As energy prices soar, it’s time to dust off that pressure cooker you bought on impulse or that a distant relative gave you as a wedding gift. Cooking short pasta in an instant pot is quicker and enhances all the flavours and aromas. This recipe by Cristina Blasi and Gabriella Mari of top cooking school Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu is a sign that the times can still be delicious while also cutting costs.
Ingredients
700g fresh porcini mushrooms, cleaned
360g pennoni or other short dried pasta
Extra-virgin olive oil
Handful of parsley, calamint and other herbs (optional), finely chopped
2 Italian sausages, crumbled
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Vegetable stock or salted boiling water
Method
Chop the mushroom stalks into small cubes and finely slice the caps.
Brown the sausage in some oil in the pressure cooker, remove and set aside.
Add a little more oil and warm the garlic and herbs. Add the porcini stalks and caps. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes before adding the pasta. Mix well and cover with salted boiling water or vegetable stock. (You shouldn’t be able to see the pasta.)
Close the lid and, employing the pressure valve, calculate half of the pasta cooking time, plus 1 minute. When the time has elapsed, turn off the heat and open the lid as soon as possible.
Check the pasta is cooked before serving; if not, add more water or stock and cook a little longer.
Top with the sausage and serve.
Serves 4
