Looking for a way to make spaghetti that’s quick and easy? You’ve come to the right place, because making pasta in the electric pressure cooker means you don’t even have to stir it, or set a timer!
When I was eight months pregnant, pasta became a way of life for me. I was craving all the carbs all the time.
There was no way around it. I resigned myself to the fact that the baby wanted me to eat all the pasta in the house, sometimes every day.
Even simple housework began to become a challenge in this era. I don’t know if I was plagued by a more difficult pregnancy than others or if all women go through this, but the third trimester really was a pain! As a result, I was on a mission to find the best ways to cook pasta with minimal effort.
I’m so glad I discovered cooking spaghetti in the electric pressure cooker because it’s so simple. I don’t have to wait for the water to boil first, which takes longer than the countertop appliance to reach pressure, and I don’t have to tend to it on the stove.
Using this handy kitchen appliance makes it very easy to prepare a large batch of my favorite carbs quickly, in about 10 minutes or less from start to finish.
Before we begin, here’s a quick note on how to cook spaghetti in the electric pressure cooker that is important to remember:
When you are using this method, you will need to break the noodles in half before adding them to the insert.
Why do you need to take this extra step?
Well, noodles do not fit in the insert for its entire length. The key is to make sure the noodles are placed evenly at the bottom so that the liquid can cover them. Otherwise, you’ll end up with noodles that cook perfectly in one half and only partially cooked at the other end.
If you don’t like the idea of splitting the noodles in half, consider trying a smaller form of pasta that can be cooked in the electric pressure cooker just as easily. We’ll cover several of these in separate how-to guides (coming soon!)
Suggestions for Serving
Now that we’ve gotten over that, let’s consider some service ideas, okay?
Anything you can do through the traditional stove method, or that you can make with cooked spaghetti, you can prepare using this method. Here are some of my favorite Foodal sauce and protein combos to enjoy:
- Classic Spaghetti and Spaghetti alla Carbonara
- Spaghetti
- Bolognese
- Lemony Meatballs Pasta with grilled chicken
Sometimes you can also end up with leftovers. Not sure what to do with them? Don’t worry, because I have some ideas for you to use the rest of those simple cooked noodles:
- They will make a tasty addition for frying if you want to increase the volume a little and skip the extra step
- Add them to pasta cakes or make spaghetti cake
- Combine them with chicken broth and cooked vegetables to make a quick chicken noodle soup.
of making rice.
.
You’ll really be surprised how quickly the noodles cook and how they come out the same way every time, with super consistent results
.
There’s no need to worry about forgetting to set a timer or worrying that the water won’t boil enough. Everything is taken care of inside
the pressure cooker!
How to cook spaghetti in the electric
pressure cooker Although you need to break the noodles in half before cooking, that won’t hinder the simple enjoyment of eating the perfectly cooked pasta when it’s ready. Served with your favorite salsa, it’s a family favorite that has become much easier to make.
Step 1 – Measure the
ingredients
First, make sure you have your ingredients ready to use. You will need:
- 8 ounces raw spaghetti 2 cups
- water, or low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Measure the ingredients. You can choose to use chicken broth or another type of broth if you want to impart more flavor to your noodles.
Break the noodles in half, so that they fit in the
insert.
Step 2 – Cook
Add the raw noodles
to the electric insert of the pressure cooker, making sure that the noodles do not protrude everywhere. You want them to be completely submerged before putting the lid on.
Top with water (or broth) and salt. Do not stir before cooking, to help prevent sticking.
Take a look at the cooking instructions in the box to prepare spaghetti on the stove. Divide the total time in half, then subtract two minutes and round up your total to get a whole number if necessary. Cook at high pressure for this amount of time.
For the spaghetti I used, here’s how I did the math. The packaging recommended a total cooking time of 9 minutes for Al Dente pasta. Divided in half, this is 4.5 minutes, then subtracted 2 to get 2.5 minutes, and rounded up to finish with 3 minutes total for my cooking time.
After pressure cooking, let the steam release naturally for 5 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure. Open the lid and stir the pasta well. It should absorb any remaining liquid when you stir it. Serve as you wish.
