’s what it takes for kids to try new foods. If your kids USED to eat a variety of foods, if they’ve always been skeptical about anything other than a handful of foods, if you’re simply tired of exhausting family meals, we can help!
Get everything I’ve ever learned in a new program called the 6 Secrets to Go From Picky to “Yes, Please!”
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