Description
Learn how to make a delicious, creamy yet light Instant Pot mushroom and chickpea pasta in about 30 minutes. This budget-friendly, vegetarian recipe is perfect for the whole family. It’s nutritious and rich in protein and fibre.
Ingredients
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, quartered and sliced
8 oz / 250 g button/cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 oz penne pasta (about 120 g)
2/3 cup frozen peas
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
2 cups vegetable stock (about 450–500 ml)
To finish:
1 can chickpeas (14 oz / 400 g, strained)
1/2 cup light cream (you can add a little more if you like)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (you can use Cheddar or another hard cheese here)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for thickening the sauce)
Garnish with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley or chives
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on and press the Saute button; it should say Normal heat setting. Allow the pot to heat up for a minute or two and then add the olive oil and onions. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring a couple of times, then add the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 4 minutes until the mushrooms have softened up. Make to stir a couple of times.
- Press Cancel to stop the Saute process. Add the dry pasta, frozen peas, garlic and vegetable stock. Stir through well, press the pasta down into the broth with a spatula.
- Secure and lock the lid. Select Pressure Cook/Manual setting and adjust the timer to 1 minute at HIGH pressure. Yes, only 1 minute because the pasta will start to cook while the pressure is building up and we will use 10-minute natural release and the residual heat to finish cooking it.
- The Instant Pot will show ON on display and the pot will start to heat up and build the pressure, which will take about 5-7 minutes. Then, the 1-minute timer will display. Once the timer is done, allow 10 minutes for natural release (leave the Instant Pot alone). After 10 minutes, press the Quick Release button to manually let off the remaining pressure.
- Tip: The reason we are doing the 10-minute natural release is that it allows any foam built up from cooking starchy food like pasta inside the pot to settle, so it doesn’t eject when you release the pressure manually.
- Open the lid and stir the pasta. There will be some cooking broth on the bottom, which will incorporate into the sauce. Press the Saute button again. Add a can of chickpeas, cream and Parmesan cheese and stir through.
- To finish the pasta, we’re going to thicken that sauce slightly. Combine a tablespoon or so of all-purpose flour with 2-3 tablespoon of water or the cooking broth from the pasta itself and stir to dissolve. Return to the pot and stir through the pasta. This flour slurry will thicken the liquid and make the pasta even creamier. We like our pasta with a lot of sauce, but you could also strain some of that cooking broth first before adding cream and Parmesan.
- Press Cancel to stop the Saute sauce. The pasta is ready to be served. Top with some fresh parsley and extra Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
Sauteeing: 5-6 minutes Pressurizing: 5-7 minutes Cooking under pressure: 1 minute Release: 10 minutes natural followed by a quick release.
Note on peas: The frozen peas will cook to very soft and disintegrate into the sauce, giving it a bit more starch and that lovely pea sweetness. If you prefer to keep peas more intact, defrost them in hot water first and then add them together with the chickpeas at the end of the cooking process.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups of pasta with sauce, chickpeas etc.
- Calories: 405
- Sugar: 6.4 g
- Sodium: 1098.4 mg
- Fat: 16.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.8 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 17.5 g
- Cholesterol: 24.9 mg
Keywords: Pasta, Penne, Mushrooms, Chickpeas, Garbanzo Beans, Peas, Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker, Dinner, Vegetarian, Budget, Cheap