[Recipe] How to make Penne Rigate Pasta using a pressure cooker

With 3 kids, I don’t have much time to cook these days. I am always looking for quick delicious meals to prepare that the entire family can enjoy. Pinterest has been my lifesaver thus far and now thanks to Defy, I have an awesome pressure cooker to use to cook delicious meals quickly.

I’ve never used a pressure cooker before so to be honest, this was a bit scary for me. I read the manual like 5 times just to be sure I am doing the right thing.

I must say I am impressed with how well the Defy pressure cooker cooks – I will definitely be using this product weekly in my kitchen.

I’ve used it thus far to boil beans, rice and make a lamb stew.

Now, I can’t imagine life without a pressure cooker!

What you need to know about Defy’s Pressure cooker:

• 6L Capacity
• 220W
• 3 heat settings: Low, high & warm
• Removable ceramic container
• Electronic control with LED display
• Auto keep warm function
• 10-hour delay timer
• Power indicator light
• Cool touch handles
• Non-slip feet
• Heat resistance glass lid

How to make Penne Rigate Pasta using a pressure cooker:

PREP: 5 MINS

COOK: 20 MINS

TOTAL: 25 MINS

SERVING: 2 – 4

INGREDIENTS

• 450 grams penne pasta
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 small shallot, diced (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 zucchini squash, thickly sliced
• A dash of sherry wine
• A pinch of dried oregano
• A pinch of dried basil
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• Olive oil

Pasta Sauce:

• 1 cup unsalted homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock + 2 cups water
• 156 ml tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (omit if vegetarian/vegan)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (omit if vegetarian/vegan)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare Pressure Cooker: Heat up your DEFY pressure cooker. Ensure your pot is as hot as it can be before adding any ingredients.
*If you prefer crunchy zucchini squash, sauté sliced zucchini squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.

2. Sauté the Onion, Garlic, and Shallot (Flavour Enhancement Step): Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Ensure to coat the oil over whole bottom of the pot. Add minced shallot and sliced onion, then sauté. Add a pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper to season. Stir occasionally until slightly browned. Add minced garlic and stir for roughly 30 seconds until fragrant. Add sliced mushrooms, a pinch of dried oregano, a pinch of dried basil, and sliced zucchini squash (omit zucchini squash if you already sautéed them) and cook for another minute. Taste and adjust if necessary.

3. Deglaze and Create Pasta Sauce: Pour in a dash of sherry wine and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Mix 1 cup of unsalted homemade chicken stock (or vegetable stock), 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce in the pot.

4. Pressure Cook the Pasta: Pour Penne in the sauce. Place 156 ml tomato paste on top of the pasta and mix (See smart notes). Test seasoning and adjust. Ensure all Penne are completely submerged in the sauce. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait 5 minutes before Quick Release.

5. Serve: Taste pasta, if you find them too hard, close lid and let the leftover heat cook them until the desired doneness. If you have set aside some crunchy zucchini squash, now is the time to mix them in and serve immediately.

Dump-and-Go Option: you can throw in all the ingredients together for a fast and easy one-pot meal. However, the flavour will take a hit. Make sure to add the Penne Rigate and tomato paste last and start the cooking cycle immediately.

Mixing Tomato Paste: Mixing 156 ml tomato paste with 3 cups of liquid should be completely safe. However, avoid mixing the tomato paste in if you are afraid of scorching.

Enjoy! 😉