This allergy friendly Instant Pot pasta is free of the top 8 allergens, can be ready in under 30 minutes, and with only one pot needed, clean up is a breeze!
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Weeknights at our house can be pretty chaotic. Like so many families, we get home from school and work, have a short time to eat something for dinner, and are off to an evening activity.
As a dietitian, part of my job includes talking with people about their typical eating patterns including when they eat, what they eat, and even where they eat. Hitting the drive-through at the fast-food restaurant or grabbing food at the game are typical routines for many families. Convenient? Yes. A healthy daily routine? Hmm...probably not. Realistic for food allergy families? Also probably not.
This allergy friendly one-pot pasta dish is a quick and easy weeknight meal! In fact, it is so quick and easy that my boys (now 13 and 15) can have dinner ready before I walk in the door. As for my husband, I haven't handed over the recipe to him yet (he's more the griller at our house) but I think he could make this, too!
Equipment needed
I make this allergy friendly pasta recipe in my trusty Instant Pot. What's an Instant Pot, you ask? Technically, it is a pressure cooker. But it's more than that - it's a magical kitchen appliance that makes dinner in one pot! And it's really fast!
I love kitchen gadgets but was hesitant to get one of these because who has room for all of these kitchen appliances anyway? Well, I snatched a 6 quart Instant Pot up on sale at Amazon and my life hasn't been the same since.
Seriously, just get one. And when you get one, don't let it sit in the box because you fear that it will explode in your kitchen. It won't! But it will make dinner really, really fast!
Take it on the Road
When we travel, I do a lot of planning around meals. In my opinion, dining out can be more of a hassle than packing "safe" food, especially when traveling to smaller towns that don't have a lot of restaurant options.
Last fall, we went on a weekend vacation to an area that doesn't have a lot of restaurant options. Instead of trying to order a safe meal from one of the mom and pop restaurants in town, I packed our trusty Instant Pot, a jar of pasta sauce, half a bag of noodles, and threw some frozen ground turkey in the cooler with some other meal essentials.
After a fun day of hiking, we went back to the hotel and threw this dish together. It's easy to prepare and clean up - even in a hotel room! I brought a plastic container for leftovers which we could keep in our kitchenette refrigerator until we left the next day.
This would also be a great dish to make for a pot luck (make it and serve it in the same pot!) or when staying with family.
Nutrition notes
When it comes to planning a balanced meal, this dish covers all of the bases.
Ground turkey is a healthy protein that is low in saturated fat.
Gluten free pasta is usually made with a whole grain such as brown rice making it a healthy carbohydrate choice.
And the tomato sauce also typically includes some vegetables as well. To make this meal even more well-rounded, serve it with a tossed salad or steamed vegetable.
Enjoy having dinner on the table fast!
More allergy friendly main dishes
📖 Recipe
Allergy Friendly Instant Pot Pasta
Equipment
- Pressure cooker/Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 24 ounce jar pasta sauce of your choice
- 1-½ cups water ½ of the pasta sauce jar
- 8 ounces gluten free pasta ½ of a 16 ounce bag (we like rotini or penne)
- fresh basil, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Place the ground turkey in the Instant Pot and turn on the saute setting. Cook the turkey until browned. Turn the Instant Pot off and add the pasta sauce, water, and pasta. Stir well.
- Place the cover on the Instant Pot and lock, making sure the steam release valve is set to "sealing". Select manual, high pressure, and set timer for 5 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
- When cooking time is done, quick-release the pressure by moving the steam release valve to "venting". When pressure is completely released, remove the cover. Serve with basil garnish if desired.
Notes
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Jiya Oberoi says
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Vicky says
As I saw you don't have 'Bird' as a allergic food. I cannot eat any more bird meats as of 35 years ago. My doctor says it's the protein in the meats. So what happens to me, I blow up in my stomach area and have very bad pains. This also includes chicken broth in any sauces. I have to read the label very carefully. As I am also allergic to shrimp and salmon, but not lobster or crab. No dairy at all. I do see that a2 is a new non-dairy milk, but I'm not going to purchase a full 1/2 gallon to see if I like it. I wish they sold pints. I have to substitute the meat to 93-95% hamburger or mild pork. I can eat regular pasta.
Kristi says
Hi Vicky,
Thanks for your message. You can certainly use ground beef or pork in this particular recipe. Regular wheat pasta can also be easily substituted. I hope that helps!
Sharon says
Do you have any recommendations for meat brands that are soy free and dairy free? I've had a really hard time with hidden soy in meats, and they don't have the same disclosure requirements as the FDA!
Kristi says
Hi Sharon, I use a lot of Jenni-o ground turkey which is free of dairy and soy but I don't have any other specific recommendations. You are right, meats are regulated by the USDA and are not required to list allergens in plain English as is required by the FDA under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act. With that said, all ingredients do need to be listed on the ingredient list. For example, if meat has sodium caseinate it won't say "contains milk" on the label (as with FALCPA) but knowing the ingredient is a milk derivative tells you to avoid that product. Your question is a good reminder that even meats can sometimes have hidden ingredients and reading labels carefully every time to catch those ingredients is very important! Thanks for your question!