Vegan Instant Pot Creamy Pasta

This vegan Instant Pot creamy pasta is living proof you don't need dairy to make a delicious pasta sauce the entire family will love. And if you thought that cooking pasta in the Instant Pot was a risky affair, think again!

If you're up for a delicious bowl of pasta that's ready in 30 minutes and it's super creamy without using any dairy, this vegan Instant Pot creamy pasta will quickly become your favourite.

Making pasta in the Instant Pot is definitely not the authentic to cook pasta, but there are days when you just need your carb fix, and you need it now.

Enter this Instant Pot pasta recipe. When you're eating plant-based food, you're bound to stumble upon lots of pasta recipes with a tomato-based sauce.

And while I love a good arrabiata as much as the next vegan person, let's be honest — nothing beats a bowl of creamy pasta.

This vegan Instant Pot pasta bursts with veggies and has just a bit of tomato paste for flavour. To make it creamy, I use a shop-bought plant-based cream because it's super convenient.

If you have a favourite recipe for a homemade cashew cream or another plant-based cream, you can definitely use that instead.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil — You only need a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to saute the shallots, garlic and herbs in it. While I highly recommend using olive oil for the best flavour, you can substitute it with a bit of veggie stock if you prefer to cook without oil.

Shallots — The mild flavour of shallots works best in this pasta, but you can substitute them with regular onions if you want.

Garlic and herbs — The mix of garlic and herbs infuses the pasta with so much flavour. You can use two teaspoons of Italian herbs instead of the dried oregano and basil.

Tomato paste — I find that the tomato paste is just enough to add flavour to this pasta sauce, but if you want things to be more tomato-ey, you can also add a can of chopped tomatoes.

Courgettes (zucchini) — You don't need to peel the courgettes before using them in this pasta sauce — just wash them well, cut them into bite-sized cubes and you're done.

Mushrooms — I used closed cup mushrooms to make this recipe, but you can definitely use your favourite.

Pasta — The pasta you see in the pictures is called casarecce, and it's great for the Instant Pot because it keeps its shape very well. Any type of short pasta such as penne or fusilli would work great.

Plant-based cream — I used the plant-based cream from Elmlea to make this pasta. This is widely available in UK supermarkets. Use your favourite or substitute it with coconut milk or cream if you like.

How do you make Instant Pot creamy pasta?

Set the Instant Pot on "Saute" and add the olive oil and shallots. Saute for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute.

Add the herbs and tomato paste and cook for a further minute. Turn off the "Saute" mode.

Next, stir in the courgettes, mushrooms, salt, water and pasta. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set it on "High Pressure" for 3 minutes.

When the Instant Pot beeps, allow it to release the pressure naturally for 5 minutes, then perform a Quick Release.

When the pin drops, remove the lid and stir in the plant-based cream and basil leaves. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Recipe notes and tips

• Don't skip the sauteeing step because it adds a whole new level of flavour to the sauce.
• Different types of pasta have different cooking times in the Instant Pot. A good rule of thumb is to divide the lowest cook time on the package by two.
• You can reheat any leftovers in the microwave. If you notice that the sauce has thickened too much, add a dash of water and stir to combine before reheating.

If you liked this Instant Pot creamy pasta, you might also like some of my other easy vegan pasta recipes:

• Spaghetti Arrabiata
• Creamy Vegan Fajita Pasta
• Vegan Chickpea Pasta Sauce
• Vegan Pasta Alla Norma
• Creamy Vegan Peanut Pasta
• Vegan Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Walnuts

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