This Instant Pot Pasta is an easy, delicious dinner idea! Penne pasta, Italian sausage and veggies all cook together in marinara sauce in your pressure cooker.
If you love easy Instant Pot recipes, you might also enjoy my Instant Pot Spaghetti, Instant Pot Taco Pasta and Instant Pot Mac and Cheese!
Instant Pot Pasta
This Instant Pot pasta is one of my favorite ways to cook pasta for dinner. It’s a fast, flavorful and satisfying meal, with veggies, pasta and sausage all cooking together in the Instant Pot. Plus, I always appreciate only having one pot to wash after dinner!
I love how flavorful this Instant Pot pasta turns out, since the pasta soaks up some of the sauce as it cooks. You’ll also love that this recipe requires only a few ingredients, and it’s easy to customize to your tastes. You can add more veggies, use another short pasta shape that you have on hand, or make it vegetarian or dairy-free. I’ve included everything you need to know below!
Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this dish. I make it with pre-cooked sausage and omit the spinach as my daughter does not like it. It has been in my regular meal rotation now for over a year and i can’t get enough of it. My daughters boyfriend even says it a keeper.
Marion
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes:
- Marinara Sauce: I used a jar of marinara sauce to save time and effort. There are some great options at the grocery store these days! The flavor of the sauce really impacts the flavor of this pasta dish, so it’s important to use a good quality sauce.
- Sausage: I recommend using Italian sausage because its flavor will best complement the other flavors in this Instant Pot pasta. You can use either cooked or uncooked sausage in this recipe, and chicken, turkey or pork sausage will all work. I often make this recipe with fully cooked chicken sausage, which I slice into rounds. If using uncooked sausage links, slit the casings open and remove the sausage from the casings before adding it to the Instant Pot.
- Pasta: I used whole wheat penne pasta. White pasta also works well. See my note below about pasta cook times in the Instant Pot.
How Long to Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot
Pasta cooking times can be tricky in the Instant Pot, because it depends on how long the pot takes to reach pressure, which depends on the volume of liquid and other ingredients in the pot, among other factors. I always err on the side of under-cooking pasta in the Instant Pot because you don’t want to end up with mushy pasta. The pasta cooks not only during the pressure cooking time, but also while the pot is coming to pressure and while the pressure is releasing during the quick release. Always use a quick release for pasta to prevent over-cooking.
For this Instant Pot pasta recipe:
- If the package cook time says between 6-9 minutes on the stove: Pressure cook for 2 minutes at high pressure.
- If the package cook time says between 10-12 minutes on the stove: Pressure cook for 3 minutes at high pressure.
- If the package cook time says 13+ minutes on the stove: Pressure cook for 4 minutes at high pressure.
How to Make Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage
Sauté onion and sausage.
Add the bell peppers, water, Italian seasoning and 1 cup of the marinara sauce. Stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot. This helps to prevent the Instant Pot burn message.
Add the pasta on top and press it down into an even layer (do not stir). Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the pasta; do not stir.
Pressure cook according to the cook times listed in the recipe. Quick release the pressure when the cook time ends. When you open the Instant Pot lid, you may see some extra liquid in the pot. Give the pasta a stir and the extra liquid will be absorbed as the pasta rests.
Stir in the spinach and mozzarella. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Vegetarian: Omit the Italian sausage. You can add other veggies in its place. Try cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, red onion and/or carrots. The vegetables will become soft with pressure cooking.
- Swap the spinach for kale.
- Dairy-Free: Omit the mozzarella cheese.
Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound Italian chicken sausage see notes
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 bell peppers chopped
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 12 ounces whole wheat penne pasta about 4 ½ cups dry, or white penne pasta
- 25 ounce jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups fresh spinach coarsely chopped
- 2 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded, about ½ cup
Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot sauté function and add the olive oil to the pot.
- If using sausage that is already cooked, slice it and add it to the Instant Pot. If using uncooked sausage, remove it from the casings and add it to the pot.
- Add the onion to the pot and sauté the onion and sausage until sausage is browned and onion has softened (for uncooked sausage, break it up into smaller pieces as it cooks). Press cancel to turn off the sauté function.
- Add the bell peppers, water, Italian seasoning and 1 cup of the marinara sauce. Stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the penne pasta to the pot and do not stir. Press the pasta down into an even layer. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the pasta; do not stir.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the cook time to 2 minutes at high pressure. (This 2 minute cook time is for whole wheat penne pasta with a stovetop package cook time of 9 minutes for al dente. See my notes below for how to adjust the cook time based on the pasta you use.)
- The Instant Pot will take about 20 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down. As soon as the cook time ends, quick release the pressure by carefully moving the steam release valve to the venting position. When all of the steam has escaped and the pin drops down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid. You may see a little bit of extra liquid in the pasta, but this will be absorbed as the pasta rests.
- Stir the pasta and then stir in the spinach, followed by the shredded mozzarella cheese. Serve.
Notes
- Sausage: I usually make this recipe with fully cooked Italian chicken sausage, which I slice into rounds and add to the Instant Pot. To use uncooked chicken, turkey or pork sausage, remove from casings and add to the Instant Pot, crumbling and browning the sausage on sauté.
- Pasta Cook Time: I have found 2 minutes of pressure cooking to be perfect for whole wheat penne with a package cook time of 9 minutes. Follow these guidelines for other pasta types: Pressure cook 2 minutes for package cook time of 6-9 minutes, pressure cook 3 minutes for package cook time of 10-12 minutes, pressure cook 4 minutes for package cook time of 13 or more minutes.
- Vegetarian: Omit the Italian sausage. You can add other veggies in its place. Try cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, red onion and/or carrots. The vegetables will become soft with pressure cooking.
- You can swap the spinach for kale.
- Dairy-Free: Omit the mozzarella cheese.
Nutrition
I originally shared this recipe in September 2019. Post updated with new photos in September 2024.
Read Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage for the full recipe. Originally posted at Kristine's Kitchen