ONE-POT BEEF AND RIGATONI MARINARA (DUMP AND GO) makes 6 servings · total 20 minutes · tested Rigatoni is the hands-down winner here over rotini. Its thick, sturdy tubular walls hold up perfectly under intense steam pressure without turning mushy, and the large hollow cores trap the meat sauce. Using the proven "liquid down low, tomato sauce up high" layering technique prevents scorching while cooking the raw ground chuck and dry pasta simultaneously. INGREDIENTS -- Base & Seasoning -- 900 g ground chuck (raw, pinched into clumps; 80/20 or 85/15) 100 g yellow onion (diced; approx. 1/2 medium onion) 6 g fine salt (fine; approx. 1 tsp (balanced for bouillon)) 3 g black pepper (ground; approx. 1 tsp) 6 g garlic powder (dry; approx. 2 tsp) 4 g onion powder (dry; approx. 1.5 tsp) 4 g dried Italian seasoning (dry herbs; basil, oregano, parsley blend) -- Liquid, Pasta & Sauce -- 450 g dry rigatoni (dry; 1 standard 16 oz box (rigatoni preferred for texture)) 750 g water (hot tap; warm water helps dissolve base) 20 g Better Than Bouillon beef base (paste; approx. 1 rounded Tbsp) 3 g monosodium glutamate (MSG) (crystal; approx. 1/2 tsp umami booster) 700 g marinara pasta sauce (jarred; 1 standard 24 oz jar) -- Optional Finish -- 30 g butter (chilled or cubed; folded at the end for sauce gloss) 50 g Parmesan cheese (grated; for topping) STEPS Dissolve Base Liquid 1. Pour the 750 g hot tap water into a measuring vessel or bowl. 2. Whisk in 20 g Better Than Bouillon and 3 g MSG until completely dissolved. Set aside. Layer the Pot (Do Not Stir) 1. Layer 1 (Meat): Scatter the 900 g raw ground chuck into the bottom of the 6-quart pressure cooker pot, pinching it into small bite-sized clusters. 2. Layer 2 (Aromatics & Spices): Scatter the 100 g diced yellow onion evenly across the beef, then sprinkle the 6 g salt, 3 g black pepper, 6 g garlic powder, 4 g onion powder, and 4 g Italian seasoning over the meat and onions. 3. Layer 3 (Pasta): Dump the 450 g dry rigatoni in an even, level layer directly over the meat. 4. Layer 4 (Broth): Pour the 750 g dissolved bouillon liquid around the sides and over the pasta. Use the back of a spoon to lightly press the noodles down so most are touching liquid. Do not stir. 5. Layer 5 (Sauce on Top): Pour the 700 g marinara sauce evenly across the top of the rigatoni. Gently spread it to the inner edges so the pasta is sheltered under the sauce. Do not let the sauce sink to the bottom, as sugars in thick tomato puree will trigger the "Burn" sensor. Pressure Cook 1. Close and lock the lid. Ensure the valve is set to Sealing. 2. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes. 3. Once the 5-minute timer sounds, perform an immediate Quick Release of the steam. Stir and Emulsify 1. Remove the lid once the float pin drops. 2. Break up any larger clumps of ground beef with a sturdy wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. 3. Drop in the optional 30 g of butter and stir vigorously from bottom to top for 60 to 90 seconds. The residual heat, released starch from the rigatoni, and the fat will combine to turn the watery edges into a thick, glossy meat sauce. 4. Let rest uncovered for 3 minutes before serving so the rigatoni finishes drinking up the sauce. EQUIPMENT - 6-quart electric pressure cooker - Digital kitchen scale - Wooden spoon or silicone spatula FOOD SAFETY - Cooking raw ground beef under pressure at temperatures exceeding $240^\circ\text{F}$ ($115^\circ\text{C}$) ensures full pasteurization throughout the 5-minute cycle. - Refrigerate leftovers promptly within 2 hours. LICENSE CC BY 4.0: share and adapt freely, credit longproof and link to https://longproof.duckdns.org/recipes/one-pot-beef-and-rigatoni-marinara-dump-and-go.txt https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/