Instant Pot Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Don't we all love a bowl of pasta with tomato cream sauce? Everyone needs this delicious, comforting, and satisfying pasta in their dinner rotation. This easy Instant Pot Pasta is ready in under 20 minutes and is something the whole family will enjoy!

This simple Italian recipe is perfect for those days when you don't feel like chopping vegetables or washing extra dishes. The kid-friendly dish uses basic pantry ingredients that are simply layered in the Instant Pot. Top with some freshly grated parmesan for a restaurant-quality vegetarian meal that will be ready in no time. 

Note: Original post published in July 2018 has been updated with new photos and a video.

EASY 20-Minute Pasta Dinner

Tomato cream sauce pasta can be prepared by novice as well as expert cooks. It perfectly fits my goal of enabling everyone to cook! This month I was approached by several mothers requesting cooking lessons for their teenagers. The more I understood how hectic and crazy their college schedules could be, the more I continued to develop simple recipes.

This recipe is created with the purpose, that making sure that all of us can put together a quick meal that is fast, inexpensive, and yet satisfying. I am so proud that this creamy tomato pasta has now become so popular not only with teenagers but with their families as well.

Basic Ingredients

• Pasta - I have used penne pasta in this recipe but you can use any shape including gluten-free pasta
• Sauce - Marinara sauce or use your favorite jarred tomato sauce
• Cream - Heavy whipping cream adds the perfect creaminess to this pasta and you can also substitute it with coconut cream or cashew cream

Tips to make perfect Instant Pot pasta

1. Make sure that most of the pasta is submerged in liquids
2. Pressure cook time = Half the cooking time on the box minus 1 minute
3. Always layer thicker liquids like tomato sauce on top
4. Quick-release after the pressure cooking cycle is complete
5. Always stir in cream, cheese, etc after the pressure cooking cycle

How to Make The Best Creamy Tomato Pasta

Step 1: Add pasta to the Instant Pot, add broth, and water. Layer garlic powder, red chili pepper, salt, and tomato sauce. Make sure to push all the pasta under liquids (photos 1 - 4).

Step 2:  Close the Instant Pot lid and Pressure cook. Quick Release and then stir in the cream, grated parmesan, and basil or parsley (photos 5 - 8). 

Serving

Serve pasta with a side of Air Fried Garlic Broccoli or String beans or Broccoli Cheddar Soup. Pair it with the Instant Pot Fudgy Brownies or Almond Flour Brownies for a fun meal that the entire family will enjoy.

Variations

• Saute fresh garlic and half a cup of diced onions in olive oil before adding the pasta
• Stir in a cup of frozen peas after the pressure-cooking cycle
• Stir in a handful of fresh or frozen chopped spinach or kale after the pressure-cooking cycle
• Use milk instead of heavy cream to lighten up the dish
• To make the pasta spicy, add extra red chili flakes or skip them altogether for a non-spicy pasta

Recipe

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4.64 from 80 votes

Penne Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Incredibly creamy and delicious pasta  with an EASY dump recipe that is ready in under 20 minutes!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6

Calories: 459kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Equipment

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound uncooked Penne Pasta
• ▢ 2 cups low sodium broth
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 2 cups tomato sauce plain or marinara
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• ▢ ¼ cup basil or parsley chopped

Instructions

• Add the pasta, broth, water, garlic powder, red pepper, salt to the Instant Pot insert. Layer tomato sauce on top. Gently push all pasta under liquids. Do not mix.
• Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Pressure cook (Hi) for 4 minutes followed by quick release.
• Open the Instant Pot and stir in the cream. Add parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.

Video

Notes

1. We are using a full box of pasta in this recipe.

2. Using penne pasta in this recipe, which has a stove cook time of 10 minutes. To adjust for Instant Pot cook time - Divide the cooking time by half and minus one for al dente pasta. Hence we are pressure cooking for 4 minutes.

3. Always have enough water or broth to cover most of the pasta underwater. Depending on the shape of pasta you may need more or less liquids.

Nutrition

Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 891mg | Potassium: 542mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1055IU | Vitamin C: 6.1mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg

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