Ever have Green Goddess before? If so, it needs no introduction. If not, it’s basically a cream cheese base mixed in with a variant of green goodies depending on who’s making the dish. And it’s often used to fill mushroom caps, dip and chips veggies in or thinned out for salad dressings.
Well, today it’s me who’s conjuring up the Green Goddess. To up the ante, I’m also going to be turn my variation of this divine spread into one of the most decadent sauces for a pasta just FULL of green goodness (and mushrooms, of course).
So get out your broomsticks, because you’re all gonna defy gravity once you see and taste this wicked GREEN GODDESS PASTA, created right in your Instant Pot!
Here’s How I Made It!:
Start off with some butter, give the pot some heat…
…and allow it to melt.
Now take some sliced Baby Bella mushrooms…
…and add ’em to the pot and let cook for a few.
Don’t forget the garlic!
After a few moments of cooking, the mushrooms will release some liquid which is perfecto!
Now let’s add in our pasta. I love using Gemelli for this (which looks like little braids and cooks perfectly al dente).
Add it to the pot…
…as well as some garlic broth or chicken broth.
Make sure the pasta is as submerged under the broth as possible.
Top it off with spinach, secure the lid and cook at high pressure.
While the pasta’s cooking, take a brick of cream cheese…
…and cut it into cubes.
When the pasta’s done, the spinach will have wilted away!
Give it a stir. (There will be excess broth in there but that’s good as it’s the base for the sauce).
And now let’s really greenify this. We’re talking Elphaba-style! Take a box of frozen peas…
…and add them to the pot. They may be frozen like Elsa but…
…as soon as you stir them in with the pasta, they’ll thaw and get heated within a minute.
Now take some pesto sauce (Costco has THE best you can buy, but any kind will do and you can make your own if you check out the “Jeffrey Sez” section of the recipe).
Add some to the pasta…
…as well as the cream cheese since that’s what makes it a nice and creamy green goddess consistency…
…and stir.
Now add in the parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce up and give it some wonderful cheesy flavor.
Stir it up and let let it set for a few minutes to thicken a little…
..and then serve it up!
Take a bite…
…and call yourself a Green Goddess and defy gravity. Because that’s what you’ll be doing after eating this green, decadent, beautiful, vegetarian pasta dish!
Enjoy!
Instant Pot Green Goddess Pasta
I've always loved a green goddess sauce, especially stuffed in mushroom caps. And so I figured I'd transform it into a pasta you'll be worshipped for making.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (1/4 stick) of salted butter
- 16 oz of Baby Bella (Crimini) mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp of crushed garlic
- 1 lb (1 box) of Gemelli pasta (it looks like little braids and I strongly suggest using this exact kind of pasta for a great al dente touch. Rotini is the next best thing for this but, of course, any pasta of your choice will do)
- 4 cups of garlic broth (I used 4 tsp of Garlic Better Than Bouillon + 4 cups of water but you can just use 4 cups of chicken broth instead if you don’t have this and it will still be great). For a thicker sauce, use 3 cups of broth instead of 4 (your choice)
- 5 – 8 oz of baby spinach
- 10 oz box of frozen peas
- 8 oz brick of cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup of Pesto sauce (Costco’s is literally the best you can buy but any decent brand will work. OR see the “Jeffrey Sez” section on how to make your own!)
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping if desired (make sure it’s grated and NOT shredded as it melts/blends into the sauce properly)
Instructions
- Add butter to the Instant Pot (I used a 6qt), hit “Sauté” and “Adjust” so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. Once the butter’s melted and sizzling, add in the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until the begin lightly brown. Then, add the garlic and stir for another 2 minutes (the mushrooms will release liquids at this point and sweat
- Next, add in the pasta followed by the broth and smooth the pasta out with a mixing spoon so most of it is submerged under the broth BUT DO NOT STIR (it is okay if some of the shells are sticking out above the liquid)
- Top off with the spinach and, again, DO NOT STIR. (Note: It’s going to feel like there’s a LOT of spinach in there and it will come up to the brim of the pot, but don’t worry – it cooks down into nothing!)
- Secure the lid and hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 6 minutes. Quick release when done.
- Stir in the frozen peas which will heat up very quickly after about 1 minute of stirring. Then, add in the cream cheese and pesto and stir for about 2 minutes more until the cream cheese is completely melded into the sauce. It may appear a bit liquid-y at this point which is where the parmesan comes in to thicken everything up. Add it in and let everything rest for 5 minutes and it will have become the most outrageous sauce. Transfer to a serving dish
- Enjoy!
Jeffrey's Tips
Store any leftovers in some Tupperware and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The microwave will work fine for reheating when the time comes (about 30-60 seconds).
Although I prefer the recipe as written, for a thicker sauce use 3 cups of broth instead of 4. This is totally your choice but just be aware that if you have leftovers and store in the fridge, it will get absorbed more by the pasta making the reheated leftovers contain less sauce.
If you wish to make your own Pesto sauce, you’ll need the following:
1 1/2 cups of fresh Basil leaves1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup of pine nuts3 gloves of crushed garlic
Then, toss together in a food processor and pulse until smoothly chunky.
Siri
I could have sworn the first time I made this the recipe also had Boursin in it? Am I crazy?
Seth Shaner
Hi there. Love your recipes. You’ve made me a better cook and I appreciate that.
I’ve made green goddess pasta many times but I feel like the cream cheese gives a bit of an aftertaste that I’d rather not have. Can you offer an alternative to cream cheese?
Thanks!
Simon
has anyone ever frozen this dish?