Pasta Primavera Recipe

This delicious and easy Pasta Primavera recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal. Loaded with fresh veggies, flavorful herbs and tossed in a creamy sauce, it’s a crowd-pleasing and healthy dish that the whole family will love.

This last weekend I really wanted something light, but still yummy, and this Pasta Primavera Recipe was perfect. We are huge asparagus fans so anything with asparagus gets us excited. Although the dish has no meat, I really don’t think you miss out on anything. In fact, the husband and I like having meatless meals every now and again as long as all of the flavor is still there. I bet you could throw in some grilled chicken or shrimp for protein and that would be sooooo good!

What Makes Something Primavera?

Primavera is an Italian word that means “spring”. In the culinary world, primavera means a dish served with a mixture of fresh seasonal vegetables usually paired with a pasta and creamy sauce.

Ingredients for Pasta Primavera

I’m going to give you a list of the fresh vegetables that we like to use in this pasta recipe, but this is definitely a dish that you can make substitutions with your favorite veggies. Here is what you will need:

• Penne Pasta: Any bite-sized pasta can be used, other good options would be orecchiette, rigatoni, farfalle or fusilli.
• Vegetables: Asparagus, Yellow Squash, Matchstick Carrots, Red Bell Pepper, Red Onion, Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, and Peas
  • Other options: Broccoli, Green Beans, Spinach, Brussels Sprouts, or Zucchini
• Sauce: Butter, Garlic, Lemon Zest and Juice, Pasta Water, Heavy Cream, and Parmesan
• Seasoning: Dried Italian Seasoning, Red Pepper Flakes, Fresh Basil Leaves, and Fresh Curly Parsley

The measurements and details for all the ingredients in this recipe can be found in the recipe card down below.

How to Make Pasta Primavera

1. Boil: Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add a handful of salt.
2. Cook: Add the pasta and cook it until al dente. Do not drain! We will use the pasta water later for the sauce.
3. Sauté: Using a large skillet, add some olive oil and add the asparagus, onions and peppers and sauté until slightly tender and move to a plate.
4. Cook: Add the squash and carrots to the skillet, season it with salt and pepper and cook until tender but still crisp. Move the veggies to the plate with the asparagus.
5. Bloom: Add the butter to the skillet and add the garlic followed by the lemon zest, Italian seasoning to bloom the flavors. Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to brown.
6. Simmer: Add the pasta water and bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer until the tomatoes start to burst. Then add the peas.
7. Stir: Pour in the cream, lemon j

Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots

Elevate your vegetable game with these delicious honey roasted carrots with garlic butter. Easy to make and packed with flavor, they make the perfect side dish for any meal.

They are the new favorite in our house and even the kids can’t get enough of them!

Other than salad, mashed potatoes, or sweet potatoes I never know what in the heck to do for delicious side dishes. Those three all have great recipes and variations out there, but don’t you ever want something else for a veggie?

My mom used to make creamed carrots for Sunday dinners and while I’m totally wondering why I haven’t posted that recipe yet I do have one for honey roasted carrots today. They are simple enough to make for a quick weeknight meal but fancy enough to be a side dish for a holiday feast.

The biggest reasons I love this recipe is, A. it’s crazy easy, and B. you can actually prep everything including partially roasting the carrots in the morning and then finish them off before everyone arrives. Just make sure you don’t overcook them because no one wants bitter carrots.

What Do I Need to Make Oven Roasted Carrots?

Carrots are a great vegetable! They are budget-friendly, kid-friendly, and they will last in the refrigerator for weeks. You only need a few ingredients for this honey roasted carrots recipe. Here is your shopping list…

• Baby Carrots: whole carrots can also be used if desired
• Olive Oil: neutral flavor is perfect for roasting
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor
• Black Pepper: adds flavor
• Butter: adds richness and helps the carrots get golden roasted
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Honey: adds natural sweetness, maple syrup could also be used
• Lemon Flaked Salt: regular flaked sea salt will work great as well

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Honey Glazed Carrots in the Oven

This recipe is super easy and comes together in less than 30 minutes. And most of the time time is just roasting the carrots in the oven. Roasting carrots brings out their natural sweetness and is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this classic vegetable. Here are the steps:

1. Boil: Place the carrots in a large pot of boiling water and boil them until almost tender. Drain the carrots.
2. Preheat: While the carrots are boiling, set the oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Toss: Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to the carrots and toss to coat.
4. Roast: Place the carrots on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and put them in the preheated

Easy Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Cilantro lime cauliflower rice has been our favorite side dish lately. We are always looking for healthy sides that compliment our main dish and round out a meal. This dish is light and bright with a punch of lime and fresh cilantro.

We often like to double down on veggies for a meal rather than doing a carb, so this cauliflower rice, or cauli-rice, acts like rice but without all the carbs.

Serve this up with our steak fajitas, pork carnitas, or smothered honey lime chicken burritos! It is the perfect compliment to any Mexican meal. Here are all our favorite Mexican main dishes so you can find the one that speaks to you!

What is Cauliflower Rice?

Cauliflower rice is cauliflower that has been chopped up into tiny pieces that resemble grains of rice in size and texture. It can be made at home by putting cauliflower florets in a food processor or it can be purchased already chopped at the grocery store.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

When it comes to easy side dishes, this one is right up there with the easiest. If you don’t buy cauliflower rice pre-chopped, take your head of cauliflower, remove the core and leaves, and break it into florets. Place the florets into your food processor or blender and pulse it until you have small pieces similar to the size of rice grains.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, garlic and cumin and cook until it is fragrant (about a minute). Then add the cauliflower rice, lime juice, lime zest and cilantro and salt to taste and stir everything together. Cook it while stirring until it starts to turn brown slightly. It will take about 5-8 minutes. Serve it up with more fresh cilantro and enjoy!

How to Make Cauliflower Rice Not Soggy

I have found that the key to keeping cauliflower rice not soggy or mushy is to pan fry it or roast it in the oven. With just a little olive oil, the cauliflower will cook up just great on the stove top. Cauliflower stores a lot of moisture inside it, so it doesn’t need any extra moisture added to cook it. Once the cauliflower has been pulsed, you can squeeze it in a cheesecloth to omit some of the extra water.

How Many Carbs are in Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice?

Cauliflower is a popular low carb vegetable because it is so versatile. A cup of raw cauliflower contains just 5 grams of carbohydrates and 3 of those grams are fiber. That’s just 2 grams of digestible carbs!

For this recipe, 1 cup of cauli-rice is 71 calories and only 6 carbs.

Is Cauliflower Gluten Free?

Yes! Cauliflower is gluten free. This recipe is gluten free too and

Cheesy Gruyere Sweet Potato Stacks

A sweet potato recipe that is cheesy and buttery with a burst of fresh thyme! If you want a recipe for sweet potatoes that is a little outside the box but glorious, you have to try these Cheesy Gruyere Sweet Potato Stacks!

Every Christmas we make a cheesy potato dish with gruyere cheese. They are stacked high in a muffin tin and get all crispy and wonderful. This year we decided to make them with sweet potatoes, and we are obsessed with the sweet and salty flavor of these Cheesy Gruyere Sweet Potato Stacks!

I know when we think of sweet potato side dishes, we think of brown sugar and marshmallows, but I’m telling you, friends, the sweetness of the sweet potatoes paired with the saltiness of the cheeses makes the angels sing! And that fresh pop of thyme…I’m happy dancing around the kitchen! Arms waving, eyes closed, licking my lips and my bootie shakin’…you get that visual?!

How to Make Sweet Potato Stacks

I like to get the sweet potatoes prepared first. Peel two large sweet potatoes and then slice them. We always use our favorite mandoline to get those thin perfect slices, but you could totally do it by hand if you don’t have a mandoline. Let’s see those mad knife skills!

When your sweet potatoes are prepped, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. You will use all 12 cups of the muffin tin. Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir thoroughly, separating the sweet potato slices by hand if needed. You want everything deliciously coated in butter!

Combine the cheeses, salt, garlic and thyme in a medium bowl or plastic bag. Place two slices of sweet potato into each cup and scoop one teaspoon of the cheese and spices mixture into each cup and repeat the layers until you reach the top of each cup. Be sure your last layer is cheese! You’ll want that yummy cheesy goodness on top!

Place the pan in the oven carefully (you don’t want those perfectly constructed stacks to tip over)! Tent the muffin pan with a piece of foil and be sure the foil does not touch the top of the potatoes. The cheese will stick and then you’ll lose that top cheesy layer (tragedy!). Bake for 15 minutes with the foil and then remove it and bake an additional 30 minutes or until the cheese is starting to turn golden. Scoop those golden delicious stacks from the pan with a large spoon and and serve them hot!

What to Eat with this Sweet Potato Recipe?

This is a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Try it along side our Turkey in a Bowl for Thanksgiving or with Prime Rib for Christmas! But you don’t need a holiday to make these! They go great with just about any meal…steak, Read more

Texas Roadhouse Loaded Sweet Potato Copycat Recipe

Who doesn’t love that over the top Texas Roadhouse sweet potato?! Oh, Mama!! Check this copycat recipe out!!!!

Tender sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, that signature Texas Roadhouse honey cinnamon butter, and a heavenly caramel sauce. These sweet potatoes are the best side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just a nice Sunday dinner.

Why do I love Texas Roadhouse so much? Is it the house salad with that thick dressing and those darn hard boiled eggs? Is it those rolls that I shovel into my mouth faster than I can say, “one more please!” Actually, I probably am the rolls because I definitely don’t like how loud it is. Cade would for sure, 100% say it’s the Texas Roadhouse Loaded Sweet Potato. Hence this post and my need to create a copycat recipe.

Ingredients for Texas Roadhouse Sweet Potato Recipe

• Sweet Potatoes
• Mini Marshmallows
• Honey Cinnamon Butter: butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and honey
• Caramel Sauce: butter, brown sugar, honey

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. Keep scrolling for all the details!!

How to Make Texas Roadhouse Sweet Potatoes

First you’re going to start with the butter and I cannot emphasize enough, real butter is necessary. No margarine. Sorry. And if you’re like us you’ll want to make extra for soft rolls like our famous potato rolls or homemade rolls.

Then there’s the caramel sauce. I really think this is more a dessert than anything else, but we can all pretend I didn’t say that when you eat it with your big, juicy steak at dinner. The caramel sauce actually keeps really well and heck, you could eat that caramel over ice cream if you wanted!

But really, these sweet potatoes are the best because it’s honey cinnamon butter, caramel and lots of gooey marshmallows. I tell Cade over and over it’s more like dessert than a side dish, but he just gives me that little smile and dives in.

All you do is bake the sweet potatoes, and then top with the butter, marshmallows, and caramel sauce. Then you bake it a little longer to get those marshmallows roasted, and you’re done! You could even switch the oven to broil to toast them up really quickly. You’ll only need a minute or so on broil, so keep a close eye on them!

Are Sweet Potatoes Healthier than Regular Potatoes?

Both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes are an excellent source of fiber with a great nutritional punch.

Sweet potatoes have fewer calories and fewer carbs, but more sugar. Sweet potatoes are also higher in fiber.

Sweet potatoes are higher in vitamin A, providing 400% of daily