Instant Pot Pesto Pasta with King Oscar Sardines
This Instant Pot Pesto Pasta with King Oscar Sardines is packed with nutrients and clocks in at 15 minutes! It's the perfect weeknight fix.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time5 minutes mins
Sitting time:5 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Pescatarian
Servings: 4 servings
- 8 oz penne Or another type of short pasta
- 2 cup water
- 1/4 cup pesto
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 1/2 cup ribonned spinach
- 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1 can of King Oscar Brisling Mediterranean Sardines (don't drain the oil)
- 1-2 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan or pecorino-romano
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Dump the pasta into your Instant Pot. Add the water, then close and secure the lid. Set the valve to "sealing", and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes or half the time suggested on the package. (See notes.)
When the time is up, hit the quick release button. Once all of the pressure has been released, remove the lid and stir the pasta. All of the water should be absorbed, but if there's any left, simply drain it.
Add the pesto, spinach, tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cheese, and sardines (with the oil) to the Instant Pot. With a spatula or spoon, toss the pasta, breaking down the sardines into bite-sized bits, until everything is well mixed.
Serve, and garnish with fresh basil if desired.
Timing pasta in an Instant Pot:
Cooking times vary by pasta type, but here's the trick to perfectly pressure-cooked pasta. Look at the suggested cooking time on the package of your pasta, and cut the time in half. If it's an odd number, round down. So, if the package suggests 11 minutes until pasta is cooked to al dente, round down to 10, cut that time in half, and you're setting your pasta to cook for 5 minutes. If the package suggests 15 minutes, you'll pressure cook the pasta for 7 minutes.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g