Go Back
+ servings
how to cook penne pasta in instant pot
Print

How To Cook Penne Pasta In Instant Pot?

Easy, delicious instant pot one pot pasta using penne pasta with marinara sauce and cheese makes a quick one pot lunch or dinner. You can try bow tie pasta shells also with the same method and ingredient ratio.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword instant pot one pot pasta, instant pot penne pasta
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
pressure build up and release time 22 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 452kcal
Author PA

Ingredients

  • 8 oz penne pasta or use bow tie/farfalle pasta (equivalent to 2 cups uncooked pasta)
  • 2 ¼ cups water
  • salt adjust to taste
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (may need a little more)
  • 2 tablespoons butter may slightly reduce if you wish

for the sauce

  • 2 cups marinara sauce may adjust a little
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or another cheese that you use for pasta, adjust the amount slightly based on your preference)
  • ½ cup milk or cream

Instructions

  • Add the penne pasta shells, water and salt to the inner pot, make sure there is water at the bottom of the pot.
  • Sprinkle the garlic powder and also add the butter.
  • Close the instant pot with lid in sealing position and plug the instant pot.
  • Press on manual and pressure cook on high for 1 minute. It will take a few minutes for the pressure to build up inside instant pot and once the pressure is built (which takes a few minutes and it will show 'On' until then) the count down of the minutes (here 1 minute) will start and it shows the number of minutes left for cooking.
  • Once the cooking is finished, the pot will beep and you press the 'keep warm' button and wait until the pressure is naturally released and the valve goes down, which will take another few minutes of time. You can carefully do a manual release by turning the lid to the venting position after 12 minutes of NPR (natural pressure release) if needed, if the NPR is not completed by this time.
  • Once the pressure is all released, open the pot by turning the lid very carefully, gradually and slowly, be very careful while opening the pot as the contents are very hot with steam. Drizzle the olive oil, gently stir the pasta using a good quality spatula to combine the olive oil with the cooked pasta, but make sure not to overly mix.

to prepare the sauce

  • Add the marinara sauce and shredded cheese to the cooked pasta.
  • Also add the milk and gently mix so the milk reaches the bottom of the pot, press the saute function to simmer the contents in medium heat (normal mode).
  • Simmer for about a minute (make sure the milk is not getting burnt at the bottom of the pot, if you keep simmering for more time it may happen) and gently toss so the sauce is blended with the pasta. Press the 'keep warm/cancel' button to stop the cooking, and transfer the pot carefully so it won't cook further. You can serve this right away or you may leave in for a few minutes but the sauce will thicken as it sits for more time. If you wish, you can also add one more tablespoon of olive oil and stir in gently which will add even more flavor to the pasta. Serve the pasta hot for a delicious lunch or dinner!

Notes

If you do not wish to prepare the sauce, you may just add the marinara sauce or any sauce of your choice and may add your favorite cheese for pasta as you like, once you have cooked the pasta.
In any case if there is any little liquid content left on the pot once the pasta is cooked, you can add an extra tablespoon of olive oil, give a gentle stir and keep it aside for another few minutes and the liquid content should be absorbed as the pasta cools down, while each pasta shell will still remain intact and not getting mushy or overcooked. If you want a more firm texture to make pasta salads, you may reduce the amount of water slightly. Make sure to add the sauce and cheese only after the pasta is cooked while following this method, as mentioned in the recipe.
To double the recipe - To cook 16 oz pasta
To cook 16 oz pasta which is double the recipe, use 4 cups of water and cook in high pressure for 1 minute itself (cooking time remains the same), and do a natural pressure release for 12 minutes and carefully do a gradual manual pressure release after that. You may increase the ingredients for the sauce and the remaining ingredients also as needed when you double the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 834mg | Potassium: 583mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1051IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 276mg | Iron: 2mg