Made entirely in the Instant Pot this vegan and gluten-free creamy tomato pasta and broccoli meal is quick and simple. Ready in less than 20 minutes and requiring fewer than 10 ingredients. It’s rich, satisfying, and customizable.
Why you’ll love it
Who doesn’t love a comforting pasta dish, complete with veggies, that only takes about 15 minutes to prepare? I mean, dinner on the table while the Instant Pot does most of the work? Count me in! Here are some other reasons why you’ll love this meal.
- Simple
- Quick
- Creamy
- Comforting
- Satisfying
Ingredients
Cashew Cream- To make the cashew cream, boil about 3 cups of water in a small pot. Add 1 cup of raw cashews to the boiling water. Remove the water from the heat and cover. Allow the cashews to soak for 30-60 minutes, until they are soft. Drain the cashews and place them in a high speed blender with 3/4 cup of water. Blend the cashews until they are smooth. You should have about 1 1/4 cups of cashew cream. If you do not have the ability to prepare the cashew cream, you can substitute with the same amount of coconut milk. Your pasta will just have more of a tropical, coconut vibe.
Pasta- For this recipe I used a lentil-based penne. I prefer this type from Barilla. It’s free of gums and the only ingredient is red lentils.
Pasta Sauce- Use your favorite brand. I prefer Muir Glen‘s no added sugar Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce.
Instant Pot Pasta
To prepare the dish, begin by setting the Instant Pot to sauté for 5 minutes. Once it’s hot add a tsp of vegetable broth and sauté the onions. Stir them to prevent burning and sticking. Add more vegetable broth if needed.
When the timer goes off, shut off the Instant Pot and add the minced garlic. Stir for 20-30 seconds just to slightly cook the garlic.
Next, add the vegetable broth, cashew cream, and dry penne pasta. Stir to combine. Be sure that the pasta is mostly covered by the liquid.
Add the pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, and optional red pepper flakes. Do not stir. Place the Instant Pot steaming rack in the pot so that it rests on the handles above the liquids. Gently put the broccoli florets on top of the steaming rack.
Set the Instant Pot to Manual and set for 4 minutes. Seal the lid and ensure the valve is set to Seal. After 4 minutes, carefully release the pressure valve and remove the lid.
Remove the broccoli and the steamer rack. Stir the pasta and the sauce to combine. Mix in the steamed broccoli and serve topped with fresh herbs of your choice and vegan parmesan cheese.
This meal is so incredibly simple. And it’s delicious. I certainly hope that you give this Instant Pot creamy tomato pasta and broccoli a try. Enjoy friends!
Ingredient Health Benefits
Broccoli- vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, chromium
Garlic- phytochemicals
Onion- antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, folate
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Creamy Tomato Pasta and Broccoli
Made entirely in the Instant Pot this vegan and gluten-free creamy tomato pasta and broccoli meal is quick and simple. Ready in less than 20 minutes and requiring fewer than 10 ingredients. It's rich, satisfying, and customizable.
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¼ cups vegetable broth
- 1¼ cups cashew cream*
- 8 oz dry penne
- 1 cup pasta sauce
- ½ tsp italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 small broccoli, cut into florets
- fresh herbs, vegan parmesan cheese for topping
Set the Instant Pot to saute for 5 minutes. Once hot add a tsp of vegetable broth and saute the onions. Stir to prevent burning.
When the timer goes off, shut off the Instant Pot and add the minced garlic. Stir for 20-30 seconds.
Add the vegetable broth, cashew cream, and dry penne pasta. Stir to combine. Be sure that the pasta is mostly covered by the liquid.
Add the pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Do not stir.
Place the Instant Pot steaming rack in the pot so that it rests on the handles above the liquids. Gently put the broccoli florets on top of the steaming rack.
Set the Instant Pot to Manual and set for 4 minutes. Seal the lid and ensure the valve is set to Seal.
After 4 minutes, carefully release the pressure valve and remove the lid.
Remove the broccoli and the steamer rack. Stir the remaining contents. Mix in the steamed broccoli. Serve and top fresh herbs of choice and vegan parmesan cheese.
*To prepare the cashew cream, quick soak 1 cup of whole, raw cashews for 30-60 minutes or until the cashews are soft. Drain and rinse, then place in a high speed blender with 3/4 cup of fresh water. Blend until smooth.
