Creamy Tomato Sauce Pasta with Broccoli

Boil water in a large pot & season it well with salt. Add the pasta to the boiling water & cook pasta as per package instructions. When the pasta is almost cooked add the broccoli florets to the water. Allow to boil with pasta for 2 mins and then strain and add in cold water to maintain the green color.
Reserve ½ cup of pasta water as this can be used to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
Strain the pasta & keep aside. Sprinkle some oil to avoid them sticking to each other.
In a pan add butter, bay leaf, minced garlic and onions & cook till onions turn transparent.
Now add the spices, tomato sauce and cook for 5 mins or till the sauce slightly thickens up.
Add the cream cheese and cream and mix until the cream cheese has melted. You will get a nice orangish color & a rich creamy texture. Cook it for another 2 mins & then add your cooked pasta & broccoli to it. Mix well.
Our delicious creamy tomato sauce pasta with broccoli is ready!! Serve hot topped with some grated parmigiano-reggiano and freshly cracked black pepper and red pepper (optional).

Start the Instant Pot on saute mode and to it add the butter. Once butter is melted add the garlic, bay leaf and onions and saute until the onions are translucent.
Deglaze with 2 tablespoon water if required. Switch off the instant pot, add in the seasoning (dry parsley, Italian seasoning, dry oregano, red chili flakes, salt & pepper). Stir for couple of seconds until the spices are fragreant (caution not to burn them).
Add the pasta spreading evenly followed by tomato sauce, 2 cups of water or vegetable stock, Stir and press the pasta to be under water.
Close the Instant pot lid with vent to sealing and cook on manual mode (or pressure cook mode) on high for 5 mins. Once done cooking, do a Quick Release after 5 mins.
Give the pasta a mix and add in the cream cheese, broccoli, mix slightly and close the lid for 10-15 mins. The steam from the cooked pasta is sufficient to cook the broccoli al dente and melt the cream cheese. Alternately to speed up, boil the broccoli separately and add to the pasta at the end.
Open the lid, give everything a good mix. Add in some cream and water/broth to adjust the consistency of pasta sauce (if needed).
Our delicious creamy tomato sauce pasta with Broccoli is ready!! Serve hot topped with some grated parmigiano-reggiano and freshly cracked black pepper and red pepper (optional).