I love cooking the bolognese sauce in my Dutch oven over the stovetop, but it takes hours. So today, I’m sharing a quicker alternative and just as tasty, Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese (圧力鍋スパゲッティボロネーゼ) recipe with you.
Stovetop vs. Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
Just to be clear, I am NOT saying that a pressure cooker makes better Bolognese sauce. There’s just something magical about slow cooking as if you are adding love to the food every time you stir. However, just because you don’t have time, you don’t have to give up on homemade bolognese sauce altogether. With a pressure cooker, you can save time and effort, but achieve a full depth of flavor equivalent to the slow-cooking sauce that’s been simmering on the stovetop for hours. And for busy moms who often struggle to put time in the kitchen, that’s a huge win!
3 Key Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
1. Soffritto (in Italian, and Mirepoix in French)
What is soffritto? It’s a mixture of finely chopped onions, carrots, and celery (it really depends, but usually in 2 parts : 1 part : 1 part ratio) that are sautéed with olive oil or butter until tender and golden. It’s an umami-rich magical flavor. It’s used as the flavor base for a wide variety of dishes including soups, stews, stocks, ragu, sauces, risotto, and more.
2. Beef and Pork
I use two types of meat for my bolognese sauce: beef and pork (both about 20% fat). They are both juicy, flavor-rich meat, but when the beef is used by itself, the texture of the meat sauce tends to be harder. Therefore, blending in the pork makes the sauce more tender. You can use Italian sausages too, but I like my bolognese sauce with ground beef and pork as I grew up eating it this way.
3. Use Red Wine
Both red and wine will work, but I use red wine because it’s a red meat dish. Plus, we can enjoy the rest of the wine with the meal after cooking. The alcohol in the wine evaporates while the food is cooking, and the only flavor remains. The wine flavor adds complexity and a variety of tastes (acidity, sweetness, etc) to the dish that’s difficult to substitute.
Why Pressure Cooker Instead of Slow Cooker?
I usually use pressure cooking mode on my favorite Instant Pot (I’m not sponsored; I just love this gadget!) rather than slow cooking mode simply because I typically decide on dinner menus pretty last minute. If you have an electric slow cooker, or slow cooking fits your lifestyle, you can definitely use this recipe as well. To quickly explain, this Instant Pot is a 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker. It can be a rice maker/porridge maker, steamer, sauté/browning, yogurt maker, and warmer. My mom used stove top pressure cookers at home growing up but they scare me a bit with the loud whistling noise. You also need to stay in the kitchen to control the heat. With the Instant Pot, you can just set and walk away!
A Little Tip for Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
As the liquid stays in the pot during the cooking process, not much liquid is lost compared to the stovetop. If there is too much liquid for your liking, turn the Instant Pot to “Saute” mode and evaporate some liquid. Sign up for the free Just One Cookbook newsletter delivered to your inbox! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram for all the latest updates.
