Perfect pasta to make in the summer months. If I had all the time in the world, I would roast the veggies, boil the pasta and then fold it in together with generous helping of Olive oil. But this is the Funky Dunky Quick, I have no time or patience method. I know making pasta in the instant pot seems weird but hear me out…There is no draining involved. No gimmicks to stop the pasta water from over flowing. No zillion dishes to wash. Making a pasta from scratch…with the sauce (though if you insist, here is a super easy roasted Tomato Sauce that is just so so awesome!) and what not ,is an art form. Yes I get it. But sometimes you just have enough time to chuck things in and hope for the best. This is that kind of recipe! and it’s Meatless. With choke full of veggies. So if you are feeding this almost throwaway dish to your kids..pat your backs..for at least you tried to serve them something that had a tonne of veggies. You can easily make this completely dairy free and Vegan by substituting parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast. Making Pasta in Instant Pot is a game changer. Especially for quick weeknight dinners! Instant pot chicken parmesan penne pasta is a cult favorite, this pressure cooker tuscan chicken pasta is simple and hits the spot every single time. And my personal Favorite alfredo chicken pasta, also made in IP is the whole deal with Zero hassle! So Clean out your fridge and lets get cooking!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Pasta Primavera
All you need are a handful of ingredients-
Pasta
Use a Bite Sized pasta because anything too delicate will get obliterated in the instant pot. Because all that high pressure and all. Something like Penne, Rotini or Rigatoni will work well.
Veggies
Pick what you like. Hardy vegetables like asparagus and carrots or whatever you liked cooked till it’s soft, will go in the instant pot along with the pasta.I also like to throw in some frozen peas some times. Because you know…pea protein. The other softer, watery veggies like bell peppers and broccoli, don’t need a whole lot of cooking. So these go in after the pressure cooker stage. These veggies are added along with the cheese in the final stage where the heat from the instant pot cooks them till they are crisp tender. Crisp Tender is when the veggies are cooked but still have a bite to them. My current hype is this loaded veggie pesto orzo recipe , which we have repeatedly made!
How to make Instant Pot Pasta Primavera
I have two methods to make this pasta. Method A : Throw everything together(except the cheese) and walk away. While this results in the veggies being a little softer than I would like, it’s still a delicious week night dinner. Especially when you cannot think and you are late coming home and the kids are chirping like hungry little birds. Method B : This is for the veggie haters. If you like them crisp and just done, then this method will work for you. It’s more of a warm pasta salad where the leftover heat “cooks” up the veggies. Below I am explaining the Method B because come on method A is just chuck everything in and walk away.
Step 1: Prep
Start with cutting up the hardier vegetables into about 2 inch pieces each. This size will keep the veggies crunchy instead of turning them into a mush. Though if you like your veggies soft, then cut them smaller.
Step 2: Pressure Cook on HIGH pressure
In the instant pot, Add water or broth, garlic, olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning and give it a mix. Next add the pasta and gently urge it to get inside the water. Top this with cherry tomatoes and vegetables like carrots that need to be cooked for longer. Doing this will keep the vegetables crunchy. Pressure cook on high for just 4 minutes. After the 1 minute is over, let the pressure release for 5 minutes before you Quick release and open the pot.
Step 3: Keep Warm for 5 minutes
Mix it all up. Add all the other vegetables-bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli and parmesan cheese. Give it a mix.
If you like your vegetables el dente- Switch to the KEEP WARM setting and let everything sit inside for 5 minutes.
Notes
Undercooked Pasta - Your pasta is undercooked- this could happen if you have used a thicker , larger pasta. Penne pasta is the best option for pressure cooker pasta. Over cooked Pasta - Well you cannot do anything this time but..try to remember if you left the pasta in “Keep Warm” setting for too long. Even though it says keep warm, if the food is left in it for long, it ends up over cooking. Especially things like pasta and Rice.
Looking for some more quick wins? Try my quick instant pot chicken parmesan pasta , Tuscan chicken pasta ,alfredo chicken pasta and our recent fav- truffle mushroom pasta.
