Consider this Instant Pot recipe a cross between a traditional pasta in cream sauce and a favorite of mine, creamed spinach. The vegan version of this recipe with margarine and Oat, Soy, or Almond cream/milk tastes just as good as the vegetarian version.
Note: Don’t be tempted to cut corners and dump whole baby spinach leaves into the pot. They’ll wad around the pasta, making a slimy mess. Chop them into smaller bits so that they don’t get in the way of the creamy deliciousness.
Using a 5-, 6-, or 8-quart Instant Pot electric pressure cooker:
Press: SAUTÉ
Set it for: MEDIUM, NORMAL, or CUSTOM 300°F
Set time for: 5 minutes
As the pot heats, melt the butter (or margarine) in the insert set in a 5-, 6-, or 8-quart Instant Pot. Add the shallot and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Do not brown. Stir in the sage, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until aromatic, just a few seconds.
Add the chopped spinach and stir well to combine. Pour in the broth and scrape up any browned bits on the pot’s bottom. Warm for 1 minute, then turn off the heat. Stir in the dry pasta (shells or bow-ties/farfalle) until coated and lock the lid on the pot.
Set pot for: PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL
Set level to: HIGH
Valve must be: Closed
Set time for: 6 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
When the pot has finished cooking, use the quick-release method to bring the pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker.
Press: SAUTÉ
Set it for: MEDIUM, NORMAL, or CUSTOM 300°F
Set time for: 5 minutes
Bring the pasta mixture to a low simmer, stirring constantly. Add the cream (or non dairy creamer) and continue cooking, stirring almost constantly, to reduce the liquid and remove the cream’s raw flavor, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese (optional). Use hot pads or silicone baking mitts to transfer the (hot!) insert to a nearby wire rack. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Stir again before serving warm.
Because of the more complicated ratios between spinach and pasta, this recipe does not work well in a 3-quart or 10-quart Instant Pot.
For heat, you can omit the black pepper and add up to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the sage.
Feel free to substitute chopped baby kale or baby arugula for the baby spinach.
Recipe adapted by Geoff Peters from Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough's excellent book "The Instant Pot Bible 2 - The Next Generation"
Ingredients
Directions
Note: Don’t be tempted to cut corners and dump whole baby spinach leaves into the pot. They’ll wad around the pasta, making a slimy mess. Chop them into smaller bits so that they don’t get in the way of the creamy deliciousness.
Using a 5-, 6-, or 8-quart Instant Pot electric pressure cooker:
Press: SAUTÉ
Set it for: MEDIUM, NORMAL, or CUSTOM 300°F
Set time for: 5 minutes
As the pot heats, melt the butter (or margarine) in the insert set in a 5-, 6-, or 8-quart Instant Pot. Add the shallot and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Do not brown. Stir in the sage, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until aromatic, just a few seconds.
Add the chopped spinach and stir well to combine. Pour in the broth and scrape up any browned bits on the pot’s bottom. Warm for 1 minute, then turn off the heat. Stir in the dry pasta (shells or bow-ties/farfalle) until coated and lock the lid on the pot.
Set pot for: PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL
Set level to: HIGH
Valve must be: Closed
Set time for: 6 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
When the pot has finished cooking, use the quick-release method to bring the pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker.
Press: SAUTÉ
Set it for: MEDIUM, NORMAL, or CUSTOM 300°F
Set time for: 5 minutes
Bring the pasta mixture to a low simmer, stirring constantly. Add the cream (or non dairy creamer) and continue cooking, stirring almost constantly, to reduce the liquid and remove the cream’s raw flavor, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese (optional). Use hot pads or silicone baking mitts to transfer the (hot!) insert to a nearby wire rack. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Stir again before serving warm.
Because of the more complicated ratios between spinach and pasta, this recipe does not work well in a 3-quart or 10-quart Instant Pot.
For heat, you can omit the black pepper and add up to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the sage.
Feel free to substitute chopped baby kale or baby arugula for the baby spinach.
Recipe adapted by Geoff Peters from Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough's excellent book "The Instant Pot Bible 2 - The Next Generation"
Notes
Consider this Instant Pot Recipe dish a cross between a traditional pasta in cream sauce and a favorite of mine, creamed spinach. The vegan version of this recipe with margarine and Oat, Soy, or Almond cream/milk tastes just as good as the vegetarian version.
This is great!
Yum yum!