Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Cut 1 carrot, 1 rib celery, and 1 onion into small, roughly equal-sized chunks.
3. Put the vegetables in the food processor and pulse a few times until minced. (If you don’t have a food processor, simply mince them by hand.) If a few pieces are too large, mince those remaining pieces by hand; do not continue with the food processor as you will overprocess the rest. Set aside.
4. Mince 2 cloves garlic. Brush off any dirt and debris from 6 button mushrooms and slice them. Alternatively, you can lightly rinse the mushrooms with cool water and pat them dry with paper towels, but do not soak them (they absorb water like a sponge).
5. Press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot (I use 6-QT Instant Pot) and heat 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
6. Add the minced garlic and 1 bay leaf and stir until fragrant.
7. Add the minced vegetables and sauté until the onion is tender.
8. Add 8 oz ground beef chuck and 4 oz ground pork to the pot. Sauté and mix the meat with the rest of the ingredients in the pot.
9. Add ¼ cup red wine and stir, scraping the juicy bits stuck to the bottom and sides of the pot and evaporate the alcohol completely, about 5–7 minutes.
10. Crush your 1 28-oz can whole peeled or crushed tomato and juice if they are not already crushed. Then, add the tomatoes and ¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock to the pot.
11. Add the sliced mushrooms, 2 tsp dried oregano, and 2 tsp dried basil on top.
12. Cover and lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Make sure the steam release handle points at Sealing and not Venting. Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button on the Instant Pot to stop the Sauté mode. Press the Manual button to switch to the pressure cooking mode. Press the minus (-) button to change the cooking time to 20 minutes.
13. If you’re using a stove-top pressure cooker, you won’t have any buttons to press. Just cook on high heat until High pressure is reached. Then, reduce the heat to low but maintain high pressure for about 20 minutes.
14. When it is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to the Keep Warm mode. Let the pressure release naturally, about 15–20 minutes. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water (4–5 QT), add 1½ Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and boil 1½ lb spaghetti or your choice of pasta. Cook according to the package instructions and drain the pasta.
15. After de-pressurizing is complete, unlock the lid and add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and freshly ground black pepper. Taste the spaghetti sauce, and if necessary, season with up to 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If the sauce is too thin or soupy due to moisture released by the ingredients, turn on the Sauté mode and reduce the sauce to the desired consistency (I did not need to do that).
16. Finely mince fresh parsley. Serve the spaghetti sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month. I recommend packing the sauce in individual portions so you can easily enjoy it later on. It‘s great emergency food if you‘re really behind on prepping a meal. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a pot over very low heat on the stovetop.