The dry fettuccine goes straight into the pressure cooker with broth, water, butter and garlic. There is no separate pot of boiling water and no draining.
After five minutes at high pressure and a controlled quick release, the pasta is stirred loose, then finished with cream and handfuls of Parmesan until the sauce turns thick and pale.
Why This Recipe Works
- Breaking the fettuccine in half and laying it in a loose crisscross keeps the ribbons from welding into one clump.
- Cooking the pasta in broth seasons it from the inside, and the starch it releases helps thicken the sauce.
- Adding the Parmesan a handful at a time lets each addition melt before the next, so the sauce stays smooth.
- A two-minute rest gives the sauce time to cling to the ribbons instead of pooling in the bowl.
How to Make It
Pasta crisscrossed, liquid added
Add the fettuccine to the pressure cooker in a loose crisscross. Pour in the broth and water, then add 2 tbsp butter, the garlic and salt without pressing the pasta into a clump.
Five minutes at high pressure
Lock the lid and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Carefully do a controlled quick release following the appliance instructions.
Ribbons separated, cream stirred in
Open the lid and stir to separate the ribbons. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp butter and the heavy cream.
Parmesan added by the handful
Add the Parmesan a handful at a time, stirring until the sauce is thick and pale, and season with black pepper.
Rested and finished
Rest 2 minutes so the sauce clings, then finish with parsley and more finely grated Parmesan if you like.
What Goes in, and When
Everything for the pasta goes in before the lid; the sauce is finished after it comes off.
Before locking
Fettuccine, broth, water, 2 tbsp butter, garlic and salt
Laid in a loose crisscross, not stirred.
After release
Remaining 1 tbsp butter and the heavy cream
Stir to separate the ribbons first.
Once creamy
Parmesan, a handful at a time, and black pepper
After 2 minutes' rest
Parsley and extra Parmesan
Ingredient Notes
- Dry fettuccine
- Twelve ounces broken in half so the ribbons fit flat in the pot.
- Chicken broth and water
- Three cups low-sodium broth plus one cup water cook the pasta and become part of the sauce.
- Parmesan
- A cup and a half, finely grated so it melts quickly into the cream.
Success Tips
- Push any fettuccine ends under the broth before locking the lid so no dry tips are left above the liquid.
- Stir the pressure-cooked ribbons right away after opening; they start sticking together as they sit.
- Grate the Parmesan finely from a block; coarse shreds tend to clump in the hot cream.
Serving Ideas
Twirl the ribbons into warm bowls and finish with cracked black pepper and a little extra Parmesan over the top.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream to loosen the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which pressure release should I use?
A controlled quick release after 5 minutes at high pressure, done according to your appliance instructions.
Is there any chicken in it?
No. The pasta is cooked in chicken broth, but there is no chicken, shrimp or vegetable add-in.
