5-4-3-2-1 Pasta Primavera (Printable)

Colorful pasta with chicken, fresh veggies, and a creamy Parmesan blend for a quick, nutritious meal.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 zucchini, sliced into half-moons
04 - 1 yellow squash, sliced into half-moons
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1 cup broccoli florets

→ Pasta

07 - 300 grams (10 oz) penne or farfalle pasta

→ Dairy

08 - 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
09 - 1/4 cup (30 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ Pantry and Aromatics

10 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
15 - Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and drain.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then cook until golden and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add additional olive oil if needed. Sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and broccoli florets. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender-crisp.
05 - Stir in cherry tomatoes and cooked chicken. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
06 - Lower heat to medium-low. Add drained pasta, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and dried Italian herbs. Toss until well combined and heated through. Gradually add reserved pasta water to loosen sauce as needed.
07 - Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in under 40 minutes, most of it happening while the pasta boils.
  • The vegetables stay bright and crisp, not mushy or sad.
  • You can swap any veggie for another and it still works perfectly.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, cold or reheated.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before draining, you cannot get it back and it makes or breaks the sauce.
  • Do not crowd the chicken in the pan or it will steam instead of brown.
  • Add the cream off high heat or it can split and look grainy.
03 -
  • Use a big skillet so everything has room to cook without steaming.
  • Grate your own Parmesan fresh, the flavor is sharper and it melts beautifully.
  • Taste the pasta a minute before the package says, you want it just shy of done since it cooks a bit more in the pan.
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