Full Feast Herbal Pasta Primavera

Herbal pasta primavera with peas, green beans and spinach, served with a jar of Full Feast Herbal Sauce

Primavera, the Full Feast Way

Pasta primavera is Italy’s plate of spring: pasta, green vegetables, and just enough richness to hold it together. My version swaps the usual pesto or heavy cream for something from my island pantry — Full Feast Herbal Sauce, whisked with olive oil and lemon into a bright green dressing, then folded through blended spinach and crème fraîche.

The result sits exactly where I like a pasta to sit: fresher than a classic pesto pasta, lighter than a cream-heavy one, and unmistakably Full Feast.

Recipe at a glance

  • Cuisine: French Caribbean / Italian fusion
  • Prep: 25 minutes • Cook: 20 minutes
  • Serves: 4
  • Featured sauce: Full Feast Fresh Herbal Sauce
  • Heat level: None as written — add the chilli flakes for a gentle lift
  • Diet: Vegetarian as written, with an easy vegan swap (see notes)

What you’ll need

For the pasta:

  • 350 g penne pasta
  • 225 g baby spinach
  • 250 g fresh peas
  • 250 g green beans, chopped
  • 3 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 40–50 g butter
  • 3 tbsp crème fraîche (or cooking cream)
  • 50–75 g Parmesan, grated (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Full Feast Herbal Sauce Mix:

  • 4 tbsp Full Feast Herbal Sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • Optional: pinch of chilli flakes

Method

  1. Cook the vegetables. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the spinach and cook for 3–5 minutes until wilted. Meanwhile, boil the peas and green beans in salted water until tender, then drain.
  2. Make the sauce. Whisk together the Full Feast Herbal Sauce, olive oil, lemon juice and chilli flakes (if using) — this is your Herbal Sauce Mix. Using a blender or stick blender, blend the cooked spinach with the crème fraîche until smooth, then return it to the pan. Stir in the peas, beans, spring onions, parsley and the Herbal Sauce Mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Cook the pasta. Boil the penne until al dente, then drain.
  4. Finish. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss until fully coated. Add the Parmesan, if using, and serve.

Chef’s notes

The Herbal Sauce brings garlic, herbs, acidity and Caribbean freshness to the plate — that is what makes this dish fresher than a classic pesto pasta and lighter than a cream-heavy one, without either of them.

Vegan swap: the dish is vegetarian as written (butter, crème fraîche, optional Parmesan). To make it vegan, swap the butter for olive oil and leave out the crème fraîche and Parmesan — the Herbal Sauce itself is vegan and gluten free.

Allergen note: Full Feast Herbal Sauce contains mustard and sulphites. As written, the dish also contains milk (butter, crème fraîche, Parmesan) and wheat (pasta).

Make it a main event

Add grilled chicken, king prawns or salmon and this becomes a proper dinner-party plate.

Final word from me

Spring on a plate should taste green, not heavy. Let the vegetables lead, let the Herbal Sauce do the seasoning, and keep the Parmesan as a whisper, not a blanket.

JP