From Scratch

Here’s why I love pressure cookers. The day got away from me yesterday — I was out with a friend — and it was almost 7 when I got home, famished. The Democratic presidential debate was on at 8, so there wasn’t much time. I dug out the pressure cooker and an acquaintance’s recipe that’s been in my “to try” file for quite some time. Dinner was on the table at 7:30.

The chicken and pasta are cooked together; for the sauce I used some of the Fine Cooking marinara I like straight from the freezer. The original recipe uses chicken thighs, which really are a better choice for the pressure cooker because they remain more moist than breasts. The breasts I used were large and thick and the cooking and standing time didn’t ruin them, but if they’d been small and thin, I don’t think the results would have been satisfactory.

When I make this again, I’m going to try white wine and increase it to 1/2 cup, while decreasing the beef broth to 1 cup. I do like beef broth for chicken; it tends to impart a “cooked all day” flavor, especially with thighs. I’ll also add a bit of thyme just for that certain something it gives to sauces and poultry.

Pressure Cooker Chicken and Pasta

2 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken
salt and freshly-ground pepper
1 tsp basil (1 TB if fresh)
1 tsp oregano (1 TB if fresh)
1- 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth 
1-2 TB red wine or red wine vinegar
8 oz tubular or corkscrew pasta (I used mezzi rigatoni)
2 cups pasta sauce

Heat the oil in the cooker. When hot, add onions and saute 1-2 minutes until fragrant and translucent. Add garlic and saute for 1 more minute. (I had a few mushrooms in the fridge, so I tossed those in too) Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown. Turn over, re-season and brown the other side.

Add beef broth, wine or vinegar, basil and oregano. Add pasta then pour sauce on top. (I just placed the frozen chunks on top)

Bring cooker to high pressure and cook for ten minutes. Let stand for two minutes then release pressure.

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Tags: chicken