Instant Pot Spicy Vegetarian Chipotle Pasta
Mar 31, 2020, Updated May 22, 2023
Spicy and creamy Vegetarian Chipotle Pasta gets its smoky flavor from adobo sauce! This one-pot pasta dish is packed with veggies and gets done in 30 minutes!
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Spicy Vegetarian Chipotle Pasta made in the Instant Pot.
Veggies are tossed in a creamy sauce made with adobo sauce, cream & honey! So flavorful, easy and done in one-pot!
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There’s no escaping carbs these days, isn’t it? I have been living on comfort food
Rice, pasta, roti, paratha, in short give me all the carbs! During these times, we are all drawn to comfort food and for me comfort food and carbs go hand in hand.
I have been making pasta in my Instant Pot a lot these days. It’s super easy, one-pot and the result is always delicious.
In the last few months, I have shared several Instant Pot pasta recipes on the blog and this Spicy Vegetarian Chipotle Pasta is next on the list!
This Spicy Vegetarian Chipotle Pasta
✔ is made in one-pot, no boiling the pasta separately.
✔ has a creamy spicy sauce made with adobo sauce, cream and touch of honey & lemon.
✔ has veggies like mushrooms & asparagus!
✔ makes a hearty meal which gets done in less than 30 minutes.
I have always been a fan of chipotle flavor whether it’s in pizza, tacos, sofritas or now in pasta.
The smokiness and spiciness of this dish comes from the star ingredient which is the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
Now, these peppers are really spicy. For this pasta recipe, I like using the adobo sauce in which the peppers are submerged and not the peppers themselves.
The sauce has a spicy and smoky flavor and I add around 2.5 tablespoons of that in the recipe,
Now, that might be a lot for some people, so please adjust to taste. Add 1 tablespoon and see from there. If you prefer less spicy, then 1 tablespoon might be enough.
I can’t eat hot food either but I like the smoky flavor that comes from adobo sauce and hence the 2.5 tablespoons was good enough for me.
And if you are wondering what to do with leftover sauce and chipotle peppers, then try this Chipotle Sofritas recipe.
Other than the chipotle peppers, the recipe also has heavy cream which makes the sauce creamy and gives it a rich taste.
Honey and lemon are used to balance the flavors. It is one of those recipes that you can whip up in no time if you have all the ingredients on hands.
I love veggies in my pasta and so, here I have peppers, green peas, mushrooms and asparagus.
You can also add carrots, even broccoli. Add carrots while pressure cooking and broccoli along with asparagus after pressure cooking is done.
I like using thin asparagus here, they steam quickly and go well in this dish. So, try to buy those when making this dish.
You can even add some tofu here, pan fry it before adding to the pasta though.
Can you make this vegetarian chipotle pasta vegan? Yes, shouldn’t be a problem! Skip the cream and add coconut milk in place. Also use agave or brown sugar in place of honey.
Will this work with whole wheat pasta? Yes, and in that case cook for 6 minutes on high pressure, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick pressure release.
Method
1- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot. Once the pot displays hot, add the olive oil and then add the chopped onion, garlic and peppers (both red and yellow).
Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions and pepper soften.
2- Add in the mushrooms and frozen green peas. Stir.
3- Then add the adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, you just add the sauce from it, not the peppers). Stir to combine.
4- Then add the water, pasta, salt and pepper. Press the pasta lightly with a spatula so that it’s slightly under water.
5- Close the pot with the lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook for 5 minutes on high pressure with the pressure valve in the sealing position. Quick release the pressure.
6- Open the pot and press the sauté button. Add in the heavy cream. You can add extra 2 tablespoons of cream here if you like it more saucy or creamier.
7- Also add the lemon juice and honey and mix.
8- Add the asparagus and cover the pot with a glass lid. Let the pasta simmer for 3 minutes on saute.
Garnish with cilantro and serve the spicy vegetarian chipotle pasta warm. You may grate some parmesan cheese on top before serving!
If you’ve tried this Spicy Vegetarian Chipotle Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Instant Pot Spicy Vegetarian Chipotle Pasta
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil 22 ml
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 4-5 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 small yellow pepper chopped, around 1/3 cup chopped pepper
- 1 small red pepper chopped, around 1/3 cup chopped pepper
- 4 oz white mushrooms sliced, around 8 mushrooms
- 1/2 cup green peas frozen
- 2.5 tablespoons adobo sauce from can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (use the sauce only), adjust to taste- add less if you don't like spicy food
- 1.5 cups water 12 oz
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 3/4-1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream or add more to taste
- 1 tablespoon +1-2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 oz asparagus trimmed, thin asparagus preferred
- cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Once the pot displays hot, add the olive oil and then add the chopped onion, garlic and peppers (both red and yellow).Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions and pepper soften.
- Add in the mushrooms and frozen green peas. Stir.
- Then add the adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, you just add the sauce from it, not the peppers). Stir to combine.
- Then add the water, penne pasta, salt and pepper. Press the pasta lightly with a spatula so that it's slightly under water.
- Close the pot with the lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook for 5 minutes on high pressure with the pressure valve in the sealing position. Quick release the pressure.
- Open the pot and press the saute button. Add in the heavy cream. You can add extra 2 tablespoons of cream here if you like it more saucy or creamier.
- Also add the lemon juice and honey and mix.
- Add the asparagus and cover the pot with a glass lid. Let the pasta simmer for 3 minutes on saute.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve the spicy vegetarian chipotle pasta warm.You may grate some parmesan cheese on top before serving!
Stove-top Instructions
- Boil pasta according to instructions on the package and set aside. Reserve the water that was used for boiling the pasta.
- Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and peppers and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until soften. Add in the mushrooms, peas and asparagus and stir. Add little water, around 1/4 cup (you can use the same water that was used for boiling the pasta), cover pan with a lid and let the veggies cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Once veggies are done, add the adobo sauce, cream, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Mix everything. Stir in the boiled pasta and mix. If the sauce looks too thick, add some more of the reserved pasta water. Taste test and adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Video
Notes
- I have used 1/2 cup +2 tablespoons cream here. You can add an extra 2 tablespoons if you want the pasta to be more saucy.
- I prefer the smokiness that comes from the adobo sauce so I have used 2.5 tablespoons of it here. You can add less if you don't like that flavor. Or add more if you want it more spicy.
- To make this vegan, add coconut milk in place of heavy cream.
- I didn't have parmesan cheese at home the day I made this, but if you have it, grate some fresh parmesan on top before serving.
- The pasta sauce might look like a lot once the pasta is pressure cooked but it all dries up as the pasta cools down.
- To make it spicier, you may add a chopped jalapeño along with the onion and garlic.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this yesterday and I think I will go to the extent of saying – This is the best pasta ever! Love the smoky heat from the adobo sauce, the creaminess and the fact that this recipe is loaded with veggies. Definitely a keeper!
glad you enjoyed it Lakshmi!
can I make it with gluten-free pasta!! How much cooking time.
probably the same time, haven’t tried though
Hi,
Can I double up everything for 1 lb of pasta? How would the timing change for saute/manual?
Thanks.
yes, timing remains same
Can you please share adobo sauce brand?
think I used Embasa brand
Made this for lunch today and it was delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Being dairy-free, I made this recipe using creamed avocado. Worked beautifully. Thanks, Manali, for inspiring me to use my IP much more often than I did before.
glad to hear!
Tried it two times and it turned out super delicious. Thank you for sharing this!
you are welcome!
Tried your recipe today. It tasted sooo good. Thanks ?
welcome 🙂