This delicious recipe is full of summer flavor from fresh vegetables and other simple ingredients.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- A simple dish that cooks in just 15 minutes—SO quick!
- Fresh ingredients make a super craveable, pasta night crowd-pleaser.
- Delicious fresca sauce is made of easy Italian dressing mix, aromatic basil, a bit of wine... picture a balsamic vinaigrette, but SO much better!
Pasta fresca literally translates to "fresh pasta" and that's the perfect way to describe this summery recipe. Splurge on the good parmesan cheese from your local Italian market and pour yourself a big glass of wine. You deserve it!
This cream cheese pasta is another easy, 15 minute recipe.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients until combined.
- Gently soften the garlic in a hot saute pan or large skillet.
- Add in the cooked pasta, red onion, and tomatoes.
- Stir in the sauce and spinach until wilted.
🥫 Storage
After letting the pasta cool to room temperature, feel free to refrigerate any leftovers in a sealed container. They'll last for three to five days.
To re-enjoy the leftover pasta fresca, heat for 30-second intervals in the microwave until warmed through. If the pasta is a bit dry after microwaving, you can moisten it up by stirring in about a tablespoon of olive oil.
You can get away with freezing pasta fresca if you really want to, but I don't recommend it. The sauce is best fresh. Besides, that's what "fresca" is all about!
📖 Variations
- Add protein! A great way to make this meal stretch is to serve it with grilled chicken breasts or shrimp! (Use precooked, tail-off for a super quick addition.)
- Swap your pasta. Instead of farfalle pasta, you can use penne pasta, bow-tie pasta, or just about any other shape—even regular spaghetti! (Whole wheat noodles are great, too.) Or, try making your own with a pasta machine.
- More cheese, please! Some people LOVE to swap the parmesan for feta or mozzarella cheese. Try it each way and see what you prefer!
- Fresh tomatoes are ideal—but if you cannot find cherry tomatoes, swap in chopped fresh grape or Roma tomatoes, instead.
- Add other veggies, too! I'm a big fan of sneaking in more vegetables whenever I can. Get creative, and consider throwing in some peas, sliced squash, chopped asparagus, sweet red bell pepper, white mushrooms, or your other favorite fresh vegetables. Try to find some baby fresh spinach for a sweeter flavor, or add fresh parsley for an additional herbal garnish!
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: You want to aim for al dente pasta in order to avoid soggy, mushy noodles since the pasta will continue to soften in the hot sauce and steam. Start testing your pasta two minutes before the cooking time on the package has elapsed. It should taste a little firm, but still tender enough to be chewable.
- As with most pasta dishes, never rinse your noodles after straining them (this rule doesn't apply for chilled pasta recipes, FYI.) The starchy residue left in the water on the pasta helps warm sauce stick to the noodles better.
- Make sure your water is salted well and has come to a rolling boil before adding your pasta—it really makes a difference in the end result!
- Using fresh basil is key for optimal flavor! The leaves should be bright green and not show any signs of discoloration or wilting.
- To easily peel fresh garlic cloves, smash them under the thick end of your knife using the base of your palm. The peel will split and you should be able to squeeze the garlic right out with minimal effort.
👩🍳 FAQs
Absolutely! You can cater to your own personal preferences when adding pasta, including gluten-free swaps.
Though pasta fresca tastes best with a splash of rosé or white wine, you can omit it. Try swapping it with white wine vinegar to maintain some of the flavor!
You can use either cooking wine or your favorite normal drinking wine—not too dry, but not too sweet. I love to buy a bottle of mid-range wine when I plan to cook with it. That way, you can still enjoy drinking the leftover wine after using it in the recipe. (Leftover wine... those two words don't sound like they belong together!)
No, the sauce would be much too acidic and tart. Regular, white vinegar is made by fermenting alcohol or diluting a lab-produced acid. Balsamic vinegar comes from the fermentation process of grape must. If you can't find balsamic vinegar in stores, use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar and add a tablespoon or so of sugar.
📚 Related recipes
- Southwest Chicken Pasta is super creamy and has that comforting made-in-a-skillet-with-lots-of-love feel.
- For a quick, yet filling pasta dish that contains protein AND veggies, try this One Pan Tortellini Alfredo—YUM!
- Summer just isn't summer without an Italian Pasta Salad—and this recipe comes with over 20(!!) variations to make it *chef's kiss* perfect.
More easy pasta recipes:
🍽️ Serve with...
📞 The last word
I always feel like summer should be easy and a little lazy rather than just one more season where I work, sleep, and work some more.
Quick and easy meals like this pasta fresca give me more time to sip tea on the porch or relax with my favorite book - and when it tastes this good no one cares that I didn't slave in the kitchen for two hours.
Y'all this is quicker and easier than getting in that hot car to go get Whataburger. You know I'm right.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Pasta Fresca
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
Pasta
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 1 cup fresh spinach, packed
- 2 ounces fresh shaved parmesan
Sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons rose wine, or white
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 0.6 ounces zesty Italian dressing mix, dry
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients until blended.
- Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the pasta, stir, and cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking heat 3 teaspoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet.
- Add the diced garlic and saute about 1 minute. Don't let it scorch.
- Stir in the tomatoes, onion, and pasta.
- Continue to cook over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan often, for about 3 - 5 minutes, or until the penne pasta starts to caramelize and get a golden crust.
- Stir in the balsamic mixture and the spinach.
- Saute just until the spinach wilts.
- Garnish with shaved Parmesan and serve.
Notes
- Pasta should be cooked al dente - it should taste a little firm, but still tender enough to be chewable.
- As with most pasta dishes, never rinse your noodles after straining them (this rule doesn't apply for chilled pasta recipes, FYI.) The starchy residue left in the water on the pasta helps warm sauce stick to the noodles better.
- Make sure your water is salted well and has come to a rolling boil before adding your pasta—it really makes a difference in the end result!
- Using fresh basil is key for optimal flavor! The leaves should be bright green and not show any signs of discoloration or wilting.
- To easily peel fresh garlic cloves, smash them under the thick end of your knife using the base of your palm. The peel will split and you should be able to squeeze the garlic right out with minimal effort.
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