My Instant Pot has been getting a lot of use lately. I have found that if I use it to prepare food, it keeps my kitchen much cooler, which I truly appreciate. The house seems to be at its warmest when I have to start dinner and it’s very tempting to just get on the phone and order curbside or delivery. But with cooler cooking and the savings in time, the Instant Pot can get dinner on the table in comfort.

I have tried quite a few recipes lately and I hope to get some posted soon. Making pasta in the Instant Pot was a great discovery. There is no more steamy kitchen on days when the weather is steamy enough.

Note: Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the basic instructions that come with your Instant Pot before you get started.

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients

• 16 ounces spaghetti
• 6 cups water
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces bacon, sliced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• a pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

1. Break spaghetti in half and arrange in a crisscross pattern in the Instant Pot. Pour in water. Do not stir. Top with 2 tablespoons of butter. Close lid and set valve to sealing. Press pressure cook and adjust time to 7 minutes. The Instant Pot will take up to 10 minutes to come to pressure. The timer will then start to count down the 7 minutes.
2. Once the timer is done, press cancel button. Switch valve to venting and quick release steam. When steam has escaped and the pin drops, carefully open lid away from your face. Spoon out 1/2 cup water into measuring cup and set aside. Dump pasta into colander and drain.
3. Replace insert back into Instant Pot. Press sauté setting, Add olive oil, then add bacon and sauté until crispy. Remove bacon from pot. Add butter and onions. Cook for two minutes. Add garlic, give a stir. Press cancel. Return pasta and bacon to pot. Add frozen peas and toss well.
4. In small bowl, beat eggs and Parmesan cheese together. Slowly add the egg and Parmesan cheese mixture, stirring constantly to make sure egg does not scramble. It should result in a creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water, a little at a time, stirring well.
5. Season with black pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.

I think there a lot of ways to change up this recipe by adding a variety of different proteins, vegetables, and even pasta shapes. Please let me know what your favorites are.

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I am going to leave you with a quote about goodness. I hope you choose to do something good today.

If someone throws stones at you, throw back bread.

Filipino Proverb

Have a wonderful week!