Creamy One-Pot Primavera
Creamy One-Pot Primavera is one of the great marriages: one-pot meal prep and a Dutch oven. Well, actually, it might be more like a thruple cause we’re actually talking about a one-pot meal, a Dutch oven, and creamy comforting pasta.
If you’re thinking this is a traditional Italian recipe, it isn’t.
Would you believe that Nova Scotia takes credit for the dish? Though it was technically a chef duo — one Italian, one French — traveling from New York to Nova Scotia, but… details.
There was a fair amount of tension around this dish back in the 1970’s… Sure it may look Italian at first glance, but the French chef was actually credited with adding the creamy elements (shocker, I know). So if the recipe’s creators enjoyed healthy debate around the dish, then certainly we are free to prepare to suit.
You can prepare it appropriately fresh and deliciously light like Serious Eats and Tastes Better From Scratch. You can go the admittedly complicated route found on New York Times Cooking.
Or you can break out that sleeve of Ritz crackers, dive head-first into a proper cheesy bechamel, and go for something delightfully comforting!
Here’s why I think you’ll like this recipe.
This is the version of primavera that die-hard culinary types roll their eyes at… the version that earns its criticism: calories galore, processed ingredients, and a departure from the original iteration. But who really cares?
It’s really really good to eat. And you can do whatever you want with how you feed yourself, regardless of the recipe’s legacy or what the internet thinks.
Creamy One-Pot Primavera is a “just because it sounded good” kind of recipe.
I can’t think of any time I made a batch of primavera from garden-fresh vegetables (from a farmer’s market… kissed by organic mermaids) or ever stirred a simmering pot of this next to a grandmother (though I legit remember crushing Cheez-Its for meatballs. Sicilian grandma swears by it… pretty sure that trick isn’t from the old country #keepitclassy 🤷🏻♀️ ).
This Creamy One-Pot Primavera is just one of the thousands of recipes on the internet. And I hope you make it. And that you crush your Ritz crackers with a rolling pin with pride.
And while you’re at it, probably should grab a bottle of white wine too. We both know it’s that kind of night. (The Gallivant. So good.)
Once you make this one, pop back over and let everyone know how it went.
What veggies did you swap? Use leftover ham or turkey or even salmon (!!!) instead of chicken? Did you scrap the egg noodles and go for something more elegant? Let’s talk about ways to make this your own in the comments below.
Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 2 cups egg noodles (dry) prepare per package directions
Main Dish
- 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs cubed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp cold butter divided
- 2 carrots diced (yields about 1 cup)
- 1 cup frozen peas (canned or fresh peas are fine too)
- 6 white or cremini mushrooms cleaned, trimmed, and sliced
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion diced (yields about 1 ½ cup)
- 2 tsp dry mustard (not spicy Chinese mustard!)
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp Himalayan or Kosher salt
- 1½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tbsp sherry cooking wine
- 1¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese divided
- 1 sleeve Ritz brand crackers crushed into crumbs
- fresh flat-leaf parsley, if desired.
Instructions
Prepare Pasta
- At some point, prepare two cups of dried egg noodles according to package directions. I'm comfortable managing a pot of boiling pasta at the same time as the instructions below, but preparing anytime in advance is necessary.
Prepare Prima Vera
- Warm a Dutch oven to medium-high on the stovetop and melt 2 tbsp butter with olive oil. Preheat oven to 350°F as well (this is for later).
- Add the cubed chicken thighs, cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the carrots, onion, mushrooms, peas, dried herbs, salt, and pepper to the chicken; cook for another 8 minutes.
- Dust 1/4 cup flour and the dry mustard over the mixture, stirring to distribute evenly.
- Stir in 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of chicken stock, and 3 tbsp of sherry cooking wine. Reduce temperature to low, cover, and simmer until a gravy takes shape… about 3 minutes.
- Turn the burner off, add prepared egg noodles and 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Stir all the tasty ingredients together so everything is evenly distributed and make any final adjustments to seasonings. Set aside while the topping is prepared.
- Crush 1 sleeve's worth of Ritz-brand crackers (or equivalent). I favor the sealed plastic bag method: put the crackers in a seal-tight plastic bag and whack the crackers with a mallet or rolling pin until crumbly.
- Mix cracker crumbs with ¼ cup of shredded parmesan, sprinkle over the pasta mixture, and dot with remaining cold butter.
- Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven or until topping is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
- Allow the One Pot Prima Vera to rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with some chopped fresh parsley if you'd like. Serve!
Nutrition
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