Easy Instant Pot Rigatoni Bolognese

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Pasta dinners are an easy and filling dinner to make any night of the week! This Instant Pot rigatoni recipe is loaded with a hearty meat sauce and made entirely in your electric pressure cooker.

Instant Pot pasta recipes are some of my favorite to make. Instant Pot feta pasta and Instant Pot chicken tetrazzini are some of my other favorite recipes to make!

What is Bolognese Sauce?

There are lots of different types of pasta sauce out there. Marinara sauce is a typical tomato sauce. It is made with tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic.

Bolognese sauce is a hearty meat sauce made with carrots, celery, onions, and ground beef.

When picking out the type of pasta to serve, rigatoni pasta has lots of ridges and lines in the pasta. That will catch all the delicious sauce right in the pasta. Rotini, penne, or shells would work in this recipe too.

Ingredients To Gather

• Vegetables. You will need carrots, celery, and onions.
• Ground meat. I like ground beef, a 93/7 or 90/10 mixture. To make this lighter, you can also use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
• Pasta. We are using one pound of rigatoni.
• Italian seasoning. For a little added flavor.
• Canned Tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes in a 28 ounce can.
• Beef broth. Chicken broth or water will work too.
• Kosher salt and black pepper. To season as we cook.

Equipment You'll Need

• Instant Pot- You'll need at least a 6 quart Instant Pot or the pasta won't fit.
• Cutting Boards
• Knives
• Food Processor

How To Make Instant Pot Rigatoni Bolognese

Peel the carrots and onion and chop them into large chunks. Add them to the food processor. Wash the celery and cut that into chunks and add it to the food processor.

Turn your food processor on and blend until the vegetables are minced.

Add the olive oil to your Instant Pot and turn the sauté function on. Pour the minced vegetables into the bottom of the pot and saute for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the ground beef to the Instant Pot and saute for another 3-5 minutes until the beef is browned. Season again with salt and black pepper.

Pour the pasta, Italian seasoning, and beef broth into the Instant Pot and give the mixture a good stir. Cancel saute mode and close the lid and make sure the pressure valve is set to the sealing position.

Set the cook time to 7 minutes on high pressure. After 7 minutes, quick pressure release the pressure. Open the lid and stir the pasta. Serve immediately with lots of parmesan cheese and fresh basil on top of the pasta.

Lynn's Tip! Be careful when releasing the pressure as liquid may spill out the top of the pressure valve.

Tips and Tricks

• The Instant Pot will take 8-10 minutes to come up to pressure before it begins cooking.
• If you use another type of pasta, check the timing of the pasta on the back of the box. Depending on the shape, it might take a little longer to cook the pasta.
• If you do not have a 28 ounce can of tomato sauce, you can use your favorite jar sauce instead. You can also use ¼ cup of tomato paste with 4 cups of beef broth.

Variations

• Add more veggies! In the food processor, feel free to add more veggies like bell pepper, zucchini, or yellow squash.
• Make it cheesy! After the pasta cooks, stir in mozzarella cheese or Ricotta cheese for more cheesy goodness!
• Make it spicy! Add red pepper flakes or spicy Italian sausage to the mixture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do with leftovers?Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, add the leftovers to a pan on the stovetop or use the saute function on your Instant Pot to reheat the pasta.

Why did I get a burn notice on my Instant Pot?That probably means that you did not have enough liquid in the Instant Pot. You need at least 3 cups water, beef broth, or chicken broth for this recipe on top of the tomato puree.

Can I use gluten free pasta?Yes! You can make this pasta with gluten free pasta, chickpea pasta, or your favorite brand of pasta. Make sure to check the cook time on the back of the box to make sure you are cooking the pasta long enough and not overcooking it. You want that perfectly al dente pasta!

More Easy Recipes

• More Instant Pot Recipes
• Instant Pot Cabbage Soup
• Instant Pot Creme Brulee
• Stuffed Pepper Soup- In the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Marinara Sauce
• Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken

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