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 tsp Olive Oil
- 5 cloves Garlic diced (not paste)
- 9 oz Penne Pasta (about 3-4 cups)
- 12 oz 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 tbsp Lemon juice
- ½ tsp 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.
Hi Meeta, I am going to try this today. Can you let me know if I can use half and half instead of cream?
Hi Vinita - I think half and half will work, but it will not be as creamy. Just stir gently until it is mixed well with the pasta.
Made it today for my daughter and her remote learning pod for lunch! Added finely chopped zucchini to the sauce. It was so great to make pasta in the IP!!!! It was so delicious, easy, and quick!!! A hit for all.
Hi Manjari - So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing it 🙂
Hi Meeta, I have got IP just a month back and I have been following your recipes for all my cooking. Today is 3rd time I made pasta and it came out perfect.
Hi Kanika - So good to hear that. Thank you fo sharing it 🙂
Tried it today. Quick and yummy. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Sharada - So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
We had this last night and loved it! I used a whole bag of gluten free pasta (12 oz). I added a can of italian seasoned diced tomatoes to it along with a little extra water. Perfect!
Can I add frozen (already) cooked meatballs to this recipe and if so would I have to adjust the time?
Thank you.
Hi Jean - I would suggest to add the meatballs before adding marinara and penne. They should cook well in the time it takes for the pasta to cook.
This is a perfect dish to try on a busy day. I have tried this recipe many times. Turned out really well all the time. Thanks for the recipe!
burnt my pasta, should have read the notes 🙂 will try it next time and im sure itll be great!
I have to try this recipe. But can this be made without cream?
Hi Raman - Yes, you can skip the cream or add coconut milk in place of cream to taste.
Hi Meeta,
Thank you so much for adding this recipe! I finally have the perfect rose sauce pasta. I used go go quinoa brand fusilli pasta and used Philadelphia cream cheese instead of cream. I pressure cooked for 5 mins and it came out perfect! I literally served this as soon as I opened the pot. Def going to be my weeknight recipe esp after a busy work day.