How to Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot – The Perfect Formula

How to Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot:  We're talking the magical formula for making perfectly cooked pasta in the Instant Pot that involves no stirring, babysitting, or foamy overflows all over your stovetop!  All made possible by my true love, the Electric Pressure Cooker.

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This recipe has been updated for even better, al dente, less foaming pasta.  See notes in the recipe for more info.

Why make Perfect Pressure Cooker Pasta when the most common method is simply a matter of boiling water?  I've got reasons for days.

Nothing drives me more crazy in the kitchen than dealing with a pot of pasta on the stove that WILL NOT STOP FOAMING!  You stir, stir, stir, and when that doesn't work, you take it off the heat, let it settle, only to put it back on the heat and have it quickly foam to the top and you repeat the entire process all over again.

I've tried all the gizmos, the wooden spoon trick, the oil trick, etc, etc, and I have resolved to lose the stovetop pasta battle.

To my rescue, totally awesome pressure cooker!

I can throw the pasta, salt, and water in and walk away.  In fact, I can even have my daughter do it while I take a nap!

There are several different cook times and water to pasta ratios out there, and after a lot of experimenting, I've finally narrowed it down to my ideal time.  Lots of good info here, let's get started!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE MAKING PASTA IN THE ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER

• Your days of babysitting pasta are OVER.  Add your ingredients, push some buttons, do some yoga
• NO MORE STARCHY WATER FOAMING OVER ONTO YOUR STOVETOP – that's the golden reason right there
• With this magical formula, you are almost guaranteed perfectly cooked pasta every time.  As always, times may vary slightly depending on the brand, model, and altitude
• So easy your kid can do it.  That's worth the cost of an Instant Pot (or 2) right there

HOW TO COOK PASTA IN THE INSTANT POT – THE MAGICAL FORMULA

Let me leave a caveat here and say that this method may not work on every single pasta variety out there.  There's lentil pasta, quinoa pasta, buckwheat pasta, and so on.  HOWEVER!  I do think this is a perfect starting place for all of these kinds of pasta.  If you find your favorite version of pasta was slightly under or overdone, then just make a note to add or subtract a minute the next time.  Easy Peasy.

1. Add pasta to the pressure cooker pot
2. Add liquid: 1 1/2 cups of liquid for every 4 ounces of pasta
3. Add salt:  1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt for every 1 1/2 cups liquid and 4 ounces of pasta
4. Add fat: 1/2 tablespoon oil or butter for every 4 ounces of pasta
5. Cook pasta for half the lowest package time, minus 2 minutes (examples below).  When pressure cooking is complete, do a quick release of pressure (see below for what to do if starchy liquid spurts through valve)
6. Reserve some of the starchy pasta water if you're combining it with a sauce, then drain the pasta.  Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process if you're not using it right away.  A light drizzle of oil will keep it from sticking

And there you have it!  Perfectly cooked pasta without the mess!

HOW TO DETERMINE COOK TIME FOR INSTANT POT PASTA

To determine the best cook time, check the suggested package cook time.  Take the lowest package time, divide it in half and subtract two minutes.  Here are some examples so you can feel confident in choosing the best time.

• The Whole Wheat Spiral Pasta here says to cook for 7-9 minutes.  Take the lowest time (7 minutes), decrease it to 6 to get an even number, divide in half (3 minutes) and subtract 2 minutes = 1 minute cooking time
• The Brown Rice Macaroni Pasta here calls for 15-16 minutes.  Take the lowest time (15 minutes), decrease it to 14 to get an even number, divide in half (7 minutes) and subtract 2 minutes = 5 minutes cooking time
• The Whole Grain Penne pasta here has a cook time of 10-12 minutes.  Take the lowest time (10 minutes), divide in half (5 minutes) and subtract 2 minutes = 3 minutes cooking time

HOW TO REDUCE PASTA FOAM

I've learned some great tips and tricks from all of you in the comments below, here is a summary of the knowledge I've gathered over time:

• Add Fat
  • Oil or butter will reduce foaming.  I add about 1 tablespoon per 8 ounces of pasta
• Rinse pasta
  • Rinse the pasta 2 – 3 times before you cook it – I wouldn't say this is the perfect solution, but it does seem to help
• Place a trivet over the pasta
  • As bubbles start to rise, the trivet will pop them and keep foam from reaching the valve.  This doesn't work perfectly every time either, but again, it seems to help especially if you use a slow pressure release (discussed below)
• Intermittent Pressure Release
  • Turn knob to quickly release the pressure.  If starchy water starts to spray through the valve, switch the knob to a sealed position, wait 30 seconds, then switch the valve back to release, repeating this process as many times as needed – usually 2 -3 times
• Slow Pressure Release
  • Turn the knob only slightly so the pressure is released slowly.  This will take a bit longer but will cut down on foaming considerably and prevent overcooked pasta
• My personal go-to method
  • Add fat, place a trivet over the pasta, use a quick release of the pressure and wait and see if there is going to be enough starchy water spraying out for me to want to close the knob again.  Then I use the intermittent or slow-release method to release the remaining pressure.

BEST TYPES OF PASTA FOR THE PRESSURE COOKER

• Short cut pasta is ideal.  Examples are elbow macaroni, penne, cavatappi, small to medium seashell, rotini, rigatoni, ziti, wheels, farfalle (butterfly), and cavatappi
• Small, delicate pasta like alphabet pasta will overcook too easily
• Gnocchi, stuffed pasta, and homemade pasta will fall apart.  Add these varieties after pressure cooking is complete, then use “saute” to simmer for a few extra minutes to cook the pasta
• Long strand pasta like fettuccine and spaghetti work okay, but you need to break them in half, scatter them unevenly into the liquid so they're not in one big clump, and know there is a risk that they might stick together a bit

BEST COOKING LIQUID FOR PASTA

The best liquid for cooking pasta is water and broth, with perhaps a splash of lemon juice for flavor.  Recipes that call for cooking pasta in marinara sauce or milk need to be diluted with water or broth to avoid the starch and sauce from burning to the bottom of the pot.

FAVORITE PASTA BRANDS 

• Favorite Everyday Brand: De Cecco
  • This brand has great flavor and the most perfect al dente chew.  It also comes in a huge variety of shapes and sizes
• Favorite Whole Wheat Brand: Simply Balanced
  • This brand can be found online or at Target.  They have the greatest shape and size variety of whole wheat pasta for a good price
• Favorite Gluten Free Brand: Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta
  • This is actually my all-time favorite pasta.  It is whole grain, but mildly flavored with a wonderful soft chew
• Favorite Bean Pasta: Banza
  • This is by far the best tasting and textured bean/legume pasta out there with a nice variety of shapes and sizes

IS PASTA HEALTHY?

This is a bit of a loaded question, right?  Like so many foods, it depends on how they are processed and prepared.  Here is my personal statement on the matter.

Refined/Enriched pasta tossed in a heavy, salty cream and butter sauce = DELICIOUS, but not so healthy.

On the other hand, Whole Grain Pasta is lower in calories and higher in fiber which is already a better scenario.  To make your bowl of pasta even healthier, serve it with a vegetable-based sauce (like this Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce or Tomato Marinara) and load it with steamed or roasted veggies and healthy proteins like meat or tofu.

If that's what pasta eating looks like at your house, then high five to you, pasta is absolutely a healthy choice!

EASY PASTA RECIPES FOR THE INSTANT POT

• Whole Grain Mac and Cheese – lots of intense cheesy flavor at a fraction of the calories
• Sweet Corn and Tomato Pasta
• Pizza Mac and Cheese
• Spring Minestrone with Ricotta Chicken Meatballs

RECOMMENDED TOOLS/INGREDIENTS TO BUY AND MAKE INSTANT POT PASTA

• Instant Pot
• Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta
• Pasta Strainer
• Tall Trivet

 

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Method adapted from Hip Pressure Cooking