Name: Lemon primavera with white beans
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 10 oz dry penne; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 yellow squash, thin half-moons; 1 zucchini, thin half-moons; 8 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes; 1 cup thinly sliced red onion; 1 tsp fine salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed; 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed; 3/4 cup grated vegetarian hard cheese; 3 tbsp lemon juice; 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 cup basil leaves, torn; Water as needed for the stated boiling, soaking, steaming or water-bath step; discard unless a reserved amount is specified

Lemon primavera with white beans

White beans join the vegetables in a lemony pasta finished with basil.

Published October 2, 2026 · Updated October 15, 2026

4 portions · Estimated 45 minutes

Ingredients & method

Before you start: Prepare: 20 minutes · Boil pasta and cook vegetables: 25 minutes

Equipment: Pasta pot; large deep skillet

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Method

Set a pasta pot of water over high heat. While it comes to a boil, slice the 4 garlic cloves, cut the yellow squash and zucchini into thin half-moons, and trim and cut the 8 oz asparagus into 1-inch pieces; have the 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes and 1 cup thinly sliced red onion ready.
Add the 10 oz dry penne to the boiling water and stir to separate it. Cook to the package's al dente time, so the pasta is tender with a little firmness at its center; keep a cup nearby for reserving cooking water before draining.
While the pasta cooks, heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, squash, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes and onion with the 1 tsp fine salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, then cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring and turning the vegetables until tender-crisp.
Scoop out 1 cup pasta water, then drain the penne and discard the remaining cooking water. Drain and rinse the 15 oz can of white beans if not already prepared, and make sure the 1/2 cup frozen peas are thawed.
Reduce the skillet heat to low and add the drained pasta, peas and beans. Toss gently for 2–3 minutes to heat the peas and beans through, adding the reserved pasta water 2 tbsp at a time as needed to keep everything moving without leaving a puddle in the pan.
Remove the skillet from the heat before adding the 3/4 cup grated vegetarian hard cheese, 3 tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Toss until the cheese coats the pasta, using a little more of the reserved water if needed to loosen the coating.
Fold in the 1 cup torn basil leaves just before serving so they are distributed through the pasta. Divide the pasta, vegetables and beans evenly among four portions and serve while warm.

Reserve the pasta water before draining

Place a cup beside the pasta pot at the start so collecting the cooking water is part of the setup. That water is the recipe's way to loosen the coating as the pasta, vegetables and beans come together; it is easier to keep it ready than to drain the whole pot and discover it is needed afterward.

Thin squash half-moons and short asparagus pieces suit the skillet's brief vegetable stage. Have the thawed peas and drained beans ready separately, since they go in later with the cooked penne rather than spending the full vegetable stage in the pan.

Finish with a coating rather than a pool of liquid

Add reserved water in the small increments stated in the method and toss between additions. Stop when the pasta moves easily and carries its coating; you do not need to use every drop of the reserved cup.

Take the skillet off the heat before the cheese and lemon juice are added, then fold the basil in just before serving. Use broad, gentle turns so the beans stay recognizable. Divide the pasta, beans and vegetables together among four portions rather than scooping only pasta from the top.