Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage, Spinach, and Tomatoes

I’m nearly as obsessed with one pan pastas as I am with pressure cooker recipes, so it’s probably no surprise that the two recipe categories collided at some point. I now have several recipes that I’ve shared with you (check out the list near the end of the post) but this recipe remains one of my absolute favorites.

Are You New To Pressure Cooking?

Great for meal prep! I use my Instant Pot frequently for meal prep. I make boiled eggs for the week and shredded chicken to use in future dinner recipes. You can make a big batch of brown rice to freeze and use for recipes or bowls. It does a great job cooking dried beans (try Instant Pot pinto beans). I love that you don’t even have to soak the beans first.

Easy one pan meals. You’ll find that it’s a real game-changer to cook pasta in your Instant Pot. You add the dry pasta along with the sauce and it cooks perfectly, with no extra pots or colander to wash.

One Pan Instant Pot Pasta

Lots of reasons to love this recipe. This pasta is cheesy, creamy, filling, and so flavorful. Would you believe that it only has 425 calories per serving? It’s easy to make (ready in just half an hour), it’s nutritious, and you only get one pan dirty. You really can have it all with this pasta.

Healthy ingredients. To keep this one pan pasta super filling and still nutritious, I use whole wheat pasta, turkey Italian sausage, and lots of spinach. There’s a can of tomatoes, a little bit of garlic and onion, and a handful of mozzarella cheese.

Perfectly cooked pasta. There’s no pasta pot or colander to wash because the pasta (almost magically) cooks right in the Instant Pot. Since the pasta cooks right in the sauce, the end result is a naturally creamy sauce, thanks to the starch that the pasta releases. It’s a lovely thing.

Ingredient Notes

• Italian Sausage: I usually choose Italian sausage made from ground turkey but if you prefer a different type of raw ground sausage, that’s fine, too. Bulk sausage is easiest but if you can only find link sausage, simply squeeze the raw sausage out of the casings.
• Onion: A yellow cooking onion is fine for this recipe; they are inexpensive and store well in a cool, dry environment such as your pantry. If you happen to have another type of onion, feel free to substitute it.
• Garlic: The recipe calls for one clove of garlic but you can easily add more or skip it if you like. Remember: a clove is one small part of the larger head of garlic. Remove the papery husk and finely mince the garlic or press it through a garlic press.
• Whole Wheat Penne: The recipe is written for this type of pasta. If you choose a different kind of pasta, the cooking time may vary. Another thing to consider: If you add more pasta or use less, you will have to adjust the amount of added liquid.
• Canned Diced Tomatoes: Look for a large can, 28 ounces, or use 2 small cans. I usually use “no salt added” tomatoes to control the amount of sodium in the recipe. Incidentally, if you’re looking for more recipes like this that use canned tomatoes, check out my collection of recipes for stew and soup using canned tomatoes.
• Dried Oregano: Dried herbs are easy to use and you probably have this one in your pantry.
• Chicken Broth: Again, look for low sodium broth. The broth is added to hydrate the pasta as it cooks, taking it from hard and dry to soft and al dente. Most of it will be absorbed into the pasta.
• Baby Spinach: This tender leafy green cooks very quickly so it’s stirred in right before the pasta is served. Even though the leaves are quite small, I usually give them a rough chop.
• Mozzarella Cheese: A couple handfuls of shredded cheese really makes this recipe a winner. As it melts, it makes a nice creamy sauce. Have a little extra cheese on hand to sprinkle on top of each serving. Freshly shredded mozzarella melts a bit better than pre-shredded cheese but I’ve used either with good results.
• Fresh Parsley: A garnish of fresh herbs seems to elevate any recipe from ho-hum to wow! Parsley is inexpensive, keeps well, and goes with everything. If fresh basil is available, feel free to substitute that for the parsley.

How To Make Instant Pot Pasta

Sauté the meat and onions. Start by sautéing the sausage and onions in the Instant Pot, breaking up the sausage as it cooks. Some of the new models have 3 different settings with the Sauté function so you can adjust the temperature if the pan seems to be getting too hot.

Once the meat is no longer pink, add the garlic and cook it for a minute or two.

Add sauce ingredients. Add the diced tomatoes (don’t drain them first), chicken broth, and oregano to the Instant Pot.

Add dry pasta. Stir the contents of the Instant Pot well and make sure the pasta is submerged.

Pressure cook. Put the cover on the Instant Pot and set it to Pressure Cook for 5 minutes. If you have an older model, choose Manual, High Pressure. Remember, it will take an additional 10 minutes or so for the cooker to reach full pressure.

Quick release pressure. Once the timer goes off, quick release the pressure by turning the valve to vent. Carefully! The steam is really hot. Once the pressure is released, remove the cover.

Wilt spinach. Give the pasta a good stir and add the spinach.

Replace the cover (just set it on loosely) and let the spinach wilt a couple of minutes. Stir it in once it’s wilted.

Stir in cheese. The residual heat from the Instant Pot should melt the cheese. The cheese also thickens the sauce a bit which helps it cling to the pasta.

Cool. Let the pasta sit for five to ten minutes. It will continue to absorb a little more liquid and just seems to taste better if you let it settle down a little bit.

Serve. Although you really wouldn’t have to serve anything extra with this dinner, warm crusty bread with restaurant style bread dipping oil tastes great with it. Add a rosé spritzer or an Aperol spritz if you’re feeling festive.

Recipe Variations

• Use pork sausage. If you prefer pork to turkey, that’s fine but you may want to drain the sausage after browning it because it usually contains more fat than turkey sausage. If you don’t care for sausage, try ground beef or turkey instead.
• Add more veggies. Sauté a finely diced bell pepper or carrot, or sliced mushrooms, with the onions and sausage.
• Don’t own an Instant Pot? Try my other one pot pasta recipes that are cooked on the stove. Here are a few examples: homemade Hamburger Helper, rigatoni with creamy tomato sauce, or taco pasta. Lately, my new favorite is vegetarian orzo with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. So good!

Make-Ahead Ideas

Make ahead casserole: Prepare the recipe as directed and then put it into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. (I prefer to use a metal pan if I’m going to freeze a casserole to eliminate the possibility of breakage.) Top with more mozzarella cheese (¼ -½ cup) and cover the pan completely with foil. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake.

To bake: If the casserole is frozen, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Baking a solidly frozen casserole is tricky. Often the edges get overdone while the middle stays cool. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake the casserole for an hour, uncovering in the last 15 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: Refrigerate leftover pasta promptly in a covered dish or airtight container. It will keep for three to four days.

Freeze: This pasta recipe can be frozen for up to three months. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat: Individual portions can be reheated in a microwave safe container until warm. Larger amounts can be heated in a skillet or saucepan on the stove. Add a bit of water or broth if pasta seems dry.