Name: Pressure-Cooker Easy Ziti with Sausage and Peppers
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage , casings removed; 1 onion , chopped fine; 1 green bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces; 1 (25-ounce) jar tomato sauce; 3 1/2 cups water; 1 pound ziti; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil; Salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

For a one-pot pasta dinner that was streamlined without sacrificing flavor, we started by browning Italian sausage, onion, and green bell pepper just until the sausage was no longer pink. Then we stirred in tomato sauce, water, and our pasta. Using jarred sauce kept things simple, while a tubular pasta like ziti proved to be the best match for the pressure cooker—we learned that strand pasta turns into unappealing clumps of noodles when cooked under pressure. Cooking the ziti for 5 minutes was the best approach to ensure we didn’t accidentally overcook the pasta (a likely problem when cooking pasta under pressure since you can’t check for doneness along the way). After 5 minutes, we quick released pressure and let it all simmer for a few minutes to finish cooking the pasta through and concentrate the sauce’s flavors. A sprinkling of basil at the end made the right fresh finish for our saucy, meaty ziti dinner.

Instructions

build flavor

Heat oil in pressure-cooker pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in sausage, onion, and bell pepper and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until sausage is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and ziti.

minutes

HIGH PRESSURE FOR 5 Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.

quick release pressure

Remove pot from heat. Quick release pressure, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

before serving

Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until pasta is tender, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.