Creamy Vegetable Pasta

Name: Creamy Vegetable Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 10 ounces pasta; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups chicken stock; 1 cup heavy cream; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in halves); 1 bunch asparagus (ends trimmed, cut in 1 1/2-inch pieces); 1 cup frozen peas; 1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated); salt to taste

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Creamy Vegetable Pasta is a perfect comforting meal that you can make in just 30 minutes! This recipe is quick and easy to make and you can use pretty much any veggies you have on hands.

Pasta with cherry tomatoes, asparagus, peas, and creamy sauce.

Why you will love this recipe

Quick and easy to make. This creamy vegetable pasta takes not more than 30 minutes to put together from start to finish. While the pasta is cooking, you can prep the sauce and the veggies.
Use any veggies you have on hand. You can really use pretty much any vegetables you have in the house. Below, you can find a list of my favorite veggies I like to add to this recipe.
Delicious! The creamy sauce is packed with spices and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It’s rich, flavorful, and perfectly marries pasta with other ingredients!

Ingredients and substitution

Pasta. In this recipe I used cavatappy pasta. But you can easily use any pasta you liked, as long as it’s not too small in size. My favorite ones are fusilli, farvalle, penne, ziti, conchigli, and even tortellini.

Chicken stock. While I prefer to use my Homemade Chicken Stock, you can use a good quality store bought chicken stock or broth.

Heavy Cream. Full fat heavy cream will work the best in this recipe. If you want to reduce the calories, you can switch it to half and half or whole milk. Although, you might need to use more flour in the base of the sauce to make sure it’s thickens enough.

Vegetables. In this recipe, I used cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and frozen peas. You really can use pretty much any veggies you have in the house. Here are a few of my favorites:

Broccoli
Zucchini
Yellow squash
Arugula
Spinach
Onion
Red bell pepper
Corn

Ingredients in separate bowls to make Creamy Vegetables Pasta.

How to make it

Bring to boil a pot of water, season with salt, and cook 10 oz pasta according to the instructions until al-dente. When done, drain the water and set the pasta aside.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt 3 tbsp butter, then add 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, whisk and cook for 1 minute.

Then add 1 ½ cups chicken stock and 1 cup heavy cream. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes until the flour/butter mixture is fully dissolved.

Process photos of cooking melted butter with flour.

Add the seasoning (½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes). Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the sauce start to get thicker.

Process photos of adding spices to creamy sauce.

Add 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes, 1 bunch chopped asparagus, and 1 cup frozen peas. Stir in and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the veggies are soften and the sauce thickens.

Process photos of adding cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and peas to creamy sauce.

Stir in cooked pasta and 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Adding cooked pasta to the creamy sauce with vegetables and mixing it together.

Tips for best results

Pasta. Make sure you don’t overcook pasta as it will continue to cook when mixed it with the sauce.

Vegetables. When adding vegetables, try to incorporate different colors and textures.

Storage and reheating

How to store. You can keep the leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.

How to reheat. Simply reheat it in a skillet over medium heat. If the sauce became too thick, you can add a splash of water to loosen it up.

How to freeze. You can freeze it in an air-tight container for up to 2 months. Although, it tastes better freshly made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to cook vegetables before adding to the sauce?

No. These veggies cook quickly, so you can just add diced tomatoes, asparagus, and frozen peas to the cooking sauce. They will soften up within a few minutes.

Why my creamy sauce is watery?

Most likely you didn’t cook it long enough. It takes about 7-10 minutes to cook it over medium heat. Depending on the type of skillet you use and the heat, the timing may vary. So just cook the sauce until it starts to coat the spatula.

Can I add some meat to this vegetable pasta?

If you want to add some protein to this recipe, you can add some chicken, salmon, or shrimps.