Pressure Cooker Pasta Primavera

Ingredients

• 1 large crown broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Start with the vegetables. Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker, then pile the broccoli, bell pepper, and carrots into a steamer basket and set the basket inside the pot.
2. Lock the lid and make sure it is set to seal. Choose Steam, use low pressure, and set the cook time to 1 minute. The cooker will need about 10 minutes to build pressure before that time starts counting down.
3. As soon as the cooking cycle is finished, release the pressure quickly by switching the lid to vent. Once all the pressure is gone, open the cooker and remove the steamer basket with heatproof oven mitts. Take the inner pot out of the cooker base, discard the water, and place the inner pot back in the base.
4. Now cook the pasta. Add the pasta and broth to the empty pressure cooker. Lock the lid again, set it to seal, choose Manual, and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure. The cooker will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure before cooking begins.
5. When the pasta cycle is done, leave the cooker alone for 5 minutes so the pressure can drop naturally, then switch the lid to vent to let out the rest of the steam. After the pressure is completely released, open the pot.
6. Add the steamed vegetables, olive oil, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper to the pasta. Stir gently until the pasta and vegetables are well mixed and lightly coated.
7. Divide the pasta among serving bowls and serve hot.