Name: Chicken Primavera for the Table
Yield: 4

Chicken Primavera is my current favorite pasta dish! Creamy pasta piled high with veggies and topped with fresh basil.

Author’s Note

A Favorite From My Restaurant Days!

I’ve shared so many recipes inspired by the restaurant I worked at for 7 years. With all the menu changes and rotating specials, there are so many dishes I still think about. The honey whole wheat breadwill forever be my number one, with crème brûlée coming in a very close second.

But when it came to dinner, the pastas were my favorites!

Every spring we ran a pasta primavera as a special, and people could not get enough of it. Creamy pasta tossed with fresh, in-season veggies, plenty of Parmesan, a bright squeeze of lemon, and finished with toasted pine nuts for that little crunch on top.

I looked forward to spring every single year just so I could eat it again. It’s honestly been a while since I’ve had the exact dish, but this version tastes just as satisfying as I remember. I hope you love it as much as I do!

All the ingredients in this recipe prepped out for straightforward assembly including the squash, pepper, broccoli, zucchini, tomato, peas, garlic, seasonings, pine nuts, pasta, chicken, oil, lemon, cream, butter, parmesan, and lemon.

Chicken Primavera Ingredients

Ingredient	Tip
Fettuccine	Cook just shy of al dente and save some pasta water to help the sauce cling.
Chicken breasts	Slice in half and pound evenly so they cook quickly and stay tender.
Spring vegetables	Cut into similar sizes and cook over a hot burner so they stay crisp-tender and don’t end up overly soft or mushy.
Butter, olive oil & heavy cream	Use heavy cream for a silky sauce that thickens well and coats the pasta. Lower-fat milks will not thicken the same way.
Parmesan, basil, lemon & pine nuts	Grate Parmesan fresh from the block for the best melt. Add basil at the end and toast pine nuts for extra crunch.

Chicken cooking in a skillet, followed by fresh vegetables sautéed until tender for this Chicken Primavera recipe.

How To Make Chicken Primavera

Cook chicken: Season and sear until cooked through; rest.
Cook vegetables: Sauté until crisp-tender; push aside.
Make sauce: Melt butter, mix in cream, add cheese. Stir until smooth & thickened.
Cook pasta: Boil until just al dente; reserve pasta water.
Combine: Add chicken and pasta, toss with sauce and a splash of pasta water; finish with herbs and nuts.

the cook’s Tip

How to Toast Pine Nuts

Add pine nuts to a dry skillet over a medium burner. Stir often for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Watch closely, they burn fast. Remove from the pan right away so they don’t keep cooking.

Pasta tossed with sautéed vegetables and creamy sauce, all mixed together.

What To Serve With Chicken Primavera

Garlic bread or crusty bread: reliable for soaking up the creamy sauce.
Simple garden salad: Mixed greens with a light dressing keeps the meal light.
Caprese salad: Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil pair well with the rich pasta.
Cucumber salad: Light and crunchy side that pairs evenly with pasta.
Fresh fruit salad: A light, sweet finish after a creamy dish.

Storage

This Chicken Primavera is best right after tossing the sauce with the pasta, when it’s at its creamiest. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of cream or broth to loosen the sauce. Freezing not recommended.