Amazing Instant Pot Creamy “Baked” Ziti
Save weeknight dinner with this SUPER easy Instant Pot baked ziti recipe. It is creamy, saucy, cheesy, and so incredibly delicious! (Pro tip: you don’t have to use ziti! Any type of tube pasta will work.)
Well, this Instant Pot “baked” ziti is straight up incredible. Life altering, really, if you are like me and are constantly searching for ways to make weeknight dinners manageable and stress-free.
I think I’ve made this pasta at least six times in the last several weeks…in large part to get it totally perfected before posting the recipe, but also because it is so ridiculously easy. I’m finding I keep turning to it as a weeknight dinner solution when the night is busy and my coping skills are low.
Bonus: it’s simple enough my kids can whip it up while I’m running everyone to where they need to be. Pretty much the most awesome thing ever.
The success of this Instant Pot spaghetti last year gave me the confidence to keep trying pasta in the pressure cooker. Which is a wonderful thing, because this “baked” ziti recipe (which clearly isn’t baked, but we’re going to pretend we’re “baking it under pressure” because the name sounds better) is phenomenal.
Like, it’s definitely one of those recipes that could stand alone for proof of why owning the Instant Pot is worth it.
Dump and go recipe
If you haven’t experienced the feeling of throwing dry pasta into the Instant Pot, walking away, and coming back a few minutes later to a saucy, creamy, delicious pasta situation…well, I’m not sure you’ve really lived.
It’s an amazing feeling. And this recipe gives you exactly that. Layer everything in the Instant Pot (you don’t even want to stir until it’s done cooking) and you’re good to go.
Substitutions: Pasta, cream, tomatoes
Over the last few weeks, I’ve used ziti, penne, and rigatoni pasta in different batches – all have worked great! The larger pastas (like rigatoni) don’t hold their tube shape as well after cooking like penne pasta does, but we’re all so busy slurping up this creamy baked ziti goodness that we don’t care.
The red sauce is simply a can of crushed tomatoes (with some dried herbs sprinkled on top). No crushed tomatoes? No worries. I’ve subbed in a can of diced tomatoes blended up with 2 tablespoons tomato paste. And…it’s amazing.
I love how adaptable this recipe has been as I’ve tested and tested and tested it out.
The recipe calls for cream which I know will freak some of you out and have you looking for a lightened up sub immediately. Never fear! Check out the notes of the recipe below for some substitution ideas (that I actually tested and that actually worked).
I will say, though, using at least part cream (or all cream, go big or go home, right?) adds an amazing silky creaminess that is totally worth it.
How to figure out how long to cook pasta in the instant pot
Pasta cooks pretty darn fast in the Instant Pot. Most tube pastas will cook in 5 minutes or less.
But different brands of pasta may have slightly different cooking times listed on the package, and that may make a difference in how long you should cook it in the Instant Pot.
My rule of thumb for pressure cooker pasta is to take the al dente cooking time on the pasta package, cut it in half and subtract two minutes (thanks to Marci at Tidbits and Jill at This Old Gal for teaching me this tip!). So for a pasta that cooks to al dente in boiling water in 12 minutes, the Instant Pot cooking time would be 4 minutes.
A quick note about the burn warning
You might be worried about adding cream/milk to the Instant Pot because of the dreaded burn warning. I have an older model 6-quart Instant Pot and have never gotten the burn warning. But I’ve heard that the burn warning happens much more often with the newer Instant Pot models (the ones that have the button that reads “pressure cook” rather than “manual” to start high pressure cooking time).
Adding the broth to the Instant Pot as the first ingredient is important to avoid this burn warning so that the cream and pasta don’t scorch on the bottom of the pot. And as the recipe instructions state: don’t stir while adding ingredients; layer them in the order given in the recipe.
If you do get the burn warning, hit cancel, open the lid, and use a spoon or spatula to dig across the bottom of the pot in case an ingredient is stuck overcooking there.
My kids preference is to add ground beef or sausage to this dish but it’s equally delicious as a meatless meal, in my opinion.
To add meat, just cook the meat of your choice in the Instant Pot, drain the grease, and then start in on the recipe. Make sure after adding the broth that you scrape up the bottom of the pot to get up any golden spots from cooking the meat (and avoid the burn warning on the Instant Pot). Otherwise, you can just proceed with the recipe as normal. Mmmm, so good!
And for observant eyes, that easy, cheesy, no-knead focaccia bread recipe in the photos is coming soon, promise!
I honestly didn’t think I could love my Instant Pot any more than I do, but this baked ziti recipe has proven that all sorts of wrong. Made with so many of my already-stocked pantry staples, I wonder how many times I can serve this in a row without getting complaints?
What to Serve With This:
One Year Ago: Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
Two Years Ago: Make-Ahead Refrigerator Bran Muffins
Three Years Ago: Chili Lime Tacos with Mango Salsa {Grill or Instant Pot}
Four Years Ago: Simple and Delicious Sour Cream Muffins
Five Years Ago: Skillet Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Broccoli
Amazing Instant Pot Creamy “Baked” Ziti
Ingredients
- 2 cups broth, I use low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups cream (see note)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 16 ounces uncooked ziti pasta or other tube-shaped pasta
- 15- ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
- ½ to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 6-quart Instant Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the broth and cream and add the salt, pepper and garlic.
- Add the pasta; don’t stir, but if it’s mounded in the center, arrange into an even layer. Pour the crushed tomatoes evenly over the pasta and sprinkle the oregano and basil over the top. Don’t stir.
- Secure the lid of the Instant Pot, set the valve to seal, and select “manual” or “pressure cook” and dial up or down to the minutes needed –> take the cooking time on the pasta package directions, cut it in half and subtract two more minutes. So for pasta that cooks to al dente in 12 minutes, the IP cooking time would be 4 minutes (add an extra minute if you like your pasta super soft).
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly (it's ok if there are some darker, cooked spots on the bottom of the pot/bottom layer of pasta). Serve the ziti immediately with chopped, fresh basil, and additional Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
385 Comments on “Amazing Instant Pot Creamy “Baked” Ziti”
Made this recipe today and WOW – so delicious. I cooked ground beef in the IP before adding the other ingredients. I was a little nervous about adding the cream at the beginning but it worked perfectly. I’m adding it to our list of favorites and I think next time I will try some italian or andouille sausage with it. Thanks Mel.
Has anyone tried this with a stovetop pressure cooker? Wondering how the instructions vary? I tried just cooking on high in a store top pressure cooker for 7 minutes and the pasta was still hard. Waiting for it to get to high pressure could take like 20-30 minutes…just wondering if anyone has experience with this. Thanks!
Another amazing dish!! My kids make this themselves cause it’s so easy. My kids would eat this every night if I let them…so yummy!!
10 out of 10! Made this for dinner tonight first cooked a pound of Italian sausage and then followed all the other instructions. It really was fabulous. I used the bigger pasta and I actually thought it worked out very well. I will definitely make us again maybe with chicken.
Made it again tonight and I put it in small ceramic pie plates that were individual portions. Topped with provolone cheese and put it under the broiler for a few minutes and then topped with parsley.
Hi! Loveee this recipe but we have a big fam! Have you tried doubling it? If so, do I keep the times the same?
Yes, it doubles great but you’ll need an 8-quart instant pot for a double batch. Cooking time should be the same for a doubled batch.
This was sooooo delicious! My whole family loved it! I added turkey sausage to the recipe and everything turned out perfect! I will definitely be making this again.
Easy and delicious! Leftovers reheated well the next day. Will be making this again. Thanks
I don’t know what I did wrong. I used half n half and it separated. Any suggestions?
I used a cup of half-and-half and a cup of heavy cream. I did not have any problems. I’m actually making it again right now with all half-and-half. Maybe just give it a really good stir before you add in the Parmesan? That’s the only thing I could think of.
This was an absolute hit!!! We added ground beef to it. Definitely family favorite right here.
Thank You for this recipe, can’t wait to try it as it sounds delicious!
This is one of my family’s favorite recipes and is in our frequent rotation of weekly meals! I add cooked, ground Italian sausage & peas to ours. My kids always request the leftovers for lunch!
Could this be made in slow cooker? This sounds wonderful, but I don’t have an instapot.
I haven’t tried it in a slow cooker, Betty – but lots of people have made it on the stovetop with good results.
This recipe was so fast easy and yummy! I did add a Boursin garlic & chive cream cheese round ( available in a 3 pack at Costco, mine needed used) at the end when I added the Parmesan cheese. The flavor was fabulous and the pasta cooking tip so helpful. Will make this again for sure.
Thanks! So excited to try in my insta-pot. Any trial with a bag of spinach tossed in also?
My daughter and I have made this too many times to count! It is always so delicious, and everyone loves it. So nice to turn on the instant pot and not worry till it’s time to serve!!
I didn’t make this recipe but have another question for you. I received an air fryer for Christmas. Do you have one? I am loving it but hoped you might have some recipes for it.
Thanks.
Hi Liz, I do have an air fryer but have to confess that I hardly ever use it other than my kids using it to reheat leftovers or make frozen pre-cooked chicken from Costco. Sorry I’m not more help!
I have a question about making a half recipe in the InstantPot. It’s just my husband and me. Would the timing change? I have the standard InstantPot. Thank you.
Hi Barbara, timing should stay the same even for a half recipe.
I’m pretty sure this recipe was almost entirely responsible for my added Covid pounds during quarantine! I couldn’t help myself…it’s SO good I couldn’t stop making it!
This is a favorite for sure!! I do a shortcut and use pizza sauce instead of the tomatoes and seasonings. I even made it for band camp a few years ago and fed 80 hungry teenagers. It was the hit of the week. I will throw in pepperoni and mozzarella at the end to further the pizza flavors. So yummy! All of the moms helping me out that week were asking for the recipe! Great recipe Mel!!
Can i use the same recipe but stove top and bake it?
You could definitely try (haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say for sure).
Looking forward to trying this! I have a 3 Qt pot so do I need to simply halve the recipe or will many of your recipes work in a smaller pot? Thanks!
I haven’t made this in a 3-quart instant pot and don’t want you to run into trouble if it’s too much, so it’d be safest to halve the recipe for that size of IP.
Such an easy meal. My teen boys in particular loved it after a day on the slopes. My daughter went back for seconds and she never does that with pasta. I halved it but kept the same amount of tomatoes and it was delicious. I topped mine with red pepper flakes. Served with garlic toast.
Made this with half milk and half cream, chicken sausage, and added frozen spinach at the end for a boost of nutrition. So yummy I am going to keep this in a regular rotation! Thank you Mel!
Everyone loved it! Followed the directions exactly. We did the pressure cooking for 5 minutes and the pasta was perfect We added some grilled chicken my daughter whipped up on the stove while this was coming up to pressure and cooking. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Absolutely delicious. So incredibly simple. I kept telling my husband “don’t stir that pot behind me.” So he looked in the pot before I closed the lid and he said with big eyes “that is a whole lot of trust!” Then when we opened it up roughly 20 minutes later, we both were in shock. It looks amazing, smells amazing and tastes amazing. Definitely doesn’t taste as simple and fast as it is. After we both gushed about how good it was, he said “so what else does Mel have for us to try?!”
simply the best! so glad i found this recipe. deliciously creamy every time!
Hi Mel,
I have loved making your instant pot baked ziti. I’m supposed to be gluten and dairy free, so I sub with gluten free penne and canned full fat coconut milk for the cream (and just cheat on a little Parmesan lol)… I wondered though if you have a stove top version? I’ll be traveling shortly to help some family and they don’t have an instant pot. I’d like to make a few tried and tested meals while I’m there and was hoping to somehow figure out how to do this stove top, since it’s always a hit and so simple.
Any thoughts/suggestions?
I haven’t tried a stovetop version but here’s a comment from someone who has:
Delicious! I made it on the stovetop as I don’t have an instapot and it was perfect. I followed the recipe and let it cook covered on the stove for 15 or so minutes and stirred half way through. I did add a little more broth near the end. You just need to monitor it. I added 1/2 cup shredded parmesan at the end. Yum!
Very easy with ingredients I already have on hand. All my family loved it- even my picky 7 year old. Thanks Mel!
Delicious!!!
I’ve made this twice now and it’s a hit for my kids and husband. I cook up mild Italian sausage and add it in as well. I did this recipe 1.5x when we had guests over and it worked well!
SOOOOOO delicious! I’ve made it multiple time and everyone loves it. Super easy in the instapot. Very flavorful! Love it!
Thanks, Kelley (and thanks for all the reviews you’ve left recently on recipes!)
This is a new family favorite! All of my kids eat this up! We even have made this recipe while camping the day before a mountain bike race for my boys. It was so perfect and easy to just dump everything in. Dinner was ready in a flash after a long day of traveling and prerides. Thank you!
This is delicious! Made this for supper and didn’t want to stop eating it. I added some chicken I had. It was cooked so I just stirred it in before serving. Can’t wait to share this recipe. I needed a quick meal. And this did not disappoint. I would be fine with no meat in it. I sprayed my instant pot and followed directions. It was perfect. Thank you, Mel. I can always count on you. I
Has anyone froze this and if yes, how did it come out?
This recipe is a favorite! Have you tried this recipe on the stovetop rather than the Instant Pot? If so, how did you alter it? I’d like to make this for girls camp this summer!
I haven’t tried it that way, sorry!
I have yet to make this where the burn notice hasn’t gone one. I’ve sprayed the bottom and followed all the directions.
Hi Randy, I’m sorry to hear that. What make/model of pressure cooker are you using, out of curiosity?
i made this and the focaccia bread tonight and they were both a hit for my family! My kids were saying this is now my favorite dish! I loved how easy is was to make! Thank You so much for the recipe!
This is my go to recipe when I’m not in the mood to cook but don’t want take out. My whole family loves it. I add mild Italian turkey sausage to it and it make an already delicious dish extra tasty.
Can you double this in an 8 quart instantpot? Love this recipe!!
Yes, you can.
Umm maybe I’m not too smart. What kind of cream!? Like sour cream, heavy cream? Half and half. Just want to make sure.
Whipping cream or heavy whipping cream.
With such a simple ingredient list, I wasn’t expecting the stellar results– this was definitely greater than the sum of its parts! I already plan to make it again… I suspect the heavy cream is largely responsible for the amazing taste, but I’m going to try it with half & half and see how that goes, too. If cream is the winner, then heavy cream it shall be!
My niece said this is one of the best pasta dishes she’s ever eaten in her life. That’s VERY high praise!
Came out perfectly! I used half and half instead of cream, and added in meatballs. So easy!
I just made this and loved it so much. Thank you.
I’m so excited to try this! But I can’t use cream because of the high-fat content (finicky pancreas). But I can eat low-fat sour cream, Greek yogurt, or cream cheese. I saw that some people tried these. Do you have any recommendation as to which low-fat option might work best?
Hmmm, I’m honestly not sure as I haven’t made any of those subs. I think maybe trying a combination of yogurt and cream cheese?
Another delicious recipe!! I was out of cream, so I used 1 c sour cream and 1c milk. It turned out really tasty! I added ground beef and onions. The whole family loved it, and it was so easy. Thanks so much!!
This has become a staple at our house. I love how easy and fast and delicious it is! I have been making it with Banza chickpea rotini (from Costco) and fat free 1/2 and 1/2 with good results.
I’ve used…
Cream cheese instead of 1/2 of cream
Fresh tomatoes instead of can
Bow tie pasta
Add Italian sausage
Super good!!
How much cream cheese did you use? And did you just cube it and put it in same as the cream?
We had a surprise visit from the in-laws, and I whipped this up never having made it before. It turned out perfectly and everyone loved it. This meal will go into the regular dinner rotation at our house!
Made this again! It is super easy and a hit. We tend to like things saucier and I only had diced tomatoes, so I added the one can of tomatoes and about 1/2 of jarred spaghetti sauce. It worked great! Thanks!!
I mean a 1/2 cup of sauce!
Oh my, so delicious! Thank you. Made it per recipe directions with beef.
Hi Mel~ This is our favorite Instant Pot recipe! I didn’t realize I was out of ziti (and all tube shaped) noodles until I was ready to make dinner so I used bow ties. Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great!
Does this freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing so I’m not sure – the sauce may get a little grainy after defrosting.
So easy. So creamy. I think it is even better *gasp* than the alfredo? YUMMMMY! My boys quickly downed it and asked how much I thought it would be if we were to buy this at a restaurant (high praise when they think it’s like “fancy restaurant pasta”). I made it with veggie rotini and it was delicious. Thanks again for saving dinner, Mel. Love it! Have texted it to a few friends to try as well! YOU ROCK!!
Can this recipe be halved? It’s my favorite and I find I’m unfortunately cooking for one now.
Yes, it can be halved.
Delicious! So creamy and easy. Who knew pasta in 3 minutes!! I don’t know if I’ll cook it any other way than the instapot now! I had pizza sauce to use up so I used 1 2/3 cup instead of the 15 oz. crushed tomato. Also added beef, sausage and mushrooms. Everything worked perfectly as stated in recipe and comments. Not too saucy. Will be a new go to recipe for sure.
Hey – Has anyone ever tried to 1.5 x’s this recipe to make more of it? Or maybe even doubled it? The IP doesn’t look overly full with the recipe as it stands, so maybe there is room?
Yes, I have done 1.5 recipes in a 6qt. I just received an 8qt. and will be doubling the recipe tonight.
I have a 24oz jar of Vodka sauce in my pantry that I need to use up. I think it could work here. Would you adjust the other ingredients?
Also, I was thinking of making fresh meatballs, baking them (so they don’t fall apart in the sauce) and then placing them on top of the pasta to cook the rest of the way. Has anyone done this with success?
The ziti will be a bit saucier with that amount of jarred pasta sauce, but it’ll probably be delicious! I haven’t made this with meatballs, but sounds like a fun experiment.
Thanks for the reply! I made it last night and reserved a few ounces of the jarred sauce for that reason. I also used just shy of the full amount of cream since the vodka sauce is already creamy. I really enjoyed it and it worked with the meatballs on top. Will try again another time with the original recipe. While I love my instant pot, I never had the desire to try pasta in the instant pot until I saw all the success with this recipe. 🙂
Thanks for the update! Glad it worked out!
If I want to add spinach or veggies when do I do that? Add it at the end or let it cook with the noodles?
If they are quick cooking veggies (like spinach), I would add them at the end and let them heat through. For veggies that need longer cooking time, I’d add them with the pasta.
I have made this recipe more times than I can count as the recipe states and it is sooo good! I am pretty sure I have commented on this recipe already but I had to make it diary free this time so I used a can of full fat coconut milk. It was still Soo good!
Such a simple recipe but so rich in flavor! My husband and I loved it! Every recipe on this site has been a success! This is definitely a keeper!
Great recipie! My family is vegetarian, and enjoys strong flavors. Knowing this, I used veggie broth, and added 1/2 lb. of “Beyond” meatless brats – crumbled and browned. I also added about 1/4 cup of Gorgonzola cheese and a tsp of smoked paprika. Fantastic! Thanks for the great ideas!
Holy cow. This was so dang good! I made it with Barilla’s Gluten-Free Penne (12oz) and kept all other amounts the same. I cooked it for 5 min and it turned out absolutely amazing. We’ll definitely be having this again soon!
Wow! This was so delicious! You are getting me through this pandemic, Mel! Thank you for your inspiring thoughts and delicious recipes! ❤️❤️
Mine said “food burn”, so I hit cancel and checked it, then restarted it. It did burn some of the noodles, but most were ok. It is recommended to only add the broth and noodles when you pressure cook, then add everything else after it’s done. I added browned hamburger and sautéed onion.
Another wonderful recipe, Mel! I didn’t even try it first with company in town…I trust your recipes, Mel, as well as all the comments! LOL With guests it seems we’re always playing cards right before dinner…so I cooked some Italian chicken sausage in the morning and had it ready to go. Dinner was a cinch! I hardly missed any card playing.
I served it with your skillet zucchini, a store-bought baguette, and green salad. Ruby Jewell ice cream sandwiches for dessert…a wonderful summer meal! Didn’t heat up the kitchen and could enjoy time with guests. Thx so much Mel:)
How do you get credit if I buy an insta pot that you recommend?
This is our #1 go to instapot recipe!! But tonight I’m surprisingly out of tube pastas (well at least a full box) Any Chance this will work with thick spaghetti?
I’m afraid I haven’t tried that so I don’t know for sure, Charlene. Sorry I’m not more help!
If I have an 8qt new Instapot do I have to change anything? Wanna make this ASAP!
Should work fine as is (haven’t tried making the single recipe in an 8-quart so can’t say for sure).
I have an 8 quart instant pot and I dont do anything different and it turns out great!
I don’t have parmesan cheese. Has anyone made this with mozzarella cheese and if so did it taste okay?
This was AMAZING!!! So good. Turned out perfectly!
I want you to know this has been the most passed around recipe of the quarantine in my neck of the woods. Made it for the second time tonight and loved it even more than the first. I that found for us
sausage > ground beef, rigatoni > penne,
28 oz can crushed tomatoes >15 oz. and extra parm>less.
I had never cooked pasta in the IP. Thank you for giving me the confidence. And thank for delicious, 1 pot wonder!
Delicious! So creamy and easy. Who knew pasta in 3 minutes!! I don’t know if I’ll cook it any other way than the instapot now! I had pizza sauce to use up so I used 1 2/3 cup instead of the 15 oz. crushed tomato. Also added beef, sausage, mushrooms and mozzarella. Everything worked perfectly as stated in recipe and comments. Not too saucy. Will be a new go to recipe for sure.
My son has been asking for this again. It was super yummy when we made it with the cream and I was a little nervous to make it without the cream (we only had 1/4 c.), but it turned out great! I used 2% milk + 2 tbsp. cornstarch and it was yummy and creamy (maybe even creamier than last time with full cream). We also stirred in spinach right before serving, which was awesome.
Delicious! I made it on the stovetop as I don’t have an instapot and it was perfect. I followed the recipe and let it cook covered on the stove for 15 or so minutes and stirred half way through. I did add a little more broth near the end. You just need to monitor it. I added 1/2 cup shredded parmesan at the end. Yum!
Can you tell me what temp you cooked it on on the stovetop?
Such a yummy recipe! Very flavorful. Love it!! We fight over the leftovers.
I could honestly eat this every night. It’s one of my go-to meals on nights when I don’t have time to mess with dinner. To make it even faster, I sometimes just dump my favorite spaghetti sauce on top rather than mess with the canned tomato and spices. So versatile and SO good. Excellent as leftovers too.
Great recipe, definitely 5 stars!! My kids love this and it’s now a part of our regular rotation. Do you have any more “dump and go” instant pot recipes? Thanks so much!
I’m working on a few more!
Super easy! I do it as a vegan meal. I mix almond milk with the corn starch and sprinkle vegan mozzarella cheese on it. I do add two cans of crushed tomatoes. Great meal!
Made this in my new instant pot. It was the first pasta recipe I tried, used what I had on hand- whole wheat rotini and did 1/2 whipping cream, 1/2 milk + cornstarch. I doubled the recipe, browned minced turkey & bulk sausage using sautee function then removed it from the pot, proceded with the recipe as written, and when it was done stirred in the meat and cheese. Came out great! Thanks again, Mel, for a delish meal especially in the Instant Pot.
Oh my goodness I just made this. It is DIVINE! I am drooling over it. I can’t believe the amazing flavor! And it was sooooo easy to make. The noodles were cooked to perfection and that creamy sauce is just heaven. Wow. Thank you for this amazing recipe!!!
Can you double keep this recipe? Would you cook for same time or up the time due to the addition of extra pasta?
As long as it fits safely in your pressure cooker, it should be fine (no need to adjust cooking time).
I’m so sad! I had high hopes but my IP kept giving the “Burn” notice. I followed the directions for layering the ingredients exactly without stirring. When the “burn” message popped up I hit cancel and stirred as directed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Jill – what make and model of IP do you have? I have an older IP and unfortunately I’ve heard that newer IPs get the burn notice quite a bit more often.
This happened to me also. I decided to add meat to this recipe so I browned Italian sausage, then scraped the pan and put the meat back on the bottom. Then I layered just as she instructed and DID NOT STIR and it’s been perfect every time. I think as long as the pasta or cream aren’t on the bottom layer you don’t get the burn warning.
The first time I made this I forgot to add my sausage back to the pot! So I added it on top. It worked out great with no burning issues so I actually make it this way every time now! I have a brand new IP
Thanks for the tip, Bri!
I am a new Instant Pot user and love that your recipe was so easy to follow. I was feeling confident (and lucky) so I experimented with a few of your suggested substitutions. I used ground turkey instead of beef then I substituted the full 2 cups of cream with 2 cups of unsweetened cashew milk and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. This was my first time cooking pasta in the IP and I was so pleasantly surprised to open the lid and find perfectly cooked pasta- and it was delicious too. It’s a keeper! Thank you!
Can you double keep this recipe? Would you cook for same time or up the time due to the addition of extra pasta?
This was so amazing. Followed the recipe exactly as it was written. Worked out perfect. My husband and son loved it. This is a keeper.
I made this as written but it turned out a bit overdone. Next time i’ll adjust the time accordingly. The kids loved it so i am very happy. Thanks.
Has anyone tried this with almond milk instead of cream and no cheese to make it dairy free? Or use nutritional
Yeast for cheese?
I made this last night with unsweetened cashew milk mixed with cornstarch and it was great! I typically use cashew milk instead of almond milk for milk substitutions because cashew milk is a little thicker, and in my opinion, closer to the consistency of dairy milk.
Wow. This was so incredibly easy and delicious! This was the first instant pot meal I’ve ever cooked. I put off buying one forever because I didn’t want to learn how to use a new appliance. Now I can’t believe I’ve been living all this time without one! I didn’t have high expectations for this meal, given the simple ingredient list and the fact that I have absolutely no experience with the instant pot, but our whole family was blown away by how good this pasta was. I’m soooo excited about my instant pot now, and can’t wait to try several of your other recipes with it! Thanks for the great recipe and clear instructions!!
This is one of my family’s absolute favorites! This is so easy to make when you’re in a rush and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.
Simple & Delicious!! Everyone loved it!
Mel, I love everything you post and your recipes have made my life so much easier and tastier!
I jumped on the Instantpot bandwagon early on, but I’m going to be honest, I haven’t loved it. This recipe has changed my opinion! It is perfection! I sent it to everyone I know. I added some red pepper flakes, sausage and fresh mozzarella! Everyone raved about this recipe! It could not have been easier and more delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your gift of cooking with all of us!
It was AMAZING
I’ve made this several times, it is my go-to weekday meal that everyone likes, including our picky toddler!
Made this at work for a potluck. Super east and really good. I was a little skeptical since there wasn’t much cheese but the flavor was awesome without all the cheese.
Everyone loved it!
Hi! I had this meal last week (made by a friend) and it was so delicious. I made it tonight, following the exact recipe, but mine did not turn out creamy. The noodles were hardly coated. I’m not sure what I did wrong. Any thoughts?
If you used a different brand of pasta by your friend, that could be it? It’s hard for me to know exactly without being there in your kitchen with you. It might help to verify that you used the same ingredients as your friend and try again!
We love this recipe! My husband and I are in our 30s, big runners, no kids but have hectic full time jobs. After a long day of work, and running after work, we are constantly asking “now, what’s for dinner?” This one is so easy with little cleanup and somewhat healthy! I don’t use cream. We always have fat free half n half in the refrigerator … so I use two cups chicken broth, one tablespoon cornstarch, one 16 oz box of pasta, one can of crushed tomatoes (if I have a 24 oz can, I’ve added almost the whole thing leaving a half inch and it’s yum!), 2 cups fat free half n half… and the rest as it calls for. Quick, easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand!
For optional sausage method, after you drain the grease do you just leave the sausage in amd start adding other ingredients or take out and return it later in the recipe? Making it now.
You can do either – I like to leave the meat in with everything else.
Do you add the drained meat back in later as a layer or just floating in with the broth and cream?
We love this recipe! I’d like to make it for company this weekend, but how do I double it in the Instant Pot? I’m assuming I’d need to change the cooking time?
As long as the quantities fit in the IP ok you should be fine using the same cooking time (maybe add 1 minute but that’s it)
I made a double recipe in a 14″ deep cast iron dutch oven while camping. Ours took a full hour to cook. I checked it and stirred at 30 mins and then cooked another 30 mins, then added the cheese. I was cautious with the amount of heat to avoid burning. It was delicious! Since your environment and pasta type may vary, it’s good to check as you go. Next time I would add more heat at the start of cooking to hopefully cut the time. Thanks for a great recipe Mel!
I have made this recipe so many times and LOVE it. So much so I was planning to make this for a family reunion and I have all the ingredients…. And I forgot my Instant Pot at home. What do I do? Is there a way to make it in the oven? Definitely won’t take 5 minutes…
A lot of people have made it with good success on the stovetop.
Mel! I am planning on bringing this tonight to a friend who had surgery. Do you think this would be difficult or not good to transport??? I just want to make sure its good and not dry by the time it gets to her! If you can get back to me I’d really appreciate it! Thank you so much!
Sorry for the delay, Lindy! I think if you piled it in a dish and transported it within 20 minutes, it should be fine!
I made this and it was wonderful, but turned out quite soupy for me! What did I do wrong??? I had to convert oz of pasta to grams, maybe I didn’t put enough in??
Sounds like that could definitely be part of the issue! Also each brand of pasta may differ a little too.
My cream or milk always curdles. I follow the instructions exactly. Any tips?
Does it still have a curdled texture when everything is stirred together?
I have made this twice. The first time it turned out creamy and smooth – so yummy. The second time the half-n-half curdled. It didn’t stir together smoothly., or coat the noodles. There were little clumps of curdled milk throughout. Mel, if you have any tips on how to keep the cream from curdling, I’d love to hear them. Thanks!
One more thought – the first time I made it with full cream, The second time I made it with half-n-half. I wonder if that made a difference?
Yes that probably is the difference. When I make this with cream it’s pretty smooth but when I make it with milk, it is still yummy but a tiny bit grainy. You could try mixing the half and half with a bit of cornstarch (that’s what I do when I use milk)…that might help.
I made it with half-half tonight and got the little curdling. My boys gobbled it up but next time I’m going to try the full cream.
I have made this so many times since you have posted it. Sometimes meatless, sometimes with sausage, sometimes with ground beef. All your recipes are wonderful but this one has saved my pregnant self so many times, the other kiddos still have to eat!
Best. Pasta. Ever
LOVE this one!! Such an easy, quick, one-pot-dump-it-all-in miracle. Definitely a crowd pleaser. I loved it with spicy Jimmy Dean sausage. I was so so impressed when I opened up the lid to perfect, delicious pasta. Like magic. Also, the math trick for cooking time worked great!!!
I too have made this many times & last night I accidentally used chili ready crushed tomatoes, turned out to be a happy accident! Once the can was opened (and dumped) I noticed so I left out the basil and oregano. Turned out great! Thanks Mel!!
Okay, I have to say, since I first made this pasta on the very day Mel first posted it in April, I’m sure I’ve made it at least 6-8 times. My family LOVES it! It’s so easy and turns out great with each variation or substitution that I do! Just last night, I had a horde of teenagers to feed, and figured this (doubled recipe) would be perfect. We had just gotten back from vacation, and I hadn’t gone grocery shopping in a couple weeks, so I had to make do with what was already in my kitchen: I substituted ALL of the cream with the milk + cornstarch tip, ziti with half penne and half macaroni, crushed tomatoes with whole tomatoes run through the blender, Parmesan cheese with Monterey Jack, and added some pre-cooked ground beef at the end. Plus, I even got the “Burn” warning for the first time on my InstantPot, but I didn’t do anything about it. With all those deviations from the original recipe, it STILL turned out amazing! I was able to feed eight teenagers, and they all went back for seconds or thirds. . .AND asked to take leftovers home. This recipe is a game-changer!
Delicious and super easy! I followed your instructions pretty closely, but I used diced tomatoes, stirred it all together- accidentally, and added spinich on top. Cooked perfectly at 5 min.
If I double this, will I need to increase the cooking time?
No
I have made this recipe three times already, and we love it, especially with Hot Italian Sausage! I pulled my 13 yr. old daughter into the kitchen last night to show her how to make it. Next time, I’m turning the InstaPot controls over to her! It was because of this recipe my husband and I decided to get our other kids who have are no longer living at home InstaPots for Christmas this year. I can’t wait to share this recipe with them!
yes! yes! YES! my new favorite go to IP dinner. thanks for the easy easy, tasty recipe!!!
This is FANTASTIC and so easy!!! Thanks Mel!!
This was very good. We used super lean ground beef but next time will try Italian sausage. I will also add more cheese, maybe a cup or two of mozzarella.
Hi,
What kind of cream do you use? Is it heavy cream, whipping cream?
Thanks!!
I use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
Thank you!!
This was simple to make and worked perfectly! Everyone in my family loved it. Thank you for this yummy recipe.
Just have to say I LOVE this recipe! Followed the recipe, did cook 1 lb. of italian sausage to start with in the IP. My Creamette brand penne rigate called for 5 minute al dente cook time. So I set IP to manual high pressure 2 minutes. It came out great. Leftovers reheat super well!!
I’ve made this twice now and we really like it. Kids devoured it! Both times with whole wheat penne, and this second time I added in another 15oz can of tomatoes and a little extra broth (as another reader mentioned) and this made it a more perfect amount of creamy sauce for me. The first time was a but dry for my taste. Also, did the half cream, half milk but completely forgot to mix in the cornstarch the second time we made it and it seemed just fine. Thanks for a great, easy recipe!
One of the comments mentioned using spaghetti sauce to make it a little less dry. I used a roasted garlic spaghetti sauce. The result was very bitter. With research, I found that over cooked garlic can turn bitter. But the noodles cooked up amazing in the insta pot!!!
We have a BIG track meet tomorrow and are currently carb loading. This recipe is fantastic. I was really skeptical about cooking pasta in the Instant Pot, I have done it before with less than stellar results. The pasta was perfectly cooked and delicious!
Mel! This was FANTASTIC! This was my first time attempting pasta in the Instant Pot. Your directions worked brilliantly, even with gluten free pasta. The flavor was lovely – I would just add a little extra salt next time. Delicious!
Do you have instructions to make this if you don’t have an instapot?
Just kidding. Found it in the comments
Ridiculously easy and quick and tasty. A winner. We will keep this in our weeknight rotation, especially with spring sports still going. Thank you!
Made this with low sodium organic chicken stock and it was very bland so I had to add a bunch of extra salt. Other than that it was creamy and yummy!
I bought half and half to use for this recipe because I could only find heavy cream at the store and wasn’t sure if that would be too “heavy” for this. Can I use all half and half in place of the cream? Thank you!
You could definitely try! I haven’t tried it, but I think someone else in the comments did with good results.
This was soo easy and delicious! Often I’ve found with IP pasta recipes they are gluey, but this had none of that and turned out beautifully! I used whole wheat penne and didn’t find I had to up the sauce amount (it was still plenty saucy for us). I’ve been using your site for years and it is pretty much my go-to for recipes–thanks for another great one!
Thanks so much, Katie!
I’ve noticed the addition of the “save to Prepear” button and have been loving this little feature. Thank you for the hundreds of things that you’ve done to simplify and better our eating around here. Hope you enjoy your Mother’s Day weekend.
Thank you so much, Stacy!
I made this starting with about ½ pound of Italian chicken sausage I needed to use up. I deglazed with a little broth and scraped the bottom really well. I then added the ingredients as listed, but bumped up the amounts of the crushed tomatoes (used a whole 28 ounce can) and broth (a ½ cup more). I used cavatappi and set for 3 min. It came out perfectly, plenty of delicious creamy sauce. Everyone loved it!
Oh my goodness! This was delicious!!! No burn warning here (used rigatoni, cream, and just my usual spaghetti sauce since I was out of crushed tomatoes and paste). My 13, 9, and 5 year old kiddos and I polished it off. I’m so glad my hubby was out of town because it meant the kids and I could have seconds. My complains-every-time-we-have-pasta-for-dinner son even loved it and requested that I make it “all the time” and put it in his lunch every day this week! What!?! Now that’s a huge compliment! Thanks for another great recipe.
Made this tonight for supper (with guests even!) and was kinda worried it was gonna be a fail. To everyone’s delight, it was a hit!! Love that I could just dump it in! Did not have any ‘burn’ notices, and I had plenty of sauce! Keeping this one in my supper arsenal!
So impressed by this recipe. Only change I made was to sub all the cream for whole milk plus 2 Tbsp. cornstarch. (I actually used instant Clearjel, but all the same.). It worked wonderfully, and it was certainly creamy enough for our family.
Next time, I plan to cut the recipe in half, as we’re a family of three. Mel—do you think this would work?
As an IP novice, I wasn’t sure if cooking times/quantity of liquid would need to change based on half a pound of pasta. Thanks for the recipe and your help!
Yes, you should be able to halve this recipe!
Super yummy! I did get the BURN notice, but I stirred it a bit and ran it again until the next BURN notice- but by then it was done. I did what another person did- frozen meatballs on top. I also subbed all the cream for whole milk with about 1.5 TBSP corn starch. It turned out great other than the layer on the bottom that decided to stick to the pot. 🙂
This was so easy and so good! I added Italian sausage and we gobbled it up. I like my Instantpot but haven’t been obsessed with it like many people but this takes my liking of it up a notch for sure! Thanks for a keeper recipe!
This recipe looks good. I want to try to make this but I don’t have an instant pot right now. Can you tell me how I can do it in a slow cooker or stove top. Thank you.
If you scroll down a bit, several people reported back on making it on the stovetop! 🙂
Perfection! Used half and half and cream. Added cooked Italian sausage after it was done. Worked like a charm on an older 6 qt IP. Delicious and easy. Thanks, Mel!
When adding sausage or other meat to the recioe, do you throw the meat back in after draining to pressure cook with the pasta, or do you just add it back in when the pasta is done cooking?
I don’t take the meat out at all, I drain the grease while the meat is in the pot (tilting the pot a bit so the grease pools and I can spoon it out).
Is it possible to make this not in an instant pot? 🙂 If so how would I go about doing that??
Thanks in advance!
So easy and good! Making pasta in my Instant Pot is one of my favorite uses for it. This recipe helped me use up a few items in my fridge. I used cream and half and half. I didn’t have crushed tomatoes or tomato paste, so I used petite diced tomatoes and some leftover pizza sauce.
The whole family loved it. I served it with skillet green beans.
Totally yummy! I cut everything in half since there are only two of us and I didn’t want to risk leftovers. I might add a bit more tomato next time, but otherwise this was excellent!
Hi Mel! My family loves this recipe. Question for you though, have you ever used beef broth instead of chicken broth if you are using ground beef? Just wondering if it would change the flavor too much.
If I have an 8qt new jnstapot do I have to change anything? Wanna make this ASAP!
I haven’t, but I think it should work just fine!
This recipe is single-handedly worth investing in an instant pot! Delicious and possibly the easiest thing I’ve ever made!
Makes me feel the same way about the instant pot! Glad you loved it!
One more comment because I forgot to rate it. 5 Stars from me.
Made it last night (with gluten free pasta) and it felt like magic. I could not believe my eyes when I opened the lid and everything was cooked and distributed just right. *This* is why I have an Instant Pot. Thanks for a truly AMAZING recipe!
So happy it worked out well with gluten free pasta. Yay!
Did you convert the cook time for the GF pasta? I’m dying to make this, but GF tends to get “mushy” at a different rate than regular. Thank you for your insight!
I made this with red lentil pasta (from walmart!) and using Mel’s equation cooked it for 2 minutes. Seemed crazy, but it turned out so delicious!!! I would highly recommend.
It was a long day and I loved that I could sit on the couch and let me kind teenage son rub my head while dinner cooked itself. All five children ate it. Miracle. It was great.
That’s a wonderful son you have there.
This was a great dinner!! I am new to pressure cooking and it took a little longer to heat up to pressure cooking than I had planned in my cooking time and my cooker would only default to 5 minutes, but it was just perfect. I used hot Italian sausages and threw in some froz. peas (probably the reason it took so long to heat up). The sautéed sausages ended up looking like little meatballs and the whole dinner was a hit! And I have enough for tomorrow’s dinner. Definitely a keeper. Thank you so much for all your delicious tried and true recipes.
Thanks for the details, Elaine!
I’m not sure what went wrong. Followed the directions to a T. When it came out, there were little white spots all over like the cream curdled. My family assures me it tastes fine, but it looks weird.
Made this tonight and cannot stop eating it! Delicious! I used the lighter version with 1 cup milk and 1 cup heavy cream, and it was still so nice and creamy. Definitely making this again. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Thanks, Karen!
I don’t get on and review recipes as often as I should, but I couldn’t not review this recipe! IT’S INCREDIBLE!! Let’s forget for a minute that it’s pretty much the EASIEST dinner to throw together; it’s freaking delicious! Even if it had taken me hours to put together I still would have said, oh yah this is worth it for flavor alone. But the combination of EASE and FLAVOR puts this recipe out of this world. I have already shared this recipe with everyone I know with an IP and I know we will make it again. Winner winner dinner, Mel!
So, so happy you loved it, Carlin! Thank you!
Simply perfect in every way! I used rigatoni pasta so set my IP for only 2 minutes. Craaazy! I get such a thrill out of super exciting things like that.
Two minutes! That’s amazing! I get a thrill, too. IP nerds unite. 🙂
I want to make this but I don’t own an instant pot! Is that possible?
Hi Lily – check the comments…there’s a report back of someone who made it on the stovetop.
This was fabulous. I used 1 pound of rotini pasta and cooked it for 2 minutes pressure and natural release for 4 mins, then quick release. Next time I’ll reduce the oregano due to personal taste. I only had 1 1/4 cups cream but made up the difference with 2% milk. Well done Mel! Thanks for the speedy and tasty supper. Family approved.
Thanks for the review, Heather!
Have you ever considered adding a “jump to recipe” button on the top of your posts on your website? I’m sure you take a lot of time to write all your fun stuff on your recipes,
but when I am viewing a recipe for the third, fourth or fifth time I would love to be able to jump to the recipe instead of having to scroll all the way down. Seems like a lot of food bloggers have these now.
Yes, I’ve considered it!
I’m excited to try this but I’m wondering about doubling it. Do you think that would work?
Hey Emily, I don’t think the 6 quart IP is big enough for a double batch. I made a 1 1/2 batch last night in my 6 quart and it was pushing it, I think. But a double batch should fit in an 8-quart pressure cooker.
I tripled it in my instant pot (was feeding 17 people). It did take forever to come up to pressure but everyone loved it. I must have an 8 and was just a little below the max line.
Did you add meat to yours when you did the 1.5 recipe? I’m thinking about doing the 1.5 batch tonight in a 6 quart IP but want to make sure it will fit.
This is currently going into my mouth, as I type. My oldest is 22 and is moving out to go to grad school next month. I bought her an IP, but as I am always in the kitchen she hasn’t really used it much. In her words to her dad “She MADE me make dinner.” I stayed out of the kitchen except when I realized she put the meat on Sauté with the lid on and pressure valve closed. It was fine. Since she didn’t even chop up the meat, it didn’t really burn. ai yi yi. It was AWESOME! We used burger but decided Italian sausage would give it more flavor. Perfect tenderness of the pasta. One kid down. Now to teach the middle girl over the summer. Wish me luck!
Beth, way to go you on just letting your daughter cook without correcting – and see? It turned out amazing! yay!!
5 stars! Family loved it even thought I messed up and cooked it vented. Still learning the instant pot.
Hey! That’s awesome it still worked! 🙂
I’d given up on mixing the instant pot & pasta but ziti is my childhood favorite & decided to try this for my birthday dinner. (Anyone else learned not to ask your husband to make dinner on your birthday? LOL.)
This was SOOO good. My super picky kids even ate it (despite their knee jerk reaction of not liking anything new).
Next time I’ll try this is some meat/sausage. I’m wondering if this formula can be used for other pasta dishes-mac & cheese, alfredo, cacio e pepe or amatriciana…excited to experiment.
I made this tonight after double header baseball games… normally we’d pick something up on the way home but this was the perfect quick dinner solution! I’ve never cooked pasta in my IP before (I have an older model) but I followed the instructions for half cream/half milk + corn starch, added some red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick and crossed my fingers! It turned out better than I’d hoped. The whole family loved it! I’m thrilled to add this to our game day rotation! Thanks for another great recipe Mel!
Yay! Happy to hear this, Mona! Tonight is our crazy soccer/dance night so I’m making this (again!) and adding some Italian sausage.
Thanks Mel! I think this recipe put me over the top as a pasta addict! I made this again. Forgot to mention that I used a Yedi pressure cooker. This time I used penne. I cooked it for 7 min, 2c chicken broth, 2 c heavy cream, 1 jar pasta sauce and 1 can crushed tomatoes. It gave me the extra sauce I was looking for but not too much.
This recipe was easy to follow and very delicious! Definitely adding this one to the pasta night rotation. Followed the directions exactly except I did a 1/2 batch with small rigatoni. I also added sweet Italian sausage. I have not had success with pressure cooker pasta recipes in the past, but this pasta dish was cooked perfectly following the directions given.
Thanks, Monica!
This is a fantastic recipe! My 16, and 13 year old boys invited 6 friends over for dinner, after a track meet, for a movie and a sleepover. They were ravenous! I made this ziti, and your lightened up bow tie pasta with chicken and asparagus. They devoured it! All the boys are asking me to make it again right away. For breakfast I made them the chocolate chip muffins you just posted and they were a huge hit as well! Thank you so much for all the fun recipes!
What lucky kids, Tiffany! You are awesome!
We did this the other night! Used bow-tie pasta as that’s what the kiddos requested, tomato sauce, and half and half. The milk took on a slightly curdled look as it clung to the pasta (rather than a smooth silky sauce) so I was scared when I first took it out but it tasted great and nice and creamy. This is a great template recipe! Thanks!
Thanks, Jody! It’s been fun to see what variations everyone comes up with!
Have you made this with whole wheat pasta? Would it need any extra liquid?
I haven’t tried it with whole wheat pasta…sorry! I’d try it per the recipe, maybe adding another 1/4 cup liquid to start.
I used whole wheat pasta today. It wasn’t very tomatoey which I would have liked so when I make it again I would add more tomatoes. I also only added 13 ounces of pasta and noodles cooked and there was sauce. So, I am thinking just more tomato paste in there may help with the tomato flavor (but open to other suggestions if any have them).
So yummy! My least favorite part about baked ziti is the ‘baked’, so this was perfect for me. It was also incredibly easy. I used 1/2 cup cream and the rest milk with 4 teaspoons of cornstarch. It was perfectly creamy. I also cooked Italian sausage while it was in the IP and added it at the end. Thank you for this amazing recipe. I know we’ll make it again and again!
Thanks so much, Carmen!
Well, this certainly lives up to it’s name! I made one small adjustment by necessity (had only one cup cream so used 3 cups broth), and added a pound of browned ground meat. No burning, no curdling (which I have had happen in other recipes with cream 🙁
Thank you for posting. I’ll be looking for that focaccia recipe next. And thanks to Marci for the pasta cooking time tip.
Thanks for the comment, Kelly! Focaccia recipe coming next week!
This was really good but the leftovers dried out a bit. I had a ton of problems with the burn notice, and my instant pot never even got to full pressure before the noodles were done. I added Italian sausage so I’m not sure if this is why I kept getting the burn notice. Anyways, the flavor was great. If you have any recommendations for how to make the leftovers a little more creamy that would be great!
You might try adding 1/2 to 1 cup more liquid to the Instant Pot to help the leftovers, but I’m not sure. I honestly don’t think we’ve had leftovers since I’ve made this since we eat it right up. You also could try stirring in a bit of milk/cream to the leftovers before warming up. I’m not a super big fan of leftover pasta anyway (never seems to live up to when I ate it freshly cooked, haha) but that might help.
Delish, but mine curdled a bit. It was still edible and the flavor wasn’t altered, but it was definitely a little “grainy” looking which is visually unappealing. Fine to serve to my family, but not guests. I once read that you should only add in milk/cream after your dish has cooked in the IP due to curdling. Yours doesn’t look curdled at all in the photos though so I was praying the layering or something was the magic trick. And suggestions on how to prevent this, Mel?
Hey Shyanee – did you use all cream? Part milk?
I used a combo of half and half and heavy cream, per the suggestion of another review.
Reporting back! Made this last night with cream cheese. Used about 3.5 cups water, 2 tsp better than bullion (what I always use for chicken stock), about a half cup milk and a whole pack of cream cheese on top. I do have a newer instantpot and while I often sing it’s praises I do get the burn warning more often as of late – and did get it with this. When the burn warning went off, I manually released the pressure til it let me open it and it was cooked (this has happened in the past with the burn warning as well.) The bottom layer was stuck (but still tasted good – but still soaking!) The cream cheese was super melty and it was really good. Reminded me a little of your sundried tomato sauce with cream cheese. Probably could increase the milk a bit and cut the cream cheese in half – because it was super creamy & cheesy (which is delicious – but for health’s sake). I actually think it would be great with some rotisserie chicken added in or grilled chicken on top. Also today while making your roasted potato salad I thought what could also be amazing in this pasta – goat cheese!!
Thanks for reporting back, Anna! Love the review. I’m making it tomorrow night with cream cheese…I’ll report back with my variation thanks to your variation. 🙂 That darn burn warning! Makes me kind of grateful I have an older IP because I hardly ever get it, but it’s frustrating it happens so often with the newer models. I wonder why?
I was excited to make this but I didn’t have crushed tomatoes so I used tomato sauce and it was DREAMY! Thanks for the recipe!!
Yay! Nice!
I must be super slow because I started this at 5.30 and promised my kids dinner by 6…it’s now 6.25 and still not done! Had some issues with the burn message on my IP which messed with pressure having to build back up, plus I’ve used the sausage version so sautéing took time. Anyway I tried a taste when I was seeing if the pasta was done (it wasn’t) but the sauce tasted divine. So I’ve knocked a star off for the fact it’s being a lot more faff than I thought but it’s a great recipe again and in an old IP I bet it’s perfection. Thanks, Mel!
Thanks for the review, Claire – sorry it took a bit longer than expected.
I’ve made this twice. First using original recipe using rigatoni. Last night I sauteed onion, red bell pepper and mushrooms. Substituted a jar of spaghetti sauce for the tomatoes. It was great both times. I love it!
I am one of the few people without an Instant Pot. I don’t think anyone has commented yet on trying this on the stovetop so here is my experience. I added all ingredients into a 12 in skillet (mine is about 3 inches deep and there was room for everything) and the brought the mixture to a simmer. I used rigatoni noodles because I couldn’t find ziti. I simmered uncovered, stirring often to make sure the noodles didn’t stick to the pan. It took me a couple extra minutes than the box said to absorb the sauce and for the noodles to be done, but that could have been something I did wrong.
I don’t know how the Instant Pot version tastes, but the stovetop version is delicious! It even got a thumbs up from my reluctant boys. Thanks Mel for another winner!
You are amazing, Jennifer! Thanks for commenting about making this on the stovetop. Super helpful!
I made it on the stove top tonight too and it was delicious! I didn’t stir until about 5 minutes in and added browned ground beef at the end. This dinner was a lifesaver tonight as we were at a track meet all day and I didn’t feel like cooking. Quick, easy, delicious! Thank you, Mel!
Hi Jennifer! About how long did it take using the stovetop method?
Thanks!
Alyssa I think my box said around 12 minutes and I probably cooked it about 14-15. I tested a piece around 12 minutes and then again every minute or so after until it seemed done to me.
So good!! I made this recipe but added the extra 1/2 cup of cream Mel mentioned. I also had Italian Meatballs I had made in my freezer and I put those on top before starting the Instant Pot. It turned out perfect, there was no scorching. This is a keeper!!
Oh wow! Great idea on the meatballs!
I got the burn message, turned it off, released the pressure, opened the lid, scraped the stuck on pasta, turned it back on and it said burn again! So I turned it to “keep warm” for 10 min bc it had almost come to pressure twice so I thought that maybe that would be enough time to cook the pasta through and save this dinner. The bottom was totally stuck and burned…BUT the pasta not on bottom was cooked through, delicious and a big crowd pleaser. I NEED to try again, because I love this dump and forget it idea too much not to. I sprayed the insert with non stick spray before adding the ingredients in order that the recipe calls for them and I did not stir (until the first burn message…that may have made things worse!) HELP! Maybe more broth? Another brand of pasta (I used a members mark brand from Sam’s Club)? A new instant pot (this recipe could easily save me four chick fil a runs in a year so maybe spending the money would be worth it)? Anyone have any other ideas?!
How old is your IP, Lindsay? Usually the older ones don’t get the finicky burn warning as often as the new ones (so I’m not sure a new IP is the answer). Did you use cream or milk or both? I suppose it could be related to the brand of pasta, although I’m not sure since that brand seems pretty standard (not specialty or anything).
I have a newer model of the instant pot and didn’t get the burn message! I think it really helped not to stir any ingredients. Great recipie!
Happy to hear that. Thanks, Catherine!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I have a lot of leftovers though. Do you think it would freeze well?
Hmmm, I think it might be a little dry if frozen and then thawed, but it’s probably worth a try??
I made this last night and I was amazed at how quick ,simple , and delicious this turned out! I followed your exact instructions and used my instant pot Ultra 6 quart with Garofalo Penne Ziti Rigate pasta (bought at Costco) and cooked for 4 minutes. It came out perfectly creamy and delicious! My kids loved this and it’s perfect when you need a quick dinner. I can’t wait to try this with Italian sausage or mini meatballs. I was curious if I could sub Ricotta cheese and milk for the heavy cream?
I haven’t tried the ricotta sub but I definitely think it’s worth experimenting!
Silly question, but can I double this in the IP?
I don’t think it’s a silly question, I was wondering the same thing. 🙂
Yes, as long as it fits! I haven’t doubled it in the 6 quart so you’ll just want to make sure it doesn’t exceed the halfway point (I believe that’s the rule of thumb for pasta)
I was just coming to ask the same thing. I made it, and it was absolutely delicious, but we polished it off easily. 🙂 I will definitely be doubling it next time!
Such a night saver! This was perfectly delicious and simple. I used Italian pork sausage, half & half, Protein Plus Rotini pasta (for 4 min.), diced tomatoes with 2 Tbs. tomato paste, used fresh garlic, and upped the dried basil to 2 tsp. while reducing the oregano to 1 tsp.–awesome! Thanks so much, Mel. 🙂
Woot woot! I love all these reviews especially because they are SO helpful for others who might want to make the same variations!
Made this tonight in my 8 quart Paula Deen electric pressure cooker. I loved it. I used all cream along with the chicken broth. Will be making this again!
Thanks, Carolyn!
Great recipe Mel! We added a pound of mild Italian sausage and also used 2% milk with 2T cornstarch whisked in. Turned out great! Quote from my 7-year old, “Don’t worry, Mom, it’s actually good!”
One note- Because the Italian sausage was so lean, it started to stick to the bottom fairly quickly. When I started to worry about burning, I added a few Tbsp of chicken stock to the pot. The sausage was mostly brown at this point and really starting to stick to the bottom. The chicken stock did a great job of deglazing the pot. Then I proceeded with your directions.
Haha, ok that quote from your 7-year old made me laugh out loud. Hahahaha. Thanks for the tips on the Italian sausage! Super helpful!
Can’t wait to try this. Sounds wonderful. I love my Instant Pot too.
Made this for dinner using the barilla brand of penne pasta. 3 minutes was perfection. Thanks Mel! We all loved it! ❤️
Thanks, Heather!
Seriously?!? I just took the lid off my IP. How can something this simple be so delicious?? My kids are going to devour this. I might need to make a second batch!! Winner recipe again Mel!! You’re the best.
I know! That’s exactly what I think every time I make this! It kind of blows me away each and every time. (I probably need to get more hobbies, haha)
Mel,
Silly question, does the cooking time change if you are using an 8-quart Instant Pot instead of the 6-quart?
Nope! Cooking time should be the same. 🙂
Just made this tonight! I added ground beef, following your directions, and used bow tie pasta that called for 12 minutes. Doing the math, that would make 4 minutes cooking time. I live at nearly 5,000 feet so I added a minute to that time. Then a 10-minute release. My 15-year-old daughter is chowing it down. She’ll make this next time! So easy! Winner recipe!
Yesssss! That’s awesome this worked with bowtie pasta. I have tons of that in my pantry so I’m going to try that next time!
We loved this!! And I love that it’s crazy fast and easy. Everyone in my family declared this a repeat.
Crazy fast and easy – such a win! Thanks, Madison!
Thanks, Madison!
Hey this is a stupid question, but if you use ground beef or sausage, I know you cook it first and then do you take it out and then cook the rest and then add it back in after? Or do you leave it in and cook it again with the pasta?
Not a stupid question! If you use ground meat, saute it first, drain the grease, and leave it in the pot. Then when you add the chicken broth, scrape up the bottom of the pot really well to get up any browned bits and then proceed with the recipe. Does that help?
Has anyone tried this in a crockpot no pressure cooker here
I’d love to know if this can be made in the crockpot too!!
I haven’t tried it…sounds like someone needs to experiment and report back! 🙂
Thanks for the shout out 🙂 I’ve got this on my menu and I will indeed be one who freaks out and tries it with just milk, haha! I’ll keep ya posted.
This was delicious! My 6yr old gave it a “100.” I used the diced tomatoes with paste you recommended and 1 cup half and half with 1 cup 2% and cornstarch. It was great EXCEPT for the burn message! It came on just before getting to pressure. I tried to stir but it was too stuck on. I put the lid back on and set it for 0 min and turned it off when the burn message came on again. I really had to scrub to get it out of the pot. I really want to love my instant pot (bought based on your recommendation) but I’ve been disappointed with what I’ve made so far.
Hey Bethany – how old is your Instant Pot? Unfortunately, I’ve heard from a lot of people that newer Instant Pots generate the burn warning much more often than the models from a few years ago. Sorry you aren’t loving your Instant Pot more!
Looks really good, got to try and save this recipe to make
Tried to today because I had all the ingredients and my planned dinner fell through. My little guys loved it, and we’ll put it on repeat for sure! Thanks!!
Thanks, Erin!!
W.O.W!!!! I made this tonight along with your french bread. Both recipies for the first time and dinner was sooooo good! I had nephews and a neighbor friend over in addition to my own 4 boys so I added 2 more cups chicken broth, 8 more ounces of penne pasta, and 1 small can of tomato sauce. I left everything else the same and it turned out perfect (if anyone wants to make more than the original 16 oz of pasta). This is a keeper!
Thanks for the review on increasing the recipe just a little, Andrea! You had quite the crowd! 🙂
This was tasty and super quick for a busy weeknight meal. We got home from a track meet at 5:45, I nursed the baby, and then threw the dinner in the Instant Pot. While it cooked I made the salad and garlic bread. We ate and had the kids back out the door for the next thing by 6:45. Perfect!! Thanks!
I was so pleased that I’m already thinking of the possibilities. Next time I think I’ll blend up some butternut squash and throw it in for a little variety!
Oooh, LOVE the idea of a little butternut squash in there!
Somehow I managed to totally make this a flop. I did all milk with cornstarch, and did add sausage in the beginning- and followed every other step. I opened the pot and it was a stuck together mess! I could barely get a spoon in to stir it. There was no sauce. I’ll have to give it another go or I have a stovetop version and might need to stick to it!
Hey Emily – out of curiosity, what brand/type of pasta did you use?
Made this tonight and everyone loved it! Didn’t have cream so I did all milk w/cornstarch & it worked great!
Yay, thanks Emily!
Just made this tonight while visiting my daughters (with sweet Italian Sausage). I wanted to see if it would be fast, easy and delicious for moms “on the go”. IT WAS! Delicious – reminds me of some pasta dishes I’ve had in the North End in Boston. That good. Thanks Mel for another winner.
That’s awesome, Laurie! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Just made it gluten and dairy free because that’s what I need. A can of light coconut milk almost covers the 2 cups cream completely. I used Prego sauce instead of tomatoes because I’m picky. I used a gluten free pasta that needed 1 minute in the instant pot and one that needed 30 seconds because I didn’t have enough of the same kind so I just put it all together in there for 1 minute. Gluten free things tend to mush fast so I did a quick release instead of natural release. It took 2 minutes to release all the pressure. And guess what? It turned out perfect!!! It’s nice to find a meal that’s so easy that my non GF DF family gobbled up too. I liked the texture of the pasta that was supposed to cook for 1 minute better, but honestly it was so good I didn’t mind too much. Thank you Mel for the dinner idea ❤️
Wow! That’s amazing this converted so well to dairy and gluten-free! Thanks for including your review – so helpful for those who want to make it with the same dietary restrictions. Thanks, Jen!
I rarely comment, but feel so ecstatic about such an easy meal in minutes that I felt I should change that! Thanks for saving dinner at our crazy house tonight. Also wanted to share that I only had 2% milk on hand, so I tried 2 cups of milk with 2 T of corn starch. It worked great! Probably not as creamy, but works great if someone doesn’t have cream in the fridge. I also just saw your comment about cream cheese, maybe I’ll try that another time. This is definitely getting made again!
Thanks for leaving a comment, Shannon – so, so happy this dinner came to the rescue on a crazy night!
Mel,
Thanks for a delicious recipe, again! We added sausage and I had half and half on hand so we used that instead of cream. It was maybe less creamy but still very tasty.
I was thinking as I made dinner that I had used a Mel’s recipe or two everyday this week. And that is normal at this house. You are my go to gal for all things food! Thank you so much for all of the time you spend testing, trying, & perfecting recipes so we can enjoy them. I literally would not be the cook I am without your help.
Ah, Becky – thank you! Your sweet comment was just the pick-me-up I needed this morning. It means so much to me that the recipes are really helpful and that you are enjoying them. THANK YOU!
Made this tonight for dinner. Halved the recipe and subbed whole milk plus cornstarch for the cream since it’s what I had on hand. Easy and delicious! Both my picky eaters (5 and 2) ate it right up!
Thanks for letting me know!
Wow! Such good pasta and sauce. I used ziti and cooked it for 3 minutes. I also only did a 5 minute natural release because…hungry kids. It was the perfect texture and flavor combination.
Haha, yes, I understand the hungry kid phenomenon. Glad this worked out!!
I saw this post today and it looked so good that I decided to make it for dinner tonight. We just finished and . . . The Verdict: My family absolutely loved it!!! Even my “plain pasta” 5 year old gave it two thumbs up! Thank you so much for sharing!
Love, love this. Thanks, Rebecca!
Hey Mel, do you have to use the round, hollow pasta for this? I don’t think I have any. And thanks for your tip on crushed tomatoes-haven’t heard that one and I always buy diced for some reason !
I’m guessing it’s pretty adaptable to pasta types. If you are using spaghetti or other thin noodle, layer it similar to the Instant Pot spaghetti recipe so the noodles don’t stick.
I’m a little nervous. I have this in the pot right now. The package said to cook my pasta for 5 minutes for al dente. This make the instant pot time only half a minute!!! I couldn’t bring myself to try that, so I’m cooking it for 2 minutes.
Could that really have been correct?
Update, the 2 minutes was perfect. Such a great recipe! Everyone loves it.
Thanks for the update, Amy! Glad it worked out!
Is there a general rule of thumb about how much liquid to add when one is cooking pasta in the IP?
That’s a good question – and one I don’t know the answer to mostly because I think the amount of liquid might depend on the type/shape of pasta? But judging by this recipe and by the Instant Pot spaghetti recipe on my site, it looks like for about a pound of pasta it’s between 6-8 cups (kind of a range, I know)
This looks so good can’t wait to try it! And yes I agree just another reason to love the IP!
Once again, you’ve rescued dinner! Thank you Mel :)!
🙂
Made this for lunch with my kids and it was perfection! We all loved it.
Jordan! Thank you so much for checking back in to let me know! Yay!
I love your site and have been a fan of yours for a long time! Same times if I want to double the recipe?
Hey Jason! I *think* so – usually that just means the IP takes a bit longer to come to pressure which compensates for any extra time you’d need to manually add for cooking. If it were me doubling the recipe, I’d do the same cooking time OR increase by 1 minute just to be safe.
Wondering if one could sub evaporated skim milk for all the cream…
Definitely worth a try! Let me know if you try it!
My husband cant have tomatoes with seeds. Can i subsitute a can of hunts spaghetti sace instead of crushed tomatoes.
I’m sure you could! You’d want about 2 cups and depending on the seasonings in the spaghetti sauce, you may want to dial back the dried oregano or basil in the recipe.
Will this work in a pressure pot?
Do you mean another type of pressure cooker? Yes, it should!
I’m in the minority and hated my instant pot. I actually paid money to ship it to someone that I gave it to for free
Instructions for a crock pot version of this would be awesome!