Instant Pot Zucchini Pasta Parmesan Recipe

For about a year now SO MANY of you have been asking for Instant Pot Recipes.  The problem was I didn't have an Instant Pot.  Well, over the Memorial Day holiday, I came across a great sale and Studhubs finally relented and got me one!  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't extremely excited.  I immediately started experimenting with it, learning how to use it, etc.  It is a bit of a learning curve, but I'm happy to share with you my first Instant Pot recipe for Instant Pot Zucchini Pasta Parmesan Recipe.

This quick and easy meal is of the dump-n-go variety, but it's a great way to utilize all the delicious summer zucchini without heating up the entire house!  Oh, and if you don't have an Instant Pot, don't worry, I'll also include crockpot directions as well.  I know you are going to love this one so...

Let's Get Started!



For this Instant Pot Zucchini Pasta Parmesan Recipe you are going to need a few simple ingredients that you most likely already have on hand.

• 1 lb Rigatoni Pasta
• 25 oz Jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 3 c Water
• 1 Onion, diced
• 4 Zucchini, diced
• 1 c Grated Parmesan
• 1/4 c Sugar
• 8 oz Mozzarella Balls
• 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Chili Flakes

To begin, you will need to dice your zucchini and onion.

Now press the "Sauté" button on your Instant Pot.

Add 2-3 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to the pot.

Wait until the screen reads "HOT".

Add the zucchini and onion to the pot.

Add the garlic to the pot.

And lastly add the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and chili flakes to the pot.

Give everything a stir and let sauté for 5 minutes.  The zucchini will be tender and the onions translucent.

Now you can add the rigatoni,

Pasta sauce,

And 3 cups of water.

My pasta sauce jar actually measured 3 cups so that was handy.

I add sugar to my sauce because it helps to cut the acid of the tomatoes.  If that sort of thing doesn't bother you, you can feel free to omit.

Add the grated parmesan and...

Stir it all together.
I made sure that the pasta was all coated in the liquid.

Place the lid onto your Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to SEALING not venting.

Now you will need to hit cancel to turn off the sauté function.

After that, hit manual and push the "-" button until the screen reads "10".

It will take approximately 8 minutes for your instant pot to come to pressure and then it will cook for 10 minutes.

While this is happening you have 20 minutes to watch a YouTube video, have a coffee, play with your kids, whatever!

When the Instant Pot has finished cooking you will turn the valve to "VENTING" for a quick release.

**YOU DO NOT WANT TO STAND OVER THE INSTANT POT WHEN THIS HAPPENS.  YOU WILL GET BURNED**

Once the pressure has fully released, you can remove the lid and this is what it will look like.

I know it looks a little "soupy", but once you give it a stir it gets thick and saucy.

I would also like to add that the pasta was PERFECTLY cooked!

I scooped this into a nice big bowl, tore up a few of the mozzarella balls and added them, sprinkled on some fresh chopped parsley, added a little more parmesan, and there you have it a lovely Instant Pot Zucchini Pasta Parmesan Recipe that everyone in your family will love!  The zucchini is so tender that it literally blends into the pasta.  Your picky eaters will never know that they are devouring those healthy veggies!  I served it up with a nice little side salad and some garlic bread.  Because everything was in one pot, clean up was a breeze!  I hope you enjoy this simple Instant Pot meal, and leave me some comments of recipes you would like to see made in the Instant Pot in the future!

And as always...

Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~

Instant Pot Zucchini Pasta Parmesan Recipe:
*Prep Time: 5 min *Cook Time: 10 min  *Difficulty: Easy *Serving:  4-6
By:  Mandee Pogue aka The Kitchen Wife

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Rigatoni Pasta
• 25 oz Jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 3 c Water
• 1 Onion, diced
• 4 Zucchini, diced
• 1 c Grated Parmesan
• 1/4 c Sugar
• 8 oz Mozzarella Balls
• 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Chili Flakes

Directions:

1. Prep the vegetables.
2. Press the "sauté" button on the Instant Pot and wait for the display to read "HOT".
3. Once it reads "HOT" add 2-3 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. 
4. Add the zucchini, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and chili flakes and sauté for 5 minutes.
5. Add the pasta, pasta sauce, water, sugar, and parmesan cheese to the pot. 
6. Stir everything together, making sure all the pasta is covered with liquid.
7. Place the lid on your instant pot in the locking position and make sure the release valve is set to SEALING.
8. Hit the "CANCEL" button on the instant pot and then press the "MANUAL" button.  Press the "-" button until the display reads 10.
9. The instant pot takes approximately 8 minutes to come to pressure and then it will cook for 10 minutes. 
10. After ten minutes, turn the release valve to "VENTING" and do a quick release.  
11. Remove the lid from the instant pot and give everything a nice stir.  
12. Tear up mozzarella balls and add to the pasta.  
13. Top with a little fresh chopped parsley and parmesan. 
14. Serve and Enjoy! 

For the Crockpot:

1. Add all of the ingredients to the crockpot with exceptions of the pasta.
2. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-4.  
3. When there are only 30 minutes left of cooking time, add the pasta to the crockpot.  
4. Cook for 30 more minutes.  
5. Serve and enjoy!