Light and refreshing, this quick and easy Instant Pot Pasta Primavera brings your favorite seasonal veggies to the table in less than 30 minutes.

Colorful seasonal vegetables mixed in a bowl.

Hit the farmers market this weekend, grab your favorite seasonal veggies, and throw them into this pasta. That’s all I ask. This week’s recipe is a total dream if you’re a pasta lover like me.

Come summertime, heavy lasagnas and saucy linguini aren’t in our dinner rotation. If the hankering for pasta hits, we whip up a chilled Greek pasta salad or chilled soba noodles instead. But this quick and simple pasta primavera has definitely won a spot in this summer’s cycle. It’s served warm, but it’s light and refreshing.

To start, seasonal veggies are sautéd with Italian spices until tender. You can use the vegetable medley I chose or swap some out for your own. Once the veggies are tender, they’re removed from the Instant Pot and replace with penne and vegetable broth. The penne is then quickly pressure-cooked in vegetable broth, picking up all of those delicious savory flavors from the veggies and the spices. When done, reserve a cup of the broth, drain the penne, and toss it with the vegetables, some freshly shaven pecorino romano or parmesan, and reserved broth. Et voilà! A fragrant and wholesome summer pasta that won’t weigh you down.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I’ll include instructions for the stove top in the recipe card as well.

Away from the table…

Boycott Fairlife. If you purchase Fairlife products, I am begging you to stop. Some gruesome footage was brought to public attention involving serious animal abuse. This seems to be a huge issue with the larger corporations (also see: Perdue, Tyson), and it needs to stop. See my list of welfare-certified brands found in supermarkets here

Podcasts! June 8th marked one year since the passing of Anthony Bourdain. Kat Kinsman from Food & Wine reminisces with his former assistant, Laurie Woolever, in a raw conversation that’s totally worth a listen. They also touch on the mental health crises in the culinary industry with chefs, self-care, and sobriety.

Pasta Primavera stirred up in Instant Pot.

A big colorful serving bowl full of pasta and vegetables.

A big colorful serving bowl full of pasta and vegetables.

If you try this recipe or create your own variation, let me know in the comments! I love connecting with you. Then snap a photo and tag me on the Insta @killing__thyme to be featured in our newsletter.

A big colorful serving bowl full of pasta and vegetables.

Get the Recipe:

Instant Pot Pasta Primavera

Light and refreshing, this quick and easy Instant Pot Pasta Primavera brings your favorite seasonal veggies to the table in the best way.
5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 cup roughly chopped broccolini tops (or broccoli)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced and diced red onion
  • 1 cup julienned sweet bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange)
  • 1 cup roughly chopped asparagus (woody ends removed)
  • 1 cup sliced cremini or baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
  • 3 large garlic cloves, smashed and thinly sliced
  • 1 TBSP good Italian seasoning, *See notes
  • 8 oz penne, rotini or rigatoni would also work.
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup freshly shaved pecorino romano or parmesan
  • Freshly chopped basil or parsley, for garnish

Materials.

  • Instant Pot or pressure cooker, *See notes if you don't have an Instant Pot

Instructions 

  • Place all of your veggies, from the broccolini to the garlic cloves, into a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 TBSP of olive oil and sprinkle with the Italian seasoning. (If the Italian seasoning blend you're using doesn't include salt, make sure to add some salt to taste. Start with 1/4 tsp.) Toss the veggies until everything is evenly coated with oil and seasoning; set aside.
  • Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode. Drizzle in the other 1 TBSP of olive oil and let it heat up a bit (you won't have to wait long since the IP heats up very quickly).
  • Add the vegetables and simmer, stirring occasionally, until they're tender—about 5-7 minutes. Once tender, transfer them back to their original bowl and cover them to keep them warm. Turn off the sauté function.
  • Add the broth and penne to the Instant Pot. Give it a quick stir. Place and lock the lid down, set the valve to to "sealing", and cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes, or half the time it states on the package's instructions (cooking pasta in the IP seems to work best when you halve the regular cooking time and round it down. So if the package says 11 minutes until al dente, go for five minutes. If it says 15 minutes to al dente, go for 7 minutes, etc.) When done, do a quick release.
  • When you open the IP, scoop up 1 cup worth of the broth and set aside. Drain the rest. Add the pasta back to the IP. Toss in the vegetables and reserved broth, and give it a stir. Finally, add the cheese, and stir to combine.
  • Serve immediately; garnish with freshly chopped basil or parsley if you wish!

Notes

Italian Seasoning comes in many varieties. I like to use a good gourmet blend (I like Nomu's blend) that includes salt and extra flavorings like sun-dried tomato, etc. If you use an herb-only blend, be sure to salt your veggies to taste.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can make this on the stovetop quite easily. Simply cook the seasoned veggies the same way in a large stock pot. Once cooked, remove them and add your broth. Bring the broth to a boil, add the penne, and cook as per the directions on the packaging. When ready, scoop up 1 cup worth of broth and set aside. Drain the pasta, and transfer the pasta back to the stock pot. Toss in the veggies, cheese, and reserved broth. Still as good, just takes 10-15 minutes longer.