Cooking Lesson #109 Instant Pot Sausage Penne Pasta

Instant Pot Sausage Penne Pasta

How you doin’? Does this sound familiar? You got stuck in traffic and you have a house full of kids and an anxious spouse waiting for dinner. You forgot to pull something out of the freezer and don’t have time to stop at the local pizza joint. What’s one to do?
 
Okay, here’s the solution. With my Instant Pot Sausage Penne Pasta recipe, after sautéing the sausage and the vegetables, everything including the pasta and the sauce cooks together under pressure in your Instant Pot—the whole kit-and-caboodle cooks in just about a half hour. What a great, easy Instant Pot solution for busy, unplanned weeknights to feed a hungry hoard! You will hear raves that your Penne Pasta is better than most anyone’s lasagna.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  22 minutes (plus or minus depending on the Instant Pot size)
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1-pound Italian sausage
1 cup diced onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 chopped red or orange bell peppers
1/2 cup red wine
2-1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
12 ounces (4-1/2 cups) dry penne pasta
25-ounce jar marinara sauce (I use any of the Rao’s flavors)
3 cups fresh spinach coarsely chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
 
Directions

1. Using the SAUTÉ MODE on the Instant Pot add the olive oil.
2. When the oil is hot, remove the casings from the Italian sausage, crumble and add it to the pot to sauté.
3. Add the onions to the pot and sauté with sausage for 4 to 5 minutes, or until sausage is browned.
4. Press cancel to TURN OFF SAUTÉ MODE.
5. Add the garlic, bell peppers, wine, water, Italian seasoning and 1 cup of the marinara sauce. Stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot.
6. Add the penne pasta to the pot and DO NOT STIR. Lightly press the pasta down into an even layer.
7. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the pasta; DO NOT STIR.
8. Close the Instant Pot lid and seal release valve. Set the PRESSURE TO HIGH and the time to 2 MINUTES.
9. The Instant Pot will take about 18 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down. As soon as the cook time ends, DO A CONTROLLED QUICK RELEASE of the pressure by turning the steam release valve towards the venting position.
10. When all the steam has escaped and the pressure pin drops down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid. You may see a little bit of extra liquid in the pasta, but this will be absorbed as the pasta rests.
11. Stir the pasta and then stir in the spinach, followed by the shredded mozzarella cheese and cover for about 2 minutes to let the cheese melt.
12. Plate and serve.

ChefSecrets:  

• You can use any meat sausage--pork, turkey or chicken sausage or make vegetarian.
• Two minutes of pressure cooking is equal to 6 to 9 minutes of pasta cook time. Pressure cook 3 minutes for package cook time of 10-12 minutes, pressure cook 4 minutes for package cook time of 13 or more minutes.
• Never stir Instant Pot pasta dishes until fully cooked.

 
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Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  Remember… Rapunzel was quarantined and met her future husband at the tower. Let’s think positive here.
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