You're going to love this creamy pasta primavera dish! It's packed full of fresh vegetables and baked until hot & bubbly! The cheesy sauce and crispy topping makes this dish irresistible!
This cheesy baked tortellini pasta casserole should be next on your menu!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
This dish is simple to make and filled with vegetables, dripping in a creamy homemade Alfredo Sauce - YUM!
- Even though this dish is meatless, it's hearty and filling!
- Isn't it pretty? All of the colors make this dish mouthwatering!
- It's simple enough for a great weeknight meal, but fancy enough for Sunday brunch and perfect for Mother's Day.
- You could even use this as a side dish, wouldn't that be lovely?
There are loads of reasons to love this recipe!
🗒️ Ingredients
For the exact measurements, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- bow tie pasta - though you can really use any type of pasta for this dish.
- assorted vegetables - I used tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes and frozen peas.
- garlic powder, salt & pepper - for seasoning
- milk, wine, cheese, butter & flour for the sauce - no wine, don't worry! You can substitute with chicken or vegetable stock, or skip it altogether.
- parmesan cheese and bread crumbs for a crispy, cheesy topping!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Preheat the oven and cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions, drain saving about a cup of pasta water.
- Start by melting the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for two minutes until the flour is incorporated.
- Next whisk in the wine, keep stirring until it's smooth.
- Now do the same with the milk. Slow pour it in while whisking the whole time, the sauce will start to thicken.
- Add the cheese continuing to stir until it's melted. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper and garlic salt.
- When the sauce is thick, stir in the cooked pasta and vegetables, mix everything together well.
- Pour into prepared casserole dish and top the pasta primavera bake with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Bake until hot & bubbly!
🙋♀️ FAQ's
Transfer to a microwavable dish and top with a splash of milk. Reheat at 30 second intervals until heated through.
Just about any are great. You can literally clean out your vegetable drawer and use them! One more reason to love this recipe!
There's no need to cook them prior to baking, they'll cook in the oven. How awesome is that?!!
Tips
- No farfelle (bow tie) pasta? No problem, any medium-sized pasta will be delicious. Penne, ziti, rotini or rigatoni - all would be delicious!
- Be sure to cook the pasta in plenty of water, well seasoned with salt.
- Adding extra veggies is great - adding too much pasta will make the dish dry.
Pro Tip: Don't overcook the pasta, boil to al dente. It will finish cooking in the oven.
Variations
There are some yummy variations for baked pasta primavera! Add cooked chicken or shrimp. That would be delicious!
Any bright fresh vegetables are terrific in this recipe!
- zucchini
- bell peppers
- yellow squash
- mushrooms
- asparagus
- eggplant
- frozen peas
- carrots
- cauliflower
- red or yellow onions
- spinach
Using Pepper Jack cheese would give the sauce just a hint of spice.
Storage
To refrigerate, allow the casserole to completely cool before covering it and refrigerating. It will last in the refrigerator up to three days.
This creamy pasta primavera will freeze well. Again, allow it to cool completely, transfer to an airtight container and freeze up to three months.
Servings suggestions
This is really a meal in itself, so I'm ok without making a side dish.... but... if you're looking for a dish to serve alongside, Roasted Brussels sprouts would be great with this dish!
A bright fresh Caesar salad would be great (I often use bagged salads) or this fresh garden salad - it's my favorite! Crusty French bread served alongside is amazing!
Related recipes
There are so many wonderful casserole that are easy to make and perfect for simple, hearty meals.
- Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel - creamy with just a hint of spice, this is delicious and a dish the whole family will love!
- Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole - all the flavor of stuffed bell peppers, YUM! But none of the work. This is easy to make and a real crowd pleaser.
- Philly Cheesesteak Baked Tortellini - minutes to make and everyone will be asking for seconds. It's cheesy, creamy and lick the plate good!
👩🏫 What I've Learned
There's some hints I'd like to share for making creamy pasta primavera.
- Don't skimp on cooking the flour for two minutes. If you do the sauce will have an icky raw flour taste.
- Adding more pasta may sound like a great way to stretch the dish, but the pasta will be dry instead of dripping with cheesy sauce!
- If your sauce is too thick, thin it out with pasta water you saved.
Recipe
Creamy Pasta Primavera
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounces bow tie pasta about ¾ of the box
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 ½ cups milk low fat or 2% works great
- ¼ cup dry white wine recommend chardonnay
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese I used preshredded cheese
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder can substitute with one fresh garlic clove, minced.
- 4 cups assorted fresh vegetables zucchini, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus - use your favorites!
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the casserole dish by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente, drain well. Save about a cup of pasta water to add to the sauce if needed.
- Start by melting the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for two minutes until the flour is incorporated.
- Next whisk in the wine, whisking to incorporate. The sauce will be a smooth paste.
- Now do the same with the milk. Slow pour it in while whisking the whole time, the sauce will start to thicken. Add the cheese continuing to stir until it's melted. Sprinkle in the seasonings - salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- When the sauce is thick, stir in the cooked pasta and vegetables, mix everything together well.
- Pour into the prepared casserole dish and top with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until hot & bubbly!
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