Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Tomato Sauce recipe - 15 minutes under pressure gives you a fantastic pasta sauce.
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My plan seemed so simple - use pressure cooking to get the flavors of a long-simmering sauce in the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta. I’ve already got a stovetop quick tomato sauce recipe - it will be easy to convert, right?
Easy. Riiiight.
It’s time for another episode of “Why can’t I get this recipe to work the way I want it”?
I sauté some onions and garlic, add spices, pour in crushed tomatoes, and lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Five minutes under pressure is not enough time for flavors to mingle; the sauce comes out like a salsa, with distinct tomato and onion pieces. Fifteen minutes is just right - the sauce is thick, like it was simmered all afternoon by an Italian Nonna. (OK, OK, I don’t know what that would taste like. I don’t have an Italian grandmother - I’m a typical American mutt, mostly German and French.)
But…as I’m testing the recipe, every now and again, the sauce scorches on the bottom. I’m running right on the edge of overheating the pressure cooker; the thick, crushed tomatoes have just enough liquid to get up to pressure…most of the time. If the pressure valve doesn’t seal quickly, the heating element starts to burn the tomatoes before it switches from “high heat, bring to pressure” mode to “under pressure, low heat to maintain pressure” mode. To be safe, and to add more flavor, I add a half-cup of red wine before adding the tomatoes. Problem solved.
You don’t have to use wine - chicken broth or water will both do the trick of adding the extra liquid. Me? I find excuses to add wine into a recipe.
Now, if it was just me and my wife, I’d serve the sauce just like it comes out of the cooker, with some chunks in it. But the kids? Chunks in the sauce? They’re not having it. I take my stick blender to the sauce, pureeing it right in the pressure cooker pot.
So, after some fiddling around, I have it. A quick weeknight spaghetti sauce with minimal effort. It takes a little longer than my stovetop recipe…but it’s a much richer, fuller bodied sauce, with a lot less active effort. Once the pressure cooker is locked, there’s nothing to do but wait, and boil water for the pasta.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or dried basil)
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cup red wine (or chicken broth, or water)
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
How to Pressure Cook Tomato Sauce
Sauté the aromatics
Set an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker to Sauté mode-high (medium-high heat for a stovetop PC) and pour in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Wait for the oil to start shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the Italian seasoning and the pinch of red pepper flakes, and give the pot a stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about five minutes.
Add the liquid and the tomatoes
Pour in the wine (or broth, or water). Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck bits of onion. Stir in the crushed tomatoes.
Pressure cook for 15 minutes on high pressure
Lock the pressure cooker lid, then cook on high pressure for 15 minutes in an electric PC, or 12 minutes in a stovetop PC. Quick release the pressure by turning the pressure release valve. Once the pressure has dropped, remove the lid, tilting it away from you to protect yourself from the hot steam.
Season, purée, and serve
Stir in ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. If you like a chunky, rustic sauce, serve it as-is. If you want a smooth sauce, purée with a stick blender right in the pot before serving. Enjoy!
Variations
Buttery Sauce
Add a tablespoon of butter with the olive oil for extra rich sauce.
Chunky sauce
Replace the crushed tomatoes with diced tomatoes. (The timing stays the same).
Smooth sauce
If you know you want a smooth sauce from the start, replace the crushed tomatoes with Italian strained tomatoes (like Pomi or Bioanturae).
Storage
This sauce stores beautifully. It will last for a few days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for up to 6 months.
FAQs
What tomatoes should I use?
I like Muir Glen crushed tomatoes or San Marzano crushed tomatoes in this recipe, but any crushed tomatoes will do. (I make it with store-brand crushed tomatoes when they are on sale for cheap.)
How long does tomato sauce need when pressure-cooked?
Pressure cooked tomato sauce needs 15 minutes at high pressure with a quick pressure release.
Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh ones?
This recipe is made for canned tomatoes, so yes, absolutely. (If you want to use fresh tomatoes, you'll have to find a different recipe - they don't work for a quick weeknight sauce.)
How do I thicken pressure cooker tomato sauce?
If you want thicker sauce, after pressure cooking, set your Instant Pot to Sauté mode - Low (Medium-low for a stovetop PC) and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, stirring often to make sure the tomatoes don't scorch in the bottom of the pot.
Should I add Sugar?
I'm not a fan of adding sugar to my tomato sauce; I think modern tomatoes are sweet enough straight out of the can. That said, if you want a little sweeter sauce, add 1 teaspoon of sugar with the crushed tomatoes.
Recommended equipment
- 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker)
- Immersion Blender (optional, if you need a smooth sauce)
Pressure Cooker Quick Tomato Sauce Recipe
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 quart of sauce 1x
Description
Pressure Cooker Quick Tomato Sauce recipe - 15 minutes under pressure gives you a fantastic pasta sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or dried basil)
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cup red wine (or chicken broth, or water)
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Set the pressure cooker to sauté mode (medium heat for a stovetop PC) and pour in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt, the Italian seasoning, and the pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about five minutes.
- Add the liquid and the tomatoes. Pour in the wine (or broth, or water). Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck bits of onion. Stir in the crushed tomatoes.
- Pressure cook for 15 minutes on high pressure. Lock the pressure cooker lid, then cook on high pressure for 15 minutes in an electric PC, or 12 minutes in a stovetop PC. Quick release the pressure by turning the pressure release valve. Once the pressure has dropped, remove the lid, tilting it away from you to protect yourself from the hot steam.
- Season, purée, and serve. Stir in ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. If you like a chunky, rustic sauce, serve it as-is. If you want a smooth sauce, purée with a stick blender right in the pot before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Weeknight Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
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What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
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My other Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes
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Cynthia says
Love this quick and delicious recipe. I used Pomi strained and pealed tomatoes (no lectins). And added half a carrot (chopped) for a little sweetness.
Mike Vrobel says
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
marc says
Not expecting to hear back in time for tonights dinner... BUT
Is there a way to make this AND cook penne noodles in with it, to impart that flavor into the noodle?
Frances says
Just made this sauce for the second time. It’s delicious and so easy! Both times I’ve made it when I ran out of Jarred sauce but it is so much better I’ll just keep making it as long as I have 30 minutes. Thanks for sharing!
Lisa says
We like ground beef and/or sausage in our sauce. If we wanted to add meat, when would be do it?
I've literally just got my brand new Instant Pot out of it's box and I'm itching to use it!
Mike Vrobel says
Follow this recipe: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-italian-meat-sauce/ and substitute ground beef for some or all of the sausage.
Kathleen Jones says
I threw in 8 large basil leaves and 4 cups fresh spinach. Used my Blender on a stick. Turned out dark reddish brown and is delicious. Thanks for the great recipe.
Elizabeth says
Really delicious sauce! We just had it for dinner both of us loved it. I am amazed at the depth of flavor for such a quick sauce. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and videos. I have learned a lot from your site and appreciate all of the work that you do in preparing your informative and enjoyable posts.
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome - thank you for the kind words, and I'm glad my recipes help you out!
Jane says
I'd like to try this but wonder if I can double it?
I'm with you on having kids (and a husband) that don't want the chunks. I've been using the stick blender on all my pasta sauces (store bought and home made) for years!
Mike Vrobel says
I haven't tried to double it - it should work, though. If you try, let me know how it turns out!
Louise S says
Very, very good sauce!
If I may add, you MUST try freshly grated superior quality parmesan (not the K stuff that's in the video) for fear of killing your great sauce. Garnish with FRESH BASIL and you are an honorary Napolitan chef.
And, as always, thank you!!!
Mike Vrobel says
Um...there's no parmesan in the video. Those are red pepper flakes?
Razzy 7 says
Glad you tried to make a PC version of Marcella Hazan’s simple tomato sauce recipe. I can see why it doesn't lend itself well to a pressure cooker. However, I hope you and your readers will try the recipe sans pressure cooker. It's a fabulous and amazingly simple sauce.
Nancy says
Why would you not cook it PIP to avoid possible scorching?
Mike Vrobel says
I want the flavor from browning the onions in the sauce...and I don't mind a little browning of the tomatoes, either. That, and PIP takes a lot longer, in my experience.