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
395 Comments on “Amazing Instant Pot Creamy “Baked” Ziti”
I’ve made this recipe at LEAST 20 times if not more in the past couple years. My husband loves it so much, we just made it last weekend for my baby’s baby blessing weekend, and my whole family loved it. I’ve tried it plain, with italian sausage, and with ground beef and I have to say I think ground beef is my favorite although you can’t go wrong with any of them. I made a double batch this weekend but be warned, a double batch won’t fit in the 6 qt instant pot so I needed 2 (I borrowed one from my mom). I bet a 1 and 1/2 recipe would fit. Anyway, we love this recipe. It’s so easy but everyone loves it and it feels like a fancy pasta dish. I also auctioned off a dinner at a ward fundraiser and this was the meal I made – always a hit!! Thanks Mel, can’t wait to buy your cookbook!
Finally made this last night and my whole family scraped the pot clean. This is one of the best recipes to ever hit an Instant Pot. (The fresh basil MAKES it.) So fast, so delicious and the pot was even easy to clean. This recipe has it all. Will be on our monthly rotation from this day forward. Thanks Mel!
I made this tonight subbing 2 cups whole milk with 2 Tbsp cornstarch for the cream and it turned out perfect!
As always, thanks for your amazing recipes Mel!
Great adjustments! And you are so welcome, Kali!
Delicious easy recipe. I used Italian sausage and half & Half. Worked great !!
A Favorite! We make this all the time! So good.
Wow after looking at this all I could think was how bad I want to make this! I have almost everything, except the cream. But I was wondering about something.
This almost looks and sounds like Chicken Riggies. It’s a Central New York thing so I’m not sure if its made it elsewhere. But the only thing that is missing is cut chicken breast pieces, and cut up hot cherry peppers. Not many, three maybe four would do it.
There is something about the tanginess from the peppers along with the heat that makes the meal. Other than those two things I can’t think of any other ingredients that go in. It’s been a number of years since I’ve made it. Do you think it would work out by adding the chicken and peppers to the recipe? I’m so new to the Instant Pot that I can’t be sure what the final result would be. 🙂
I think that should work just fine!
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.
I made it with only half & half with no problems. Turned out great. I did at Italian sausage
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!