I've been a busy bee, playing with my MUCH loved little 3-qt. Mini Instant Pot. So I have a pasta recipe that I've been making for years the long way (make your own pasta sauce from scratch) and then I caved in on not being such a purist and shortened it to use a good quality pasta sauce. I found a similar enough recipe to use it as a guide for modifying mine to the IP, and tried it yesterday. It rocks! (Not only easier without the extra pasta pot, draining hot water, etc., but the pasta doesn't get leached by cooking separately in water. Instead, it becomes imbued with the sauce.) So I wanted to share it with you all because this would be particularly RV friendly.
(See special instructions within the following if you have the 3-qt. Mini size.) .
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
2-3 “links” Sweet Italian Sausage (squeeze sausage out of casings) OR 1/3-1/2 lb. packaged ground sausage
1 green bell pepper, 1/2 to 3/4-inch diced
1 medium onion, diced
Handful baby carrots sliced at 1/8” thickness
2 cloves garlic, minced
24-oz. jar Classico “Traditional Basil” or other flavor + half jar (12 oz.) water
8 oz. Large Elbow Macaroni (For other Pasta types, see *Note below recipe)
Generous sprinkling of Italian Seasoning, pepper and/or any other seasonings you prefer.
DIRECTIONS
Set IP on Saute (Normal). When display shows “Hot,” add olive oil and then the sausage. As sausage browns, it will let you more easily chop it into smaller chunks. Brown meat until interior is no longer pink, then remove from pot to temporarily set aside.
With add’l olive oil as necessary, enter all 3 veggies and saute until onions begin to soften, adding the garlic in the last 30-45 seconds.
Hit Cancel.
Enter the browned meat, pasta sauce and water, and if not using 3-qt. size, add the full 8 oz. dried pasta plus your seasonings. (IF using 3-qt. pot, remove half the unseasoned meat sauce from the pot and use only half the dried pasta for first batch. The 2nd batch can be cooked right after first batch (5 additional minutes) OR you can freeze 2nd batch of meat sauce and keep the remaining 4 oz. pasta for a later time. Season each batch separately. And further if using a 3-qt. size IP, stir in an additional 1/4C water to each batch just before cooking.)
Stir combined seasoned ingredients well, poking pasta into sauce/liquid. Set pot to High Pressure for 4 minutes, closing vent to “Sealing.” When finished, allow 45-60 seconds Natural Release and then do Quick Release. Stir in any surface liquid to incorporate, and serve. Or leave cover off to be sure all steam has left and then use "Keep Warm" on Low.
*OTHER TYPES OF PASTA: Rule of thumb is to pressure cook on High for HALF the time shown on package for that type of pasta. I happen to add just a token-short Natural Release for good measure, but that's the general rule of thumb for a fairly al dente pasta.