Instant Pot Spaghetti Bolognese - BTB Italian Herb Flavor Base

This pasta with bolognese-style meat sauce comes together quickly and easily in this simple one-pot recipe. There’s also plenty of room for customization as you can change up your meat and vegetable choices as well as adjust the herbs and spices to your own tastes. Try it once this way and then make changes on your next batch!
NOTES:
• Better-than-Bouillon Italian Flavor Base: I’ve been using this a lot since I found it a few months ago and I absolutely love it! It takes care of two important recipe components: which broth to use and which herbs to use. This one is commonly available in most stores, but if you don’t have it (or don’t want to buy it), here are substitutions:
◦ For the Broth: Use a good chicken broth or flavor base instead.
◦ For the Herbs: At the same time you add the tomato paste and other seasonings (step 3 in instructions), add 1 TB Italian seasoning, 1 tsp dried oregano, and ½ tsp dried thyme.
• Saltiness: Just a note here that even though I’m a salt fiend, I only included an extra ½ teaspoon of salt because the pancetta and the BTB already has plenty of salt in them. Wait until the taste test after cooking to decide if you need to add more.
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Instant Pot Duo 6qt: amzn.to/43bDS9Q
Today’s Ingredients:
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
6 oz pancetta, diced
1 lb ground beef
8 oz mushrooms, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 TB tomato paste
1½ Better-than-Bouillon Italian Herb flavor base
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup dry red wine (chianti in the video)
1 lbs uncooked spaghetti (break to fit if needed)
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
½ cup fresh chopped parsley leaves, plus extra for topping
¼ cup heavy cream
Optional topping/serving: fresh parsley, parmesan cheese, garlic toasts
Instructions:
1. Preheat the Instant Pot on the highest sauté setting and add the oil when the display reads “HOT.” Add the pancetta and ground beef and cook, stirring a few times, until the beef is fully browned.
2. Add the mushrooms, onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the veggies are just softened.
3. Add the garlic, tomato paste, Italian Herb flavor base, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly, for just another minute until fragrant.
4. Add the red wine and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Make sure to scrape up any stuck-on bits to avoid getting a “BURN” warning later.
5. Layer the pasta over the top as evenly as possible, spreading the noodles out in a cross-hatch to minimize clumping. Then layer the crushed tomatoes over the top. Use the water to flush out the inside of the can and pour into the pot around the edges. Spread the tomatoes out and press the pasta down without stirring up the bottom.
6. Lock and seal the lid and cook on high for 5 minutes followed by a 5 minute natural pressure release. Then release any remaining pressure before reopening the pot.
7. Stir to separate the noodles. Give it a taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Then stir in the heavy cream and parsley until fully incorporated. Cover loosely with the lid for about 10-15 minutes to let the sauce thicken and absorb into the noodles. The noodles will continue to separate as they plump up and absorb the sauce.
8. Stir just before serving with optional toppings and ENJOY!