My love affair with Olive Garden’s Capellini Primavera began during a health-conscious phase when I was determined to make better dining choices. This vegetable-packed pasta proved that healthy restaurant food could be absolutely delicious.
What sets this dish apart is its simplicity and freshness. Unlike traditional primavera recipes that rely on heavy cream sauces, Olive Garden’s version lets the natural flavors of seasonal vegetables shine through a light, herb-infused tomato base.
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Why This Recipe Works
The magic lies in the cooking technique and the timing of the ingredients. Sautéing the vegetables in stages ensures that each maintains its ideal texture, while the combination of beef bouillon and sun-dried tomatoes creates a rich, complex base without the need for heavy cream. The light sauce clings perfectly to delicate angel hair pasta, creating a harmonious dish that’s both nutritious and satisfying.
This recipe proves that healthy doesn’t mean boring, with layers of flavor from fresh herbs, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes.
Capellini Primavera Recipe Ingredients
For the Primavera:
- Butter РProvides a rich base for saut̩ing vegetables and building a flavor foundation
- Yellow onions – Create a romantic base and natural sweetness when caramelized
- Fresh carrots – Adds natural sweetness, vibrant color, and satisfying crunch texture
- Fresh broccoli florets – Contributes bright green color, nutrients, and a firm bite
- Button or cremini mushrooms – Provides earthy umami flavor and meaty texture
- Yellow squash – Offers a mild flavor and tender texture that absorbs other flavors
- Fresh garlic – Delivers aromatic foundation essential for authentic Italian taste
- Beef bouillon granules – Create savory depth without heavy cream or stock
- Sun-dried tomatoes – Adds concentrated tomato flavor and chewy texture contrast
- Canned crushed tomatoes – Forms a light sauce base with fresh tomato brightness
- Fresh Italian parsley – Contributes bright, herbaceous finish and color
- Dried oregano – Provides classic Italian herb flavor and aromatic complexity
- Dried rosemary – Adds woody, pine-like notes that complement vegetables
- Crushed red pepper flakes – Delivers gentle heat and authentic Italian character
- Angel hair pasta – Light pasta that allows vegetables to be the star
- Grated Parmesan cheese – Adds a nutty, salty finish that binds all flavors together
How to Make Olive Garden Capellini Primavera
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add onions, carrots, and broccoli. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, squash, and garlic. Sauté 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the pasta and cheese. Stir well.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Place the cooked angel hair pasta in a serving dish.
- Ladle the Capellini Primavera over the pasta.
- Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Pasta will absorb sauce, so add a splash of water or broth when reheating.
- Reheating Method: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding liquid as needed to restore sauce consistency. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until heated through.
- Freezing is not recommended, as vegetables become mushy and pasta texture deteriorates when frozen.
Love Olive Garden? Try these copycat recipes!
- Asiago Tortelloni
- Capellini Pomodoro
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Cookie Dough Cheesecake
- Italian Lemon Cream Cake
- Olive Garden Dressing
- Olive Garden Pizza
- Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
- Watermelon Sangria
Popular Pasta Recipes
Check out more of my easy pasta recipes and the best Olive Garden recipes here on CopyKat!
Olive Garden Capellini Primavera Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces butter
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
- 3/4 cup julienne-cut carrots (1/8″-by-1/8″-by-1/2″)
- 5 cups broccoli florets cut into 1″ pieces
- 3 cups sliced mushrooms about 8 ounces
- 1 1/4 cups thinly sliced yellow squash cut squash in half lengthwise before slicing
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed, minced
- 1 1/4 cups crushed tomatoes in puree
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound cooked fresh angel-hair pasta
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Sauté onions, carrots and broccoli in the butter for 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, squash and garlic. Sauté 2 minutes.
- Add all remaining ingredients except pasta and cheese. Stir well.
- Bring to simmer, then cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and flavors are well blended.
- Place the cooked pasta in a serving dish.
- Ladle the Capellini primavera on top of the pasta.
- Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.
This recipe can be made vegan (and healthier) by switching olive oil for the butter and leaving out the cheese. This helps the taste of the vegetables shine more.
I loved this recipe! This was so good with all the vegetables this was not a heavy meal! I served for to my girlfriends for girls night out and several of them asked for the recipe! It was a hit! Thank you!
I like the recipes and love to experiment with new recipes. Is there a way you can “add” the nutritional information for these recipes?
As a diabetic, I need this information to determine my food and insulin needs.
I do not offer this feature at this time. My father died due to complications caused by diabetes. I am not a trained nutritionist, and honestly, I don’t feel I am qualified to present this information, because I don’t want to be wrong. I know how important this is, until I can hire a trained nutritionist, or find a program that is highly reliable, I don’t feel I can offer you this information.
Sparkpeople.com has a feature where you can put in the ingredients and amounts of each in a recipe, and put in how many servings the recipe makes, and it will give you detailed nutrition information per serving. I often find recipes that have only the calories, fat, carbs, and sometimes protein, and I use SP to get the full info – I’m severely anemic, so I’m always wanting to know how much iron is in a dish, which is something most websites and magazines leave out!
Sue, I did go back in and add the nutritional information to this recipe.
I like to saute chicken tenders bites in olive oil with 2 cloves of garlic and add to pasta. Also are you ready for this. The next day I make rice, heat up the Primavera and I add soy sauce to it, and bam I have Chinese, it is fantastic!
Ooooh, I tried this last night at Olive Garden and was surprised at how fresh and simple it was. Thanks for providing this recipe! I can’t wait to try it!