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Easy Creamy Instant Pot Pasta Primavera Recipe for Perfect Weeknight Dinner

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A quick and creamy pasta primavera made in the Instant Pot, featuring fresh vegetables and a rich Parmesan sauce, perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz (340 g) penne pasta
  • 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable broth or chicken broth (low-sodium preferred)
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream or half-and-half
  • 1 cup (100 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup (30 g) fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • Optional garnishes: fresh basil leaves (chopped), red pepper flakes, extra Parmesan for serving

Instructions

  1. Prep the Ingredients (10 minutes): Rinse and slice the zucchini, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and onion. Mince the garlic. Grate the Parmesan and measure out your liquids and pasta.
  2. Sauté Aromatics (5 minutes): Set your Instant Pot to “Sauté” mode. Melt the butter, then add diced onion and garlic. Stir frequently until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add Pasta and Broth (1 minute): Pour in the dry penne pasta and vegetable broth. Stir to ensure pasta is mostly submerged.
  4. Pressure Cook (5 minutes): Seal the Instant Pot lid and set to “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” on high for 5 minutes.
  5. Quick Release and Add Veggies (3 minutes): Perform a quick pressure release, open the lid, and immediately stir in zucchini, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and spinach.
  6. Finish the Sauce (3 minutes): Switch back to “Sauté.” Pour in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the pasta and veggies. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Serve and Garnish: Plate the pasta primavera, sprinkle with fresh basil and red pepper flakes if desired, and add extra Parmesan on top.

Notes

[‘Do not overfill the Instant Pot; stick to 12 oz pasta to prevent overflow.’, ‘Use quick-release carefully to preserve pasta and vegetable texture.’, ‘Stir pasta and broth well before sealing to avoid clumping.’, ‘Penne or rigatoni pasta works best; thin pastas may become mushy.’, ‘Sauté garlic and onion first to build flavor.’, ‘Add vegetables after pressure cooking to keep them crisp-tender.’, ‘Adjust seasoning at the end as cream and cheese can mask saltiness.’, ‘If sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of broth or cream to adjust consistency.’, ‘For dairy-free, swap cream with coconut milk and Parmesan with nutritional yeast.’, ‘For gluten-free, use brown rice or chickpea pasta.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: Instant Pot, pasta primavera, creamy pasta, quick dinner, weeknight meal, vegetarian, easy recipe

Find it online: https://eliplate.com/easy-creamy-instant-pot-pasta-primavera-recipe-for-perfect-weeknight-dinner/