Chicken Sausage Pasta Primavera
with Lemon Sauce, Bell Pepper, Zucchini & Peas
- Wheat
- Milk
Craving a rich pasta dish but also a bounty of veggies? Thanks to this recipe, you don’t have to choose between the two. Here, you’ll find al dente penne pasta, green peas, and roasted bell pepper and zucchini, all tossed in a creamy, dreamy sauce that’s brightened with lemon juice and made aromatic with Italian herbs. Each plate is showered with grated Parmesan for an im-pasta-bly delicious dinner.
Ingredients
1 unit
Bell Pepper
1 unit
Zucchini
2 unit
Scallions
1 unit
Lemon
6 ounce
Penne Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
1 tablespoon
Tuscan Heat Spice
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
2 tablespoon
Crème Fraîche
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Veggie Stock Concentrate
4 ounce
Peas
3 tablespoon
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
9 ounce
Italian Chicken Sausage Mix
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
2 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
1 teaspoon
Olive Oil
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Halve, core, and thinly slice bell pepper. Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise; slice crosswise into ½-inch-thick half-moons. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Zest and quarter lemon.
• Toss bell pepper and zucchini on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until tender and lightly charred, 15-18 minutes.
While veggies roast, rinse shrimp under cold water. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp or sausage; cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Once water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve 1½ cups pasta cooking water (2 cups for 4 servings), then drain. (Keep empty pot handy for next step.)
• Heat a drizzle of olive oil in pot used for pasta over medium heat. Add scallion whites and 1 tsp Tuscan Heat Spice (2 tsp for 4 servings); cook, stirring, 1 minute. (Be sure to measure the Tuscan Heat Spice; we sent more.) • Whisk in cream sauce base, stock concentrate, and ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water (½ cup for 4). Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. • Reduce heat to medium low and whisk in crème fraîche until smooth.
• Add drained penne, peas, half the Parmesan (save the rest for serving), half the lemon zest, 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings), and a big squeeze of lemon juice to pot with sauce. Cook, stirring, until butter has melted and penne is coated in a creamy sauce. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time. • Stir in roasted veggies. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add more lemon zest or lemon juice if you like. TIP: For an extra-rich experience, stir in another 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4).
Stir in shrimp or sausage along with roasted veggies.
• Divide pasta between plates or shallow bowls. Top with scallion greens and remaining Parmesan. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Chicken Sausage is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The lemon cream sauce is a standout — bright, creamy, and a great match for the roasted veggies and pasta. Some found it a touch mild; adding extra lemon juice, fresh garlic, or a pinch more seasoning boosted the flavor nicely.
- Ease of prep: The recipe is straightforward, though it uses several pots and pans; budget a little extra time beyond the estimate for prep and cleanup.
- Suggestions: Spread the bell pepper and zucchini on separate pans so they roast rather than steam, and consider reducing the oven temp to 425°F if your veggies tend to burn. Use only the measured amount of Tuscan Heat Spice — the recipe includes extra — and go easy on the lemon, as it can overpower the sauce if overdone.
- Leftovers: This dish makes generous portions and reheats well; some even preferred it as a cold pasta salad the next day 🍲.
- Sauce: A few found the sauce too thin or watery; stir in pasta water gradually and let it simmer a little longer to reach a creamier consistency. Adding a splash of half-and-half or an extra knob of butter also helped.
- Chicken sausage: The Italian chicken sausage adds a welcome kick of spice and ties the dish together; those who skipped it still enjoyed the pasta, but most felt it elevated the meal.
Reviews from our home cooks
This was my favorite of the three meals we had this week! I love the lemony touch, the flavors in the Italian sausage chicken and the zucchini and peas were just delicious in the dish!
Have been hoping for some pasta primavera and this recipe really hit the spot. Great veggies and well paired with the chicken sausage. Thank you!
Definitely will order this dish again. Lemon Parmesan sauce was excellent. Added more fresh lemon juice. The lemon in the bag was dried out, very little juice in it. Chicken sausage had great seasoning-loved garlic taste.
Bravo! I want to eat this everyday! The spicy chicken sausage was really good. The lemon in the sauce was so yummy. I will definitely make this again! BTW, thanks for the zucchini!
So good! You can cook the veggies and the chicken sausage together in a pan with some olive oil. No need to dirty a baking sheet. I added in more cheese and some Kinder butter seasoning. I also added in some white wine and sour cream to the sauce. It was perfection!
This was a tasty dish with the chicken sausage added in. The roasted veggies gave the pasta dish added flavor and texture.
Way better than last by leaving out the Italian seasoning. Nice understated sauce. Love, love the peas. Sautéed the pepper and zucchini gave better than a roasted/burnt flavor. Good enough to get again after the tweaking.
Downsides: too much pasta, had to use too many pots & pans to make, lots of clean-up, would've preferred a lighter version. Liked: Had always wanted to make a pasta primavera dish.
Only order this one if you like peas and zucchini, and don't mind the cooked-zucchini texture. If you like those things you'll like this dish. Bright and lemony and creamy. I loved it, my wife hated it (because of the aforementioned veggies.)
Wonderful taste and texture. We used the Chicken Sausage which added a lovely flavor. The recipe makes a large amount so it should be good reheated for lunch!
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