Pressure Cooker Spaghetti And Meatballs With Herbed Ricotta Recipes

PRESSURE COOKER SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Set pressure cooker to the sauté function, and heat 2 tablespoons oil in the pot. Stir in garlic, red pepper and black pepper, and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, salt and basil sprigs; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes (lower the sauté function to low or briefly turn the machine off if the sauce splatters too much).
• Meanwhile, make the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together beef, bread crumbs, Parmesan, chopped basil, egg, salt and garlic. Roll into 1 1/4-inch balls.
• Pour 1 cup water into sauce in pot, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of pot (if you don't do this, the burn light may turn on). Scatter uncooked spaghetti over the sauce. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil over spaghetti, stirring gently (try to keep the spaghetti on top of the sauce), then top with meatballs.
• Cover and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Manually release the pressure, then remove the cover and stir to separate the spaghetti. Stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan. At this point, the pasta will be almost but not quite cooked through. Place the top back on the pressure cooker (loosely) and let it sit for 3 to 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and spaghetti is al dente but not mushy.
• Serve dolloped with ricotta, if using, and sprinkled with thinly sliced basil and more Parmesan if you like.

PRESSURE COOKER SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Turn the Instant Pot to the Saute setting, and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts, add the chopped onion, and cook until it caramelizes, or is golden brown (about 5 minutes). Add the minced garlic, and cook 1 - 2 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot. Add the tomato sauce, the stewed tomatoes, the tomato paste, and 1 1/2 cups of bottled water. Add all spices, and stir well, making sure to scrape the bottom of the stainless steel liner to the Instant Pot, to loosen any onion or garlic. Stir until all ingredients are well blended.
• close
• Place the lid on the Instant Pot, until it beeps and locks, and MAKE SURE the pressure valve is set to 'SEALING', AND NOT VENTING. Press the manual button and set the timer to '30' minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to build and release pressure automatically, do not manually release pressure. This is what will infuse the flavors into the sauce. Once the Instant pot has released the pressure, and beeps, check to make sure the pressure button is down, and carefully, and with a pot holder, turn the pressure valve gently to VENTING, making sure all the pressure has been released. Remove the lid from the Instant Pot, and stir the sauce.
• It will have thickened during cooking and maybe a little thicker in the bottom of the pot. Stir to blend. All sauce to cool, and pour into a covered container, or into glass jars. If you're using jars, you'll need more than 1 or 2, depending on how large the jars are. If they're 16-ounce jars, you may need 4 or more. Refrigerate the sauce up to 7 days. You can freeze the sauce for later use, up to 4 months.
• NOTE: This makes a great hostess gift, or house warming gift.
• You'll need a large bowl, a large piece of waxed paper or foil to put the meatballs on, the Ziploc bag, and a large spoon. In a large bowl, combine the sirloin and ground round, and mix well. Add all ingredients, except for the crushed Ritz crackers, adding those last.
• Blend all together, using clean hands, and roll in balls, about 2 inch balls, and lay on waxed paper or foil. Add the flour to the Ziploc bag and set aside. When you're done rolling the meatballs into balls, and washed the tomato sauce from the Instant Pot liner, place about 10 of the meatballs in the Ziploc bag, and shake gently to coat the meatball in the flour.
• Turn the Instant Pot to 'SAUTE', and add the olive oil and butter. Working in small batches, when the butter melts, add the meatballs from the Ziploc bag to the Pot, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes (I used a curved fish spatula to turn the meatballs). When they're browned, and done in the middle, remove them to a plate, and set aside, and continue to coat the meatballs in the flour and brown and cook until all meatballs are done. When the meatballs are all cooked. Turn the Instant pot off.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the Pot, stir and scrape the bits that may be stuck on the bottom of the pot, until they're loosened. Add about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce to the water, and stir well. Open the package of Spaghetti, and break it in half, and add it to the Instant Pot, placing it in the water, and stir well to cover Spaghetti as much as possible. Place meatballs on top of Spaghetti, and cover meatballs in tomato sauce, about 1 1/2 cups.
• The sauce will run down onto Spaghetti, which will help keep it moist as it cooks. Place lid on Instant Pot until it beeps and locks, and make sure the Pressure Valve is set to SEALING. Press the manual button, and set the time to 6 minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to build and release pressure automatically. When Instant Pot is done, make sure the pressure button is down, and turn the valve to 'VENTING' to make sure all pressure has been released. Remove lid to Instant Pot, and with a large utensil, such as a large spoon, remove the meatballs to a platter. Remove the Spaghetti to the same platter. Stir the Sauce in the Pot, and add additional sauce to the Pot and Saute for 4 or 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Ladle the Sauce over the Spaghetti and meatballs. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

PRESSURE COOKER SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS WITH HERBED RICOTTA

Steps:

• Pre-heat the pressure cooker using the SAUTÉ or BROWN setting,
• Brown the meatballs in batches, turning them to brown on all sides. Remove the browned meatballs from the pressure cooker and set them aside.
• Make the sauce. Add the onions and red pepper to the cooker and sauté until they start to soften - about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar (if using), 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Add the crushed tomatoes and the petite diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes. Then return the meatballs to the pressure cooker and stir to coat them in the sauce.
• Break the dried pasta in half and spread it out flat on top of the meatballs in different directions. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt over the pasta. Pour the water and chicken stock on top of the pasta and press the pasta down gently to submerge it into the liquid. No need to stir, but make sure the liquid in the cooker is able to reach the bottom of the cooker by pulling the ingredients away from the side of the cooker a couple of times before locking the lid in place. If the cooker gives you an error message, open the lid and stir the ingredients just a little, making sure the water can reach the bottom of the pot.
• Pressure-cook on HIGH for 6 minutes.
• Make the whipped ricotta. Whisk the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, parsley and basil together in a bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
• Release the pressure using the QUICK-RELEASE method, covering the pressure release valve with a kitchen towel if it starts to spurt a little water.
• Carefully remove the lid and gently stir the spaghetti, sauce and meatballs together. Let the food sit and cool to an edible temperature for a few minutes. Serve the spaghetti and meatballs in bowls and top off with a dollop of the herbed whipped ricotta and extra Parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil leaves.
• NOTE: For a short cut you can use two (24-ounce) jars of your favorite pasta sauce instead of making the sauce yourself, increasing the water to 2½ cups. Pour the sauce over the browned meatballs and continue with step 5.
• NOTE: If you are using a brand of petite diced tomatoes that are thick, like Cento®, you may need to add another ¼ cup of water to the pot before pressure cooking.