Name: Baked Pasta Primavera with Cream Cheese Alfredo
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons light olive oil; ½ cup diced yellow onion; ¼ red onion (sliced); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 cup chopped yellow squash; 1 cup chopped zucchini; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste); 1 cup cherry tomatoes (whole); ¾ pound cooked penne pasta; 1 tablespoon salted butter (⅛ stick); 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 cup skim milk; ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese; 4 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese; 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese; 1 cup Panko bread crumbs; Fresh thyme sprigs (for garnish)

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Summer is perfect for fresh produce and my Baked Pasta Primavera is a true testament to that. It is filled with colorful vegetables, coated with cream cheese alfredo sauce, and baked to perfection! This cream cheese pasta recipe is one of my favorite baked pasta dishes, that is so easy to make and a perfect family friendly meal!

pasta primavera with cream cheese alfredo

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This recipe is one of my favorite baked pasta dishes! It’s perfect for those busy weeknights and date nights at home, and everything in between. Creamy Pasta Primavera is one of those staple recipes that my family keep coming back for.

Customize this pasta alfredo primavera with your favorite veggies (or add chicken for protein), and you’re only minutes away from a delicious dinner everyone will LOVE and ask for again. Perfection!

Creamy Pasta Primavera

In Italian, “primavera” means “springtime”. In recipes (like this baked pasta), it refers to the use of fresh vegetables. The idea is to use in-season vegetables, or whatever fresh veggies you have. So to put it simple, pasta primavera is just pasta with vegetables.

Tricolor Pasta Salad, Pesto Pasta Salad, Veggie Pasta Salad, Tortellini Pasta Salad, and Italian Pasta Salad are few to see my affair with seasonal colorful vegetables.

Baked pasta primavera is nothing but boiled pasta with tons of vegetables tossed in cream cheese alfredo sauce and baked to perfection. It’s extra creamy and thick due to cream cheese. Yum!

The secret to this dish? It’s that cream cheese alfredo sauce! Pasta and vegetables is a classic combo, but making it super creamy with that alfredo is what really wins the game. Baking this pasta dish makes it extra easy to make, coming out like a casserole (my favorite easy dinners).

Ingredients for Pasta Alfredo Primavera

Pasta: Penne pasta is my choice for this bakes pasta, it holds all the creamy sauce, and vegetables. Bow tie, linguine, rotini, or cellentani are other pasta alternatives.
Vegetables: I used onions, summer squash, and tomatoes. But you could also use peas, asparagus, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, or anything else you like!
Cheese: Low-fat cream cheese and mozzarella cheese are used for making alfredo sauce. Full fat cream cheese will result in thicker sauce.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan is best to use in baking pasta recipes. But if not available, use any store bought.

What is cream cheese alfredo sauce?

The cream cheese alfredo sauce is definitely the star of this baked pasta! It’s just SO creamy, and it’s really easy to make.

I make this sauce with butter, milk, flour, parmesan cheese, and of course CREAM CHEESE. So basically like a traditional Alfredo, but with added cream cheese to thicken it up, and add an extra level of creaminess.

Can I add chicken to baked pasta primavera?

Yes! This recipe is a vegetarian-friendly pasta dish, but you can easily add chicken or another protein if you prefer.

I think chicken goes perfectly with the creamy alfredo. I recommend using shredded chicken, or cut it into cubes. Cook it before adding it into the pasta to bake.

close up on a plate of pasta with cream cheese sauce

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Tips For Success

Fully preheat your oven before baking for best results.
Use any large baking dish you have. A 9 x 13 or round casserole dish works well.
Be sure to cook the pasta prior to adding it to the baking dish.
To make it gluten-free pasta primavera, use certified gluten-free pasta.
Tofu, paneer, shrimp, salmon and chicken are few of proteins that you can add anytime in baked pasta.

How to Store and Reheat

Refrigerator: Store any leftovers in an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat just microwave it in 30 seconds increment.

Freeze: Cream cheese generally does not freeze well, so I don’t recommend freezing this baked pasta.

Make ahead: You can do all the prep for this baked pasta ahead of time, cover and refrigerate (unbaked), then bake when you’re ready to serve. You’ll just need to increase the cook time slightly to fully heat through.

Serving Suggestions

This creamy, cheesy, baked pasta primavera is packed full of vegetables, pasta, and cheese. That means it’s pretty filling, so the only thing you’ll need to add to dinner is some bread and salad! For breads I’ll suggest Texas Toast or Three Cheese Focaccia for extra flavors and Olive Garden Salad as a side.

5-Star Review

“I made this last night and it was the moistest chicken we’ve ever had. A bit of crispy and the flavor was wonderful. I didn’t have buttermilk and did add lemon juice to 1% milk. I am making it again today. Thank you for this recipe.” – Dawn

How to Make Baked Pasta Primavera

Cook Pasta: First and foremost, cook ¾ pound of pasta as per package instruction tender yet firm enough. Cook till Al dente. Drain the water and keep aside.

Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9×13 (or large round) baking dish.

Saute Vegetables: In a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of light olive oil over medium/high heat. Add ½ cup of diced yellow onion, ¼cup of red onion, and 3 minced garlic cloves. Cook until fragrant and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

To this add 1 cup of chopped zucchini and 1 cup of chopped yellow squash. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Sauté until the veggies are soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes.

zucchini and squash added in the skillet

Finally add 1 cup of cherry tomatoes and cook for just 2-3 minutes, until heated through but still retaining their shape.

cherry tomatoes added and cooked until soft.

Transfer all the veggies to a large bowl and stir in the cooked pasta. Set aside.

mixed cooked pasta and cooked vegetable in a large bowl

Prepare Sauce: In a small saucepan heat 1 tablespoon of salted butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and cook for 2 minutes, keep stirring.

cooking wheat flour and butter together. stir continously.

Slowly add 1 cup of skim milk and bring to a boil, then reduce immediately to a simmer. Stir often for 5 minutes or until thickened.

To this add in the ¾ cup of grated Parmesan cheese and 4 tablespoons of low-fat cream cheese, stir until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

added milk to the mixture and stir until thick.

Combine pasta, veggies & sauce: Pour the cream cheese sauce into the bowl with the pasta and vegetables, and stir to coat all the pasta and veggies.

pour the sauce in cooked pasta and vegetables.

Bake & serve: Pour the pasta mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle with the 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with the 1 cup of Panko bread crumbs.