Description

Learn how to make Instant Pot Pasta Primavera, a classic pasta dish filled with colorul seasonal vegetables and lemony, Parmesan cream sauce. It is the perfect pasta recipe for spring and summer, yet versatile enough to be enjoyed year-round. This pasta Primavera one-pot dish is ready in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale

Vegetables to prep

2 cups broccoli florets (larger ones cut in halves)

1 medium zucchini/summer squash/zucchini, cut in half moons

10 asparagus spears, cut into three (trim off the ends)

1 small bell pepper (red or yellow), cut into strips

1.5 cup cherry tomatoes, halved and/or quartered

1 cup frozen peas (thawed out in hot water)

For the sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red onion or shallot, sliced

3 large cloves of garlic, minced or finely diced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

4-5 slices of red chili or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

2 tablespoons lemon juice (1 lemon)

1/2 cup vegetable stock (we used Vegeta stock powder and water)

For pasta

12 oz (340 g) penne pasta

3 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

To finish the sauce

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons butter

6 large basil leaves, sliced (+ extra for garnish)

Instructions

Prep the vegetables ahead of time. They only take a few minutes to cook so you want all your attention on the pot once you start cooking. What’s great is that you can cook all the vegetables in one pot for this recipe.
Add frozen peas to a bowl and pour over hot boiling water to thaw them out briefly. Then strain and set aside.
Set up the Instant Pot and press the Saute setting on Normal mode.
Add the olive oil and onions and cook for 1-2 minutes to soften. Follow by broccoli, zucchini and bell peppers (as these take longer to cook) and cook for 1 minute, stirring a couple of times.
Then add asparagus and cherry tomatoes and stir for about 30 seconds.
Then add the garlic, lemon zest, chili, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Stir for 20-30 seconds.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of vegetable or chicken stock and cook for 1 minute, stirring a couple of times.
Remove the vegetables and most of the cooking stock liquid with a big spoon. A little garlic and onion can remain in any leftover cooking broth in the pot.
Add the pasta and 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Pour in 3 cups of water, it should cover the pasta completely. Stir through, scraping the bottom.
Secure and lock the lid. Pressure cook for 4 minutes on HIGH. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 1-2 minutes and then use the quick release to let the steam off. Don’t leave it on NPR for longer than that or the pasta will overcook.
Strain the pasta. Return it to the Instant Pot and add the vegetables and the cooking stock from the bowl, as well as butter, cream and Parmesan. Stir through. Set to Saute for a minute or two to reheat as the cream and butter would have cooled down the pasta.
Taste for salt and pepper. Finally, stir in chopped or sliced basil leaves. You can also drizzle a little extra lemon juice, to taste.

Notes

See the ingredients notes above in this post.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 605
Sugar: 10.7 g
Sodium: 725.3 mg
Fat: 23 g
Carbohydrates: 81.3 g
Protein: 20.9 g
Cholesterol: 39.4 mg

Keywords: Pasta Recipes, Instant Pot Pasta, Penne Pasta, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Italian, Dinner