Tender pieces of penne in tomato basil cream sauce cooks up like a dream in your Instant Pot! This vegan Instant Pot Pasta recipe is bursting with flavor!
Servings 4
Author Becky Striepe
Ingredients
For the Pasta
28ouncecan chopped tomatoes
1 ½cupswater
2 ½cupspenne
2tablespoonsItalian seasoning
2tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar
6ouncesbaby spinach(or other quick-wilting greens - about 5 cups)
salt, pepper, & nutritional yeast(to taste)
For the Pesto Cashew Cream
1cupcashews (soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes, then drained)
½cupwater (NOT the soaking water)
3clovesgarlic
2tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar
¼cupfresh basil leavesminced
Instructions
Make the Pasta
Put all of the pasta ingredients -- except the spinach, salt pepper, and nutritional yeast -- into your Instant Pot, and stir to combine. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release. (TIP: Throw a kitchen towel over the release valve, because Instant Pot Pasta can cause the valve to spurt a lot.)
While the pasta is cooking, make the Pesto Cashew Cream (instructions below).
Add the spinach to the pot, stirring it into the hot sauce, until it wilts completely. If it is having a tough time wilting, you can hit the pot's Saute button to warm things back up. If you do turn on the Saute function, hit Cancel after the spinach wilts into the sauce. This should only take a few minutes.
Stir in the Pesto Cashew Cream, then season the pot with salt, black pepper, and nutritional yeast, to taste.
Make the Pesto Cashew Cream
Combine all of the cashew cream ingredients -- except the basil -- in your blender, and puree until smooth. Stir in the basil.