The pressure builds and you start counting down minutes until you eat. Youre standing there with your sealing ring ready, waiting on that valve hiss that tells you its time. Its kinda like waiting for a party to start, except the party is your dinner and the guests are delicious roasted veggies mixed with perfectly tender pasta.
When you hit that quick release, you cant help but breathe in the amazing smells. The way garlic, herbs, and fresh veggies all meld together funky good smells that fill your kitchen. You spot the juicy cherry tomatoes bursting from the heat and the pattypan squash edges getting all golden around the corners.
You gotta love how the natural release brings everything to just the right tenderness without mush. The veggies still have their texture, the pasta is al dente, and everythings got this mellow, homey vibe you can't beat. Plus, once you toss in fresh basil and feta, dang, you got a plate that feels like a warm hug.
The Real Reasons You Will Love This Method
- You get tender roasted veggies super quick without turning on that hot oven.
- Pressure cooking pasta with veggies saves you washing extra pans, yall.
- The natural release helps flavors mingle while keeping veggies from getting mushy.
- Using your sealing ring and quick release technique makes timing almost foolproof.
- You get a nice mix of roasted caramelized edges with just-cooked pasta in one bowl.
- This method easily adapts to whatever summer veggies youve got on hand or want to swap out.
The Complete Shopping Rundown
- 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 Vidalia onions or 1 small yellow onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 5 small pattypan squash, halved
- 2 small zucchini, cut into chunks
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Package of brown rice penne pasta, about 16 ounces
Tip: If you wanna switch things up, grab some eggplant or bell peppers to swap with summer squash. Or maybe add green beans or broccoli if you're feelin' fancy. Feta cheese is dope here but you can swap it with shaved Parmesan, goat cheese, or just skip cheese to keep it vegan.
The Full Pressure Cooker Journey
- Preheat your oven to 425F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper for roasting your veggies later.
- Chop all your veggies evenly so they cook together nicely. Spread carrots and onions on one sheet, squash, zucchini, and tomatoes on the other.
- Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper, toss veggies to coat well. Roast the harder veggies like carrots for 30-35 minutes, and the squash and tomatoes for about 20 minutes until golden and tender.
- While the veggies are roasting, set up your pressure cooker. Pour in water and add pasta. Seal the lid using the sealing ring and set it to high pressure. Cook for about half the time pasta package says minus a minute.
- Once times up, use a quick release to let out pressure and hear that satisfying valve hiss. Drain if needed and set pasta aside.
- Transfer roasted veggies to a big bowl while theyre still warm. Drizzle with sherry vinegar or lemon juice, toss gently to soak up flavors.
- Add pasta to veggies, crumbled feta, fresh basil leaves, minced garlic, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Toss everything gently but well.
- Taste it. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, or lemon juice til it feels just right. Garnish with more basil, thyme and olive oil. Serve warm or room temperature.
Time Savers That Actually Work
- Chop all your veggies the night before and store in the fridge ready to roll.
- Use pre-minced garlic if youre in a rush. It works real good in this pasta.
- Grab pre-cut veggies at the store if the chopping aint your thing.
- Roast veggies while waiting for the pressure cooker to come up to pressure. Multitasking, yall!
- Make extra pasta at once so you can toss it with other sauces later without cookin again.
When You Finally Get to Eat
The first bite hits your tongue with a burst of roasted sweetness, mingled with the tang from vinegar and the creaminess of feta. You feel the crunchy edges of veggies next to tender pasta thats just right.
Every mouthful you notice little surprises from fresh basil leaves and flashes of garlic. The red pepper flakes give a gentle kick that isnt too much just enough to keep things interesting.
You catch the way the lemon juice brightens the whole plate, cutting through the oil and mellow veggies like a fresh zing that wakes up your taste buds.
Its a dinner that feels like home cooking but fancy enough for company. Warm, satisfying, and dang easy youll wanna make it again for sure.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh and Ready
Store your leftover roasted vegetable pasta in an airtight container in the fridge. Itll stay good for about 3 days, but try to eat it before that so the veggies dont get too soggy.
If you wanna freeze some, pack it tight in a freezer-safe box. When you thaw it out, warm it gently on the stove or microwave, adding a splash of water or olive oil to bring back that fresh texture.
Another trick is to keep pasta and veggies separate if you know you wont eat it right away. Mix them just before serving to keep textures perfect and flavors bright.
Your Most Asked Questions Answered
- Can I use other kinds of pasta? Yep! Most pasta shapes like penne, rigatoni, or fusilli work great here. Just adjust cooking times for the shape you pick.
- What if I don't have feta cheese? No worries. Parmesan or goat cheese can swap nicely. Or toss in capers for a salty kick if you wanna skip cheese altogether.
- Do I have to roast the veggies first? Roasting gives the best flavor and texture, but if youre tight on time, you can toss veggies in the pressure cooker with pasta. Just know the texture wont be roasted crisp.
- How do I know when to use natural release vs quick release? For pasta, quick release is best so veggies dont get mushy. Natural release works great if you wanna keep everything tender and let flavors soak in more.
- Can I make this vegan? Totally! Skip the cheese and add extras like toasted pine nuts or capers to keep it flavorful and satisfying.
- Why is my pasta sometimes mushy? If pasta gets mushy, it probably cooked too long or you didnt do a quick release fast enough. Follow package timing and release pressure as soon as cooking ends for best results.
Roasted Vegetable Pasta: A Pressure Cooker Twist
Equipment
- 2 Baking sheet Large, lined with parchment paper
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Pressure cooker
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 4 carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 Vidalia onions or 1 small yellow onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 5 pattypan squash halved
- 2 zucchini cut into chunks
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 package of brown rice penne pasta 16 ounces
- ½ teaspoon herbes de Provence
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme leaves removed, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
- ½ lemon juiced, plus more if desired
- red pepper flakes
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the carrots and onions on one sheet, and pattypan squash, zucchini, and tomatoes on the other.
- Drizzle both sheets of vegetables with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
- Roast the carrot/onion sheet for 30–35 minutes until tender and browned. Roast the squash/tomato sheet for 20 minutes until golden and bursting.
- In a large bowl, mix olive oil, vinegar, garlic, herbes de Provence, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in roasted vegetables.
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and transfer to bowl with vegetables.
- Add crumbled feta cheese, basil, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Gently toss to combine.
- Season with additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
- Garnish with more basil, thyme, and a splash of olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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