Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage, Spinach, and Tomatoes
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A complete pasta dinner made in your Instant Pot! You’ll love this Instant Pot pasta with sausage, spinach, and tomatoes. You might have all the ingredients on hand already!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: It’s healthy, satisfying, easy, and versatile, and you’re going to keep making it again and again!
How long it takes: 30 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot, measuring utensils
Servings: 6
- 1 Recipe Overview
- 2 Still Need an Instant Pot?
- 3 Are You New To Pressure Cooking?
- 4 About This Instant Pot Pasta Recipe
- 5 Ingredients You’ll Need
- 6 How To Make this Instant Pot Pasta Recipe
- 7 FAQs
- 8 Make It Your Own
- 9 Make-Ahead Ideas
- 10 Storage & Reheating Tips
- 11 Free Meal Plan
- 12 One Pot Pasta Recipes
- 13 Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage, Spinach and Tomatoes
My Instant Pot has pretty much found a permanent place on my countertop. I use it frequently for meal prep, like making boiled eggs for the week and shredded chicken to use in future dinner recipes. It also 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.
Naturally, even as my list of Instant Pot recipes grows, I’m still always looking for more ways to use it, and I’ve been getting so many requests from all of you! You wouldn’t believe how many people ask me for more Instant Pot recipes so clearly I’m not the only one with an infatuation.
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?
Want to know which Instant Pot to get, along with tons of cooking tips for using a pressure cooker? Read my complete guide to cooking with a pressure cooker. You’ll also find lots of great Instant Pot recipes!
About This Instant Pot Pasta Recipe
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 (read 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.
Easy cleanup. There’s no pasta pot or colander to wash because the pasta (almost magically) cooks right in the Instant Pot. So yeah, easy to make and easy to clean up, too.
I’ll run through the list of ingredients and get you started on the recipe here with a few helpful tips. Look for the printable recipe card at the end of this post. You’ll find complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 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 may have to adjust the amount of added liquid.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: Look for a large can, 28 oz., 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 this Instant Pot Pasta Recipe
Let’s get started! I’m so glad that Instant Pots have a Sauté function. That’s a genius idea. 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.
Begin by sautéing the sausage and onions in the Instant Pot, breaking up the sausage as it cooks.
Once the meat is no longer pink, add the garlic and cook it for a minute or two.
Next, add the diced tomatoes (don’t drain them first), chicken broth, and oregano. These ingredients will form the sauce. Also add the pasta. Stir well and make sure the pasta is submerged.
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.
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.
The pasta will be perfectly cooked! It’s sort of unbelievable until you’ve tried it. 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.
We’re not quite finished. 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.
Of course, since everyone likes pasta even creamier, we’re going to go ahead and melt some mozzarella cheese in there. The cheese also thickens the sauce a bit which helps it cling to the pasta.
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.
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.
FAQs
It really depends on what kind of pasta you’re cooking. Sturdier pastas require a bit more cooking time than thin delicate pasta. Cooking times can vary from zero minutes (the pasta cooks while the pot comes to pressure) to 5 minutes. Follow the recipes closely and you should have good results.
Oh yes! Pasta cooks more quickly than you would expect because 1) it begins cooking as the pot comes to pressure and 2) it’s cooked under pressure which speeds the cooking time. Again, follow recipe directions closely.
Cover the pasta with liquid by a half inch, generally 4 cups of liquid per pound of pasta. Remember, that liquid is not necessarily all water when you’re cooking pasta in an Instant Pot. It could be broth, tomato sauce, wine, etc.
Make It Your Own
- 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
Want to make this ahead of time or turn it into a freezer meal? I’ve done this and it tastes delicious! Here’s how you do it:
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. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to bake.
Note: 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.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 16 oz. Italian turkey sausage (see note)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about ½ cup)
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
- 12 ounces whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked (4 cups dry)
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 5 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, extra for garnishing (see note)
- chopped parsley, for garnishing
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot to “Sauté.” Add oil, sausage, and onion. Cook, breaking up sausage into small pieces, until sausage is no longer pink and onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.
- Add chicken broth, pasta, diced tomatoes, and oregano. Stir to combine and make sure pasta is submerged in liquid.
- Set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (or Manual, High Pressure, depending on model) for 5 minutes. Turn valve to seal. When the timer goes off, turn valve to Vent to Quick release the pressure.
- Keep Instant Pot on Warm and add spinach. Replace cover loosely (don’t turn to latch). Wilt spinach for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring as needed to help it along.
- Add 1 cup mozzarella cheese and stir to melt. Let pasta set for 5 to 10 minutes to let the sauce thicken before serving.
Notes
- I like bulk sweet Italian sausage but you can use spicy if you prefer a little heat. If you buy links, squeeze it out of the links. If you prefer, pork sausage can be substituted.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth in this recipe. It can get salty quickly because of the sausage and cheese so you want to control it where you can. I usually use no-salt-added canned tomatoes, too.
- Buy a block of mozzarella and shred it. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well.
- If you want to amp up the vegetables, add a diced sweet bell pepper, diced carrots, or sliced mushrooms when you sauté the sausage and onions.
- To make ahead or turn into a freezer meal, refer to the post for instructions.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
GratefulTummy says
I made this with 2 cloves of garlic, 2 14.5oz cans of tomatoes, 13oz of sliced turkey sausage, 8 oz frozen spinach, and it turned out yummy! I also used a 1lb box of white flour penne, 4 cups of chicken broth (low sodium like it says), and little extra veggie broth I had on hand to make sure the pasta was covered. I did have extra liquid but I left it on sauté and added extra mozzarella cheese to thicken it. I’m a full time grad student so thanks for the easy recipe that will feed my husband and I for several days :) I also used a vegetable chopper for the onion so I had eaten dinner and loaded the dishwasher in an hour.
Rachel Gurk says
I love it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! Gotta love a good easy recipe! Best of luck with grad school!
Nancy1 says
Can this be made with gluten free pasta? Cooking time change?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free pasta yet, but I think it would work! Let me know if you try it!
Heather Cook says
We make this almost every week since finding the recipe! It’s SO easy and so delicious and so fun to tweak. I end up using turkey sausage links just to speed things up, and I add whatever veggies are sitting around. Thanks for the great dinner inspiration!
Rachel Gurk says
Oh I’m so happy to hear that! It is a great one to use up veggies in the fridge! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Kim Valeika says
So easy! Great directions – simple to follow. Yummy! We loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy to hear that you liked this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Dorothy Davenport says
Brilliant recipe, everyone loved it, will definitely make again.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Bernice says
Do you know how I can convert this recipe for a 3 quart Instant Pot?
Rachel Gurk says
I would try just halving all the ingredients…that should work! Let me know if you try it!
Rachel says
So, how did you come up with your nutritional value? When I added the recipe into MyFitnessPal, it came up with a higher calorie value (386 cal.)…and I omitted the cheese when I made it. I also added some corn starch since I wasn’t going to be using cheese to thicken it and it worked well.
Rachel Gurk says
Hi, I also used MFP, but I have noticed that it varies and I put in and change ingredients to make sure all the measurements are coming out somewhat accurate. However, it remains an estimate. I’m glad you liked it, though!
Jennifer says
I’ve made this two times in as many weeks, and I’m happy to report it works beautifully with lentil pasta as well. I’ve also added some pre-cooked shredded chicken. This recipe is so versatile, I’m so glad to have found it!
Rachel Gurk says
Good to know about lentil pasta! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Nancy says
This was excellent. I did make some changes because I’m a vegetarian and I hate using part of a package of pasta. So, I used Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausages, 1lb of pasta and 4 cups of vegetable broth. I also added some mushrooms, roasted peppers, extra garlic and some basil. I know it sounds like a lot of changes, but it’s just individual taste and proportions. The timing worked perfectly and that’s what I was really after. Thanks for the recipe.
Rachel Gurk says
Cooking is made to have fun with and make changes! I’m glad this recipe helped you! Thanks for sharing your changes so other people can try them too!
Justin R says
Hi Rachel, thanks for the recipe!
So it turned out really tasty, but for me it was still really liquidy and soupy, even after letting it sit to thicken 10 minutes. I followed the recipe “to a T.” Any thoughts on why this could be? TBH, I find that many of the recipes that have a sauce come out “soupy” for me, so I may be doing something wrong?!
Thanks again,
Justin
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Justin,
Did it continue to thicken up at all after sitting a little longer? You could try reducing the liquid slightly next time.
Jamie says
Easy recipe and turned out great! Even my picky kids loved it. Thanks!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Lurchie says
uh, you don’t list the chicken in the ingredients listing on the recipe.
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Lurchie,
This recipe doesn’t actually include chicken. Are you looking for this recipe? Let me know if I can help!
Sylvia says
Thanks for posting this!
Can’t wait to try it out!
Rachel Gurk says
I hope you love it! Let me know what you think!
Bonnie says
I’m guessing this would work well as a stovetop recipe too.
Rachel Gurk says
It would definitely work on the stovetop!
Jane says
Made this tonight! Hubby said best IP recipe yet! And gave it 5 stars! Yummy!!
I used chicken sausage and cheddar and Parmesan cheese!
Rachel Gurk says
That makes me so happy! I’m so glad you both liked it. Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Denise says
looks pretty and yummy