Step 1

First, cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add penne pasta. Cook the pasta until the pasta is cooked just before al dente (the pasta will continue to cook later in the recipe). Strain the water from the noodles and set aside.

Step 2

Prepare the vegetables for the pasta primavera. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pan or Dutch oven over medium/high heat. When the olive oil is fragrant, add the asparagus to the pot and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Sauté the asparagus for 2-3 minutes.

Step 3

Add broccoli to the pot and sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until the broccoli pieces begin to brown.

Step 4

Next, add the yellow squash, red pepper, half of the cherry tomatoes, and another 1/8 teaspoon of salt to the pot and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.

Step 5

Transfer all of the sautéd vegetables into a bowl and set the veggies aside.

Step 6

Prepare the sauce for the pasta primavera. Add the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot heat over medium/high heat until fragrant. Then, add the onion and season with 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Step 7

Sauté the onions (stirring periodically) until the onions begin to brown (about 3-4 minutes). Then, add the minced garlic to the onions and sauté for another minute.

Step 8

Deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup of white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula.

Step 9

Add the second half of the cherry tomatoes and toss them with the onions until they are covered with oil.

Step 10

Next, add the broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper, and the last 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Whisk the tomato paste into the broth until there are no clumps.

Step 11

Bring the broth to a boil over high heat and then turn the heat to medium/low and add the peas to the sauce.

Step 12

Let the sauce simmer over medium heat until it reduces by half (10-15 minutes). When the sauce has reduced add the vegetables to the sauce and toss the vegetables in the sauce.

Step 13

Add the pasta to the pot and toss everything together. Heat the pasta and vegetables in the sauce until everything is warm.

Step 14

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh basil and more lemon zest.