Have you ever wanted to know how to cook pasta in the pressure cooker? We’re going to show you how to produce nearly any form of pasta in the pressure cooker in no time!
Pressure Cooker Pasta
We usually ask ourselves this question whenever we make something in the Pressure Cooker: Does cooking this in the pressure cooker improve the traditional approach in any way, either in terms of time or ultimate result? If the answer is yes, we’ll gladly utilize our pressure cooker to make it.
Choosing to cook pasta in the pressure cooker is a great alternative to heating up the kitchen with boiling water (and straining the noodles), and it only takes one touch of a button to make some amazing one-pot pasta recipes. Is this to say we’ll never boil pasta again on the stovetop? No. However, this method is handy to have on hand for specific pasta dishes and quick evening meals.
Cooking Any Type of Pasta in the Pressure Cooker
We wanted to come up with a recipe that could be used for any variety of pasta. We’ve tried at least 14 different types of pasta with this recipe during our study over the last few months. With the exception of a few variables, we’ve had a lot of success with practically all of them.
Before we get started, a word of caution: despite the fact that the pressure cooker claims to work the same across the board, we’ve discovered that this isn’t the case.
While we’ve had great experience cooking practically any type of dry pasta with this approach, you may need to adjust our recipe somewhat depending on your pressure cooker model or other best microwave models.
We’ve successfully tested this recipe in three different types and sizes of pressure cooker, but keep in mind that you may need to alter it somewhat to achieve the precise results you want for whichever recipe you’re using. We intended this recipe to be fool-proof, but there are just too many variables in the end.
Cook Pasta in The Pressure Cooker Full Recipe
Ingredients to Cook Pasta in The Pressure Cooker
- 12 to 16 ounces dried pasta
- Big pinch of salt
- Water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional, see note)
Instructions of Cook Pasta in The Pressure Cooker
- Add any pasta (at least 12 ounces but no more than 16 ounces) to the liner of your Instant Pot. Add enough water to nearly cover the pasta (a few pieces of pasta sticking above the water line is ok). Add in salt, and oil, if using.
- Close the lid and set the valve to sealing.
- Cooking on high pressure for 0 (zero) minutes with a 3-minute natural release (see note about gluten-free pasta).
- Release the pressure. If at any point starchy liquid starts to come out of the knob, close the knob for 20 seconds. Then release the pressure again. Repeat closing the knob if necessary until all the pressure has been released.
- Stir the pasta immediately and use as desired. You can drain the pasta and use in any recipe, or you can keep the starchy water to use to help make a sauce for the pasta.
Notes of Cook Pasta in The Pressure Cooker
Do you normally add oil in with your boiling pasta? If yes, it’s safe to add it in here too.
If using gluten-free pasta, especially brown rice pasta, let the pressure naturally release for only 2 minutes. Gluten-free pasta appears to have the biggest problem with starchy water releasing from the pressure knob. Because of this, you’ll need to close the valve usually at least once or twice when you are releasing the pressure, to prevent the starch water from spraying out of the release valve, so the overall cooking time will increase a bit since it takes longer to release the pressure.
Was this helpful?
Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.
