This tasty Instant Pot Penne Pasta recipe is a quick and easy recipe perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. The best part about this recipe is that the pasta and sauce are cooked together, from scratch. So there’s no need for jar pasta sauce. [Stovetop instructions also provided.]
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This delicious Instant Pot pasta recipe is one of my go-to recipes because it is so easy. On a busy weeknight, you can make a creamy tomato sausage pasta within 30 minutes from scratch, and the hands-on time is less than ten minutes!
Making pasta in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker is convenient because everything gets done in one pot. You don’t drain the starchy pasta water. Instead, the cooking liquid gets absorbed into the dish, making it thick and creamy.
I combined two stovetop recipes to make this Instant Pot sausage pasta: my original homemade pasta sauce recipe and my Italian pasta with sausage recipe. I think your family will love this pasta recipe as much as we do!
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients You’ll Need For Instant Pot Penne Pasta
💡 Recipe and Ingredient Tips
🌶️ Spice: If you love spicy foods, add more crushed red pepper or use a spicy sausage. I do both to increase the flavor in this pasta dish.
🌿 Seasonings: Swap dried basil and oregano with dried Italian seasoning for convenience and more complex flavor.
🍲 Broth: The recipe allows for using broth or water, but broth adds more depth. The penne absorbs the broth, making the dish more flavorful.
🥛 Cream: For a healthier twist, replace heavy cream with half-and-half. For a creamier, slightly tart flavor, try substituting with cream cheese or mascarpone cheese.
🍯 Sugar: A little sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes. You can substitute it with grated carrots for a natural sweetness.
🧀 Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese adds maximum flavor!
🍖 Sausage: Use either mild or hot Italian sausage depending on your preference. I usually buy Italian sausage links and remove the casing for easier cooking. For a meatier dish, add an extra ¼ lb of sausage.
- If you want to switch things up, substitute ground Italian sausage, ground beef, boneless skinless chicken (cubed), turkey sausage, or chicken sausage.
- Add extra Italian seasoning and fennel seeds for that Italian sausage flavor if using plain ground meat. Smoked sausage also works well.
🍅 Tomatoes: The recipe uses a large can of crushed tomatoes for a rich, tomato-forward flavor. The cream helps balance this out. If you’d prefer less tomato flavor, use ½ to ¾ of the can.
- You can also swap crushed tomatoes for a jar of marinara or spaghetti sauce. Just adjust the spices and salt accordingly.
- To avoid the Instant Pot’s burn notice, add the tomatoes at the end without stirring.
- If you want to stretch the meal or reduce the tomato intensity, add an extra 4 ounces of pasta—no other changes are needed.
❓FAQS
If you find the pasta to be too saucy, add in some extra cooked pasta this time. Next time you make it, add an extra 2 to 4 ounces of pasta, with no other changes required to the recipe. If the liquid doesn’t cover the pasta, add a tablespoon or two of broth on top of the pasta.
To make it healthier, cook the meat and drain the fat completely, use chicken sausage or omit the meat entirely and add more vegetables, or use half and half instead of cream.
Make sure that you deglaze and scrape the bottom of the pot really well before pressure cooking. Also, don’t stir the pasta. Just add them on top and gently press down to make sure the pasta is submerged. If you’re still having issues, increase the liquid by ¼ cup. Find out how to avoid the food burn Instant Pot message.
Yes, you can double the recipe with no changes to cook time. Make sure the food doesn’t go over the ½ full mark.
Yes, you can use mushrooms, peas, or any other vegetable. Spinach can be stirred in at the end after the cooking is complete.
If you find that the pasta is overcooking and you prefer it more al dente, reduce the cooking time by 1 minute.
✏️ Important Tips for Making Pasta in the Instant Pot
- To avoid the Instant Pot food burn message, add the dry pasta at the end right before pressure cooking, and don’t stir it. Just push down on it with a spatula until the pasta is submerged in the liquid.
- Any type of pasta shape (shells, spiral, penne, farfalle, ziti, rigatoni) will work for this recipe, but you may need to change the cooking time. I use the Barilla brand of pasta.
- The general rule of thumb for cooking pasta in the Instant Pot is to take the time that the pasta box says, divide by 2 and add 1. e.g. if the stovetop cooking time on the pasta box is listed as 8 minutes, you would pressure cook for 5 minutes (8 divided by 2 = 4; 4 + 1 = 5).
- For al dente pasta, pressure cook for half the time recommended on the box.
- The longer the pasta sits in the Instant Pot, the more it cooks. So, it’s important to release pressure as soon as cooking is complete. To avoid a mess, release the pressure in bursts, as detailed in how to natural release Instant Pot.
How to make Italian Sausage Pasta
⏲️ Instant Pot Method
- Saute meat and onions.
- Add seasoning and pasta.
- Pressure cook pasta.
- Stir in cream and garnish with parsley and parmesan.
- Once the inner pot has preheated, add oil to the inner pot and let it heat up.
- Add meat and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. If the meat browns too quickly, press Cancel until the the pot cools down a bit and select Saute again. Deglaze as needed with a tablespoon of broth.
- Add onions and garlic.
- Stir the onions and garlic and cook on Sauté mode until translucent. Deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot with white wine, stirring until the liquid has nearly evaporated. Once the sausage and onion mixture has cooked, press Cancel to turn Instant Pot off.
- Add bell pepper, sugar, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper.
- Add broth or water. Stir to combine.
- Add pasta to the pot, but don’t stir in. Gently push down with a spatula so the pasta is submerged.
- Add the tomato sauce to cover the pasta, but don’t stir. Layering ingredients this way helps avoid the Burn message.
- Close the Instant Pot lid.
- Program the Instant Pot to Manual or Pressure Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- The display will go from On to 5:00. The float valve will go up after a few minutes. The display will count down to 00:00.
- Do a quick release of pressure. Once the float valve goes down, the lid can be opened.
✏️ Pro Tip for Releasing Pressure in Small Bursts
- For some foods such as noodles, I find it helpful to release the steam in small bursts: less than 1-second intervals. Once the steam coming out is less forceful, release the remaining pressure in a steady stream. Read more about the different pressure release methods.
- Once you open the lid, there might seem to be more liquid than you’d like, but don’t worry, the liquid will get absorbed by the pasta as it rests.
- Stir in cream.
- Stir in parsley.
- Select Saute function and simmer the pasta and sausage for a couple of minutes until heated through. Let the penne rest for a few minutes and it will thicken up. Sprinkle each serving of the creamy sausage pasta with grated parmesan, parsley, and red pepper flakes (if using).
♨️ Stovetop Method
- Make the Marinara Sauce
– Saute onions and garlic.
– Stir in tomatoes and simmer.Stir in seasonings and simmer. - Cook pasta according to box directions, drain, and set aside.
- Brown the sausage in oil.
- Add bell pepper and sauté until crisp-tender.
- Deglaze with white wine.
- Stir in cooked plain pasta, tomato sauce, and cream.
- Simmer until heated through.
- Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan and parsley, and crushed red pepper, if using.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Try Another Instant Pot Recipe
- Cajun Chicken Pasta is a spicy pasta dish with chicken, sausage, peppers, and Cajun spices that’s sure to please.
- Vegetarian Rigatoni is a vegetarian adaptation of rigatoni bolognese that’s an easy one-pot meal.
- Another Cajun favorite recipe is Instant Pot red beans and rice. This is one of the most comforting meals you will try!
- Chicken Tikka Masala Pasta is a one-pot curry chicken pasta dish with Indian spices that can be made on the stovetop or Instant Pot.
- For a kid-friendly pasta favorite that’s an easy one-pot recipe try Instant Pot mac and cheese !
Instant Pot Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil (Use 2 tablespoon for stovetop version)
- 1 lb Italian sausage (500 grams) casing removed, cut into ½ inch chunks
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup bell peppers 1 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar [See Note 1]
- 1 ½ tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper powder
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth or water (No broth needed for stovetop version)
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes (794 grams) [See Note 2]
- 8 oz dry penne pasta (226 grams) [See Note 3]
- ½ cup heavy cream
- parmesan cheese shredded
- parsley chopped, to garnish
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste, optional
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Select Saute mode and add oil to inner pot of Instant Pot.
- Add sausage, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Break up the sausage if the pieces are too large. (If the sausage browns too quickly, press Cancel until the Instant Pot cools down a bit and select Saute again.)
- Add onions and garlic. Stir until onion is translucent.
- Deglaze pot with white wine, stirring until liquid has nearly evaporated.
- Turn off Instant Pot.
- Stir in bell peppers, sugar, dried basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, and broth or water.
- Add in the tomatoes and pasta. Don't stir but just gently push down to submerge in the liquid.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of steam, and open the Instant Pot. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Select Saute mode.
- Stir in cream and simmer the pasta for a couple of minutes until heated through.
- Turn off Instant Pot and if desired, let the pasta rest for a few minutes to absorb any remaining liquid. Remove the inner pot from the base to keep the pasta from cooking further.
- Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan and parsley, and crushed red pepper, if using.
Stovetop Instructions
- Make the marinara sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté briefly. Stir in crushed tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in sugar, dried basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for another 15 minutes. [See Note 1]
- Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain and set aside.
- Brown sausage in 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan, over medium-high heat, for about 5 minutes. Deglaze as needed.
- Add bell pepper and sauté until crisp-tender.
- Deglaze with white wine, simmering until the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in pasta, 2 cups marinara sauce, and cream. Simmer until heated through. Add more sauce to taste.
- Sprinkle each serving with parmesan and parsley, and crushed red pepper, if using.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, diced chicken, etc.
- Note 1:The sugar adds a nice balance to the flavor of the tomatoes, but feel free to leave it out or add some grated carrots.
- Note 2: Substitute a jar of marinara sauce for the crushed tomatoes, if you wish. Adjust the salt accordingly.
- Note 3: Add 12 ounces of pasta for a thicker dish and less sauce.
- To lighten the dish, you could substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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✅ Why Trust Neena at Paint the Kitchen Red?
I’m Neena, and I have a lifetime of experience working with pressure cookers. I know how to maximize the potential of a pressure cooker to consistently produce delicious and easy meals. With my Instant Pot expertise, I can provide valuable insights, troubleshooting advice, and innovative recipe ideas so you can trust me on all things Instant Pot!
➡ New to the Instant Pot? Get my Instant Pot instructions for beginners.
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
Renee T. says
I love my Instant Pot, but being of Italian descent, I have been skeptical about trying pasta, presuming it would be too mushy. Your recipe convinced me to take the plunge, and this recipe did not disappoint! My husband and I both loved the dish, and it is definitely a recipe I will consider a “keeper.” Next time, I intend to cut the water down to 1 cup so the pasta isn’t quite as saucy…but I do realize that is a personal preference (my husband loves his pasta on the sauce-y side) and your flavors were spot on. Thanks for helping this ital-gal add pasta to her Instant Pot repertoire!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hey Renee! Coming from an Italian, that’s a great compliment. When you reduce the quantity of liquid, just make sure you have enough for the pasta to be covered with liquid and of course, come to pressure. Thanks for your comment, and glad you liked the recipe!
Dhanya says
Hi Neena,
I tried this pasta today with soy crumbles instead of sausage. My Instant Pot did not come to up to pressure. But the timer began counting down and the pot beeped when it was done. I think maybe the sealing ring may not have been seated properly; i’m not sure why it didn’t come up to pressure. I had deglazed it well before pressure cooking and I don’t think there was too much liquid in the pot either. While sauteing the soy crumbles the pot looked like it was getting burnt at the bottom, so I deglazed with a little water until it browned well, and then added the wine. Then proceeded with the rest of the steps..
In the end, the pasta was cooked fine, but it looked like it had too much sauce that thickened up a bit after sitting for a while on the countertop . It turns out, I cooked a modified vegetarian Bolognese pasta!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Dhanya – I think the problem was the soy crumbles. Next time, cook them, deglaze and remove. Then add them back in on top of the pasta and don’t stir in. It was probably scorching on the bottom. Thanks for sharing.
Deb R says
Thanks for this recipe! It was my first IP recipe after hard-boiled eggs and it came out excellent! My husband has asked that this be put on our rotation.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Deb – I’m so glad y’all liked the recipe and that it was a good first experience!
Diana says
This is our favourite instant pot recipe by far!! My son’s ask for this weekly! It’s also our go to recipe when unexpected company stops in – with 4 sausages, a box of pasta, and organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes , it easily feeds 5 with some crusty bread and a salad!! My most used recipe so far! Love love!!
Rita says
I made this Sunday and loved it. Very flavorful. I added some mushrooms I had on hand and instead of heavy cream I added Newman’s Own Alfredo Sauce. Thanks for a great recipe..
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for commenting, Rita. I’m really happy you liked it.
Lynn says
Thanks for a great recipe. Easy to follow, make a delicious. I used sausages, cut into bite size and instead of cream, I finished it off with cream cheese. The whole family enjoyed it….creamy, perfectly cooked and seasoned.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks Lynn! Cream cheese works great especially if your pasta is more watery at the end. This can happen if you’ve added more liquid to prevent the ‘burn’ message. Mascarpone cheese also works well. Thanks for sharing.
Nicole Tutko says
I’ve been in love with my instant pot for a while, but was too scared to try making pasta in it. I made this tonight and it was MARVELOUS!! I added in fresh, sliced zucchini when I added the cream and that worked out perfectly too. Cooked the veggies al dente – just like I like them – without having to sauté them separately. This recipe will be added into regular rotation for sure subbing in different meats, veggies, etc. Excellent! Thanks so much for sharing!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Nicole – you’re so welcome – I like your addition of veggies at the end, great way to make it healthier. Thanks for your lovely comment!
April says
This was my first time trying pasta in my new 3 quart Instant Pot and it turned out perfectly. It was so delicious that I have sent the recipe to my son who is also a new pot owner.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you April – that’s the best compliment! Glad it worked for you.
Sheri Hamilton says
These are absolutely the best directions I have ever read! Thank you sooooo much! Being a beginner with IP I’m a little nervous and have such clear guidelines, including picture, ,Ames this recipe a breeze! I can’t wait to try this. TONIGHT!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Good luck Sheri! I just made this yesterday. If you have an 8 quart, read the special instructions I’ve posted above the recipe card.
Trudy Mintun says
I am searching all of your recipes, and have a comment and questions for another one besides this one. I am hooked.
We don’t use sausage in my house. I know the cooking times would be different, but what about cubed chicken?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Trudy – yes, you could use cubed chicken and it would work just fine. I don’t generally use chicken breast but rather thighs in my IP recipes – they cook up more tender.
A Eichenlaub says
I used whole wheat pasta, increased pressure cooking time to 6 mins. and it turned out great! Also, added one package of button mushrooms, sliced and replaced wine with chicken stock. Will add this recipe to my go-to-recipe list!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for posting your comment and review! Most importantly, thanks for giving timings that worked for you with whole wheat pasta. That’s helpful to other readers!
Dhanya says
Hi Neena,
Any suggestions on what I can substitute the italian sausage with to make this pasta vegetarian?
Thanks – looking forward to trying this.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Dhanya – sorry, I think I missed your comment somehow. Please take a look at the Instant Pot Vegetarian Pasta Bolognese to get some ideas for vegetarian substitutions. That recipe is a little more time-consuming, so you could use some of those ingredients in this recipe, which is quicker – I would do carrots, mushrooms for sure to get that meaty texture. I use veggie crumbles (made with soy) sometimes in my chili recipe, so that might also work here too. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Dhanya says
Hi Neena,
Just writing back to let you know that I tried the recipe with ‘vegetarian’ italian sausage I found in the grocery. It was good! A little more saucy than what I expected for half a pound of penne, but it dries up after sitting for some time. It tasted better today (a day later). I think I will try with the regular italian sausage next time and see how the taste differs,
I can add another one-pot pasta meal for a weeknight – all thanks to you! 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m glad it worked for you Dhanya!
Dhanya says
Hi again Neena,
I want to make this one-pot pasta for vegetarian friends. I am thinking of just substituting the sausage with sliced crimini mushrooms because I remember that this pasta was quite flavorful and I think too many veges are not needed to make it taste great. The bell peppers add some nice color to the pasta later.
So I can sauté the onions and garlic to begin, then add the mushrooms and sauté until cooked. Then I deglaze with white wine and follow the rest of your given recipe. Do you think that it will work with the pressure cooking? Any suggestions will be very welcome. Thanks much ?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Dhanya – yes, I think that would work. Have you ever considered the soy ‘ground beef’ (e.g. smart ground brand). I’ve not tried in the IP but it’s a great substitute for meat.
Thalia Gray says
The flavour is amazing, but my pasta wasn’t cooked enough…I mean, almost hard penne! I was surprised by that when I opened it up. I’ve added a bit of water and it’s on a low saute so hopefully that will finish it up along with a lot of stirring to prevent it from burning on the bottom. I’m cooking in an 8 quart and followed your extra instructions. Looks like I’ll have to add more cooking time the next time around!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Thalia – are you using normal pasta or is a special kind, maybe whole wheat or rice? If it’s regular (semolina) pasta, based on what you’ve told me, it very much seems like your Instant Pot was not sealed. I could see it being al dente, but to still be hard after cooking for the stated time makes me a bit suspicious that it didn’t come to pressure. If that is the case, you probably need to increase liquid, especially since you have an 8 quart.
Katie Jones says
I’m a little late to the IP world, but what a life changer! Your recipe was the first 😉 and it is positively delicious!! I have an 8qt and followed the directions you posted when replying to others. I’m happy to report that doubling the liquid did the trick (no burn alert). I used hot Italian sausage because my hubby loves it spicy and he was a very happy (stuffed lol) camper! He’s even taking the leftovers to the firehouse tomorrow :)). Thank you for sharing this yumminess with us!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hey Katie – thanks so much for sharing. I’m glad it worked for you and you liked it – your comment made my day!
Janice says
I got the burn signal. I opened and added more water. I followed the recipe to a t. Not sure what happened. I have an 8 quart. I only used a half pound of penne. ?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Janice, I have a feeling it’s the 8 quart. I’ve been getting messages from people with the 8 quart getting the burn notice lately on different recipes. It probably has to do with the larger surface area of the bottom of the pot and liquid evaporating. I would say to increase the quantity of broth next time by 1/4 to 1/3 cup. The presence of crushed tomatoes in the recipe is probably causing this problem, so put the tomatoes in last and don’t stir. I hope that helps.
patience says
good to know, although I didn’t get the burn indicater, I did have some well browned bits , still very good though
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Patience, next time add a bit more water and I think that will keep it from sticking to the bottom. Make sure you deglaze really well beforehand.
Janet says
Had my sister last night, who’s a new IP owner and very skeptical. She watched while I made this for the first time. End result: she took my recipe and the leftovers home. I had to come back to the site to reprint it. I think we’ve converted her.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Woo hoo, Janet – way to go bringing people over to the IP cult 🙂 Thanks for sharing and I’m really glad you like the recipe.
Donna says
I’m new to the IP and your recipe and directions were great. My whole family loved it. The only downside is there were no leftovers and not much for seconds. I wish the recipe could be doubled. Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Donna, if you have an 8 quart, you should be able to double the recipe. Increase the pasta to 1 lb and the liquid to 3 cups and cook for the same amount of time. Thanks for your comment and I’m glad your family enjoyed it!
GIllian says
Do you mean double entire recipe or just the pasta and water. I tried doubling entire recipe and it turned out like soup.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Gillian, I’m sorry you had trouble with the recipe being doubled. I did mean double the entire recipe, but I personally haven’t tried doing that for this recipe. Normally with this recipe, there is extra liquid at the end, but it gets absorbed after resting for about ten minutes or so. Did you find that it was too liquidy even after some resting time?
Olivia Lovejoy says
IP newbie here – only used it a few times – going to make this tomorrow but don’t have white wine. What would you suggest instead to deglaze? Chicken broth? Want to make sure I don’t burn the pasta!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Olivia, thank you for your question. You can substitute with extra broth. Hope you like it.
Olivia Lovejoy says
Follow up – this is AMAZING. Thanks for your quick reply. Both hubby and I loved this. Will definitely try more of your recipes!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Olivia – Glad it worked out for you, thanks for letting me know!
Renee Daubman says
I have learned from many lovely Italian ladies to use a carrot instead of sugar in a spaghetti sauce. Try it, it is much healthier .
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Renee – thanks for the tip, it’s always nice to eat healthier!
Kris says
This was seriously good. Use a great tasting Italian sausage as that is the flavor that carries the recip.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks, Kris, for commenting! Yes, very good point. As always, quality of ingredients really make a dish!