One-pot Penne in Tomato Cream sauce made in Instant Pot - A quick and easy meal, perfect for weeknights. A favorite for both kids and adults, and a great option for gatherings. It takes maximum 20 minutes from start to finish. Pair it with a soup or salad for a perfect dinner.
I have been using the pressure cooker for a long long time. But before the instant pot, I never thought of cooking pasta in the pressure cooker. However now that I have tried Instant Pot Pasta, it is hard to go back. Perfectly cooked pasta in half the time and less dishes to do...it is a win-win for sure!
Step-by-Step Easy Instant Pot Penne Recipe
In this vegetarian pasta recipe, I used penne pasta and a store brought jar of marinara sauce. You can use any type of pasta such as bowtie, ziti, etc. Also, use any type of tomato based pasta sauce, however choose the one with no or very very minimal cheese. As we are pressure cooking the sauce and penne together in the pot, we don't want the cheese in the sauce to get stuck at the bottom of the instant pot insert. You can also choose to make the sauce at home.
Start the instant pot in sauté mode and add the marinara sauce to it. Let it come to a boil. Then add in any veggies of your choice. I added green peas in the below images, but you can add others too, such as bell peppers or mushrooms. Stir in the penne. Now we are ready to pressure cook the penne.
Change the setting to manual mode for 4 minutes. For al dente, cook for 1 minute less than half the time recommended on the box. Add one more minute for well done pasta. For example, if the pasta box says 12 minutes, then I would pressure cook for 5 minutes. I prefer to cook al dente and then add a minute or so on sauté mode if needed.
When the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually. Then stir in the cream and cheese to get the rich creamy flavor.
The penne in tomato cream sauce is ready. If it is not the exact consistency you like, change to sauté mode and cook for a couple of minutes. It came out perfectly for me and I did not have to cook it any longer.
Pair this Creamy Penne with a soup or salad. Enjoy with a glass of wine 🙂
Check out other pasta recipes made in the Instant Pot:
Penne Pasta in Tomato Cream Sauce - Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 5 cloves Garlic diced (not paste)
- 9 ounces Penne Pasta (about 3-4 cups)
- 12 ounces Marinara Sauce or similar tomato based sauce
- ½ cup Cream
- ½ cup Cheese Romano or Parmesan or cheese of your choice
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste
Instructions
- Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat oil in it. Add the garlic and cook until it is golden brown.
- Add the marinara sauce and let it come to a boil. This will take a couple of minutes. (See notes if you have had a Burn issue in your instant pot)
- Add a cup of water and then stir in the penne. Scrape if anything is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Most of the pasta should be covered in the sauce and water. If it is not, add some more water.
- Close the instant pot lid with vent in sealing position. Change the setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 4 minutes. The time to cook is usually 1 minute less than half of the suggest time on the pasta box. This will result in al dente pasta.
- When the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually.
- Stir in the cream and cheese, so it is mixed well with the sauce. Add in lemon juice and salt to taste. Penne is ready to be served.
- Tip: Remove the steel insert from the instant pot, so the bottom does not continue cooking from the heat.
Notes
- This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker.
- Important: In newer versions of Instant Pot, many readers are facing a Burn message. If you have ever seen a Burn in your instant pot, I recommend skipping step 2 and adding the marinara sauce just before pressure cooking. Just spread the sauce on top of the penne, do not stir it.
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Marg S says
I am so glad I bookmarked this page and this review is VERY late but I wanted to post what happened to me so you could all share a laugh at my expense. I made this recipe a few times very successfully. Then I decided I didn’t need to check the recipe before I made it the fourth and fifth time. Because I had the recipe memorized right? Well I mostly did. Except for the warning not to stir after you add the tomato sauce if you have the newer IP because you will get a burn notice. TWICE. The leftovers of Round 6 are currently sitting happily waiting to go in a container and in the fridge. And not a burn notice in sight. Thanks for an amazing recipe.
Meeta Arora says
Hi Marg - Thank you for sharing 🙂 So glad to hear seeing the recipe while cooking has been helpful!
Purvi says
To double the recipe, should I just double all the ingredients?
Meeta Arora says
Hi Purvi - Yes, you can double all ingredients. The cooking time will remain the same. Hope you enjoy the penne!
Kavitha Sridas says
Another successful recipe and a keeper! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes, I'm trying out most of your instant pot recipes one by one - my family is thankful to you.
Piping Pot Curry says
Hi - So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing it 🙂
Astha sharma says
Turned out super creamy and delicious!!! I did get the burn sign but I opened it up and added some water and put it for 4 mins.
It was a hit in my home!!!
Meeta Arora says
Hi Astha - Glad to hear you all enjoyed the pasta. I have included some tips for how to avoid the burn in notes in case that helps.