Tomato Basil Pasta(Instant Pot & Stovetop)

4.70 from 10 votes

Tomato Basil Pasta is a quick and easy pasta cooked with tomato sauce, garlic, basil and some seasonings.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword instant pot tomato basil pasta recipe, pastapomodoro, Tomato Basil Pasta

Diet Vegetarian

Method Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 367kcal

Author Bhavana Patil

Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add olive oil and once it’s hot add minced garlic and onion, saute for 1-2 minutes or till onions are soft.
Then add oregano, red chili flakes, black pepper, and salt to the instant pot. Add water and make sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck bits.
Add dry pasta and spread crushed tomatoes along with the liquid, tomato paste on top. Gently push all pasta under the liquid. Do not mix it.
Most of the pasta should be covered in sauce and water.
If it is not, add some more water.
Note :*If you are using whole or diced tomatoes, make sure to puree in a blender first and then add.
Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
Using penne pasta in this recipe which has 10 minutes for cooking on the stovetop. So to cook on Instant Pot – Divide the cooking time by half and minus one for al dente pasta. So it's 4 minutes. For softer pasta do 5 minutes.
When the instant pot beeps, wait 2-3 minutes and Quick Release the remaining pressure manually.

Cook Pasta according to the packet instructions. Keep aside, reserve some cooked pasta water.
Heat Olive oil in a pan on medium flame. Add minced garlic and onion saute for 1-2 minutes or till onions are soft.
Then add the canned crushed tomatoes along with the juice, salt, red chilli flakes and oregano and cook for 8-10 minutes on medium heat or until sauce has just started to thicken.
If the sauce is too thick add some pasta water to adjust the consistency. Remove the sauce from the heat.
Next add the cooked pasta and toss with the sauce, then stir in the fresh basil sprigs and cheese when the pasta is hot.
Serve Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta in a plate and sprinkle some fresh basil and cheese over it for garnish.

The time to cook pasta in an instant pot is usually half of the suggested time on the pasta box and minus one for al dente pasta.
BURN ALERT? If your instant pot has shown BURN in the past, add ½ cup of extra water while making this pasta. Tomato-based sauces easily stick to the bottom of the pot during sautéing. So that's the reason we are just spreading sauce on top of the pasta.
Make sure you have enough water to cover most of the pasta under water. Depending on the shape and size of pasta you may need more or less liquids.
Always stir in cheese etc after the pressure cooking cycle.

I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.