Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage, Spinach, and Tomatoes
Posted: 03/12/2018
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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
Table of Contents
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My Instant Pot is slowly but surely finding a permanent place on my countertop. It always gets used for making boiled eggs and shredded chicken. I also love Instant Pot sweet potatoes and Instant Pot mashed potatoes. What’s your favorite use for your pressure cooker?
Naturally, I’m looking for more ways to use it, and I’ve been getting so many requests from you guys! 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 were going to collide at some point. That point is now.
About this Instant Pot Pasta
This pasta is cheesy, creamy, filling, and so flavorful. Would you believe that it only has around 300 calories per serving? You really can have it all with this pasta.
Look for the printable recipe card at the end of this post. You’ll find complete directions and nutrition information.
To keep this one pan pasta super filling and still nutritious, I use whole wheat pasta, turkey Italian sausage, and lots of spinach!
Cooking Tip
Prefer pork sausage? Go for it but make sure to drain the grease off before adding the pasta and the rest of your ingredients.
How To Make This Recipe
Start by sautéing the sausage and onions right in the Instant Pot. Add garlic, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and oregano. These ingredients will form the sauce.
Submerge the whole wheat pasta in the broth mixture right in your Instant Pot. Cover and cook at high pressure for only five minutes. 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 from the pasta.
Once the pasta is cooked, remove the lid and arrange the spinach on top. Put the lid back on loosely and let the spinach wilt a couple of minutes.
In a hurry? If you want to take a couple of minutes off the cooking time, you can add the spinach right on top of the pasta before you pressure cook it instead of wilting it at the end. Don’t stir it in (you want the pasta to be submerged in liquid), just set the spinach on top before securing the lid. It won’t retain its bright green color quite as nicely but it will still taste great. I like to do it at the end because we eat with our eyes first, but really, it doesn’t make a difference in taste, so do what works for your schedule!
Of course, I like my pasta even creamier, so 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.
FAQs
How long does it take to cook pasta in an Instant Pot?
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.
Can you overcook pasta in an Instant Pot?
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.
How much liquid do you cook pasta in Instant Pot?
According to the Barilla website, cover the pasta with liquid by a 1/2 inch, generally 4 cups of liquid per pound of pasta. Remember, that “liquid” is not usually water when you’re cooking pasta in an Instant Pot. It could be broth, tomato sauce, wine, etc.
If you guys liked my other one pot pastas — copycat Healthy Hamburger Helper, One Pan Rigatoni with Creamy Tomato Sauce, or Taco Pasta, you’re going to love this one too! 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:
Make as directed and then pour into a greased 9×13 inch pan. Top with more mozzarella cheese (1/4-1/2 cup) and cover with foil. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to bake. Place cold pan in cold oven (prevents it from shattering from the shock of cold to hot) and preheat oven to 350°F. Cook for an hour, uncovering in the last 15 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted. It may require slightly longer cooking time if frozen. If cooking from frozen, you may also thaw overnight in fridge before baking.
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!
More Instant Pot Recipes
I keep adding more and more Instant Pot recipes to my site. Here’s what I’ve been making lately:
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs (turkey meatballs) — Another one pot pasta dish for you!
- Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi Pasta — Yes, you can make shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta in your Instant Pot.
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta – cheesy ranch perfection!
- Instant Pot Lemon Pasta with Chicken with spinach
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe
- Instant Pot Ribs — fall off the bone!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
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!
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
- 5-6 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.
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.
- 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.
- Buy a block of mozzarella and shred it. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well.
- f you want to amp up the vegetables, add a diced sweet bell pepper or diced carrots when you sauté the sausage and onions.
- If you’re in a hurry, add the spinach on top of the pasta before you pressure cook it instead of wilting it afterwards. It won’t retain its bright green color but still tastes great.
- To make ahead or turn into a freezer meal: Make as directed and then pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Top with more mozzarella cheese (¼ -½ cup) and cover with foil. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to bake. Place cold pan in cold oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Cook for an hour, uncovering in the last 15 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted. It may require slightly longer cooking time if frozen. If cooking from frozen, you can also thaw overnight in fridge before baking.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1.75cups, Calories: 417kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 972mg, Potassium: 562mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2542IU, Vitamin C: 38mg, Calcium: 175mg, Iron: 9mg
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.
Karen says
I made this adding zucchini and carrots along with the onions. I put in 3 pounds of loose sausage, and used the whole box of chicken broth, with two small cans of fire-roasted tomatoes. I used bow tie pasta as it’s what I had. I had to leave it on warm for almost an hour as my guests were late…so I “wilted” the spinach and added the mozzarella after all that “warm” time and it worked just fine. It was a little juicy but that will help the leftovers re-heat well! Thanks for the recipe!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! I bet the fire roasted tomatoes were great. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Mindi says
This is a favorite for our family! Would like to double the recipe but not sure of the cooking time.
Thanks!
Rachel Gurk says
Cooking time should remain the same, but I’m not sure that amount of pasta would fit in the Instant Pot and not bubble out like crazy when you release the pressure. Let me know if you try it, but be extra careful releasing the pressure! Use the end of a wooden spoon or something so you’re not too close to the valve.
Frank says
Any recommendations for a substitute for the pasta if you want to make this one more “keto”? Maybe zucchini strings or similar? I suppose you might need to change the amount of broth added since the pasta would be missing.
Rachel Gurk says
Yes, if you’re omitting the pasta you can probably completely omit the broth. Zucchini strings would be great, or you could serve it over cooked spaghetti squash.
Suz C says
This was delicious! I used sweet pork sausage and frozen spinach because that’s what I had. Will definitely make again.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
HB says
I followed the instructions exactly except substituted veggie meat for the sausage. I was worried how the texture might turn out but it turned out AMAZING. Thanks so much for this recipe! Dinner in less than 15 mins including prep.
Rachel Gurk says
So happy to hear it was a hit! Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a comment and a review, it means a lot to me and is so helpful for other readers.
Rebekah says
Hello,
What changes would you make to this recipe if you’re using regular (not whole wheat) pasta?
Rachel Gurk says
No changes needed! Make it as directed, should turn out great. :)
Vivian says
We made this tonight. We loved it! I have a new multipot and only have used it once so I was fearful. Nothing to fear… Your instructions were perfect I did make a few corrections for our pallet. I substituted fresh basil for the oregano. I added a bag of frozen TJ’s tri color peppers and chopped them up and added when adding the onion. Instead of half an onion, used an entire onion. Also at the end I added Parmesan cheese and fresh basil to top each plate. Didn’t add any cheese to the pasta. It didn’t need it.Love that we have leftovers for tomorrow. I am already looking forward to it!
Rachel Gurk says
So happy to hear you liked it! Thanks for leaving a comment with your adaptations!
StacyA says
Delicious! I heated the diced tomatoes and added a little baking soda and butter to reduce acidity, I also added some carrots for the same reason. I love tomatoes but my stomach cannot handle it anymore. Definitely something I will be making again, thanks!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Nicole L says
Hey Rachel! My partner and I LOVE this recipe so I convinced all my friends to let me make it for them and the group keeps growing. Do you think I would have to make any major adjustments to double the recipe? I’m most worried about cook time. Thanks!
Rachel Gurk says
Ahhh that makes me so happy!!! Cook time should remain the same, the Instant Pot is magical in that way. If the pasta is a little too al dente when it’s done, just leave it on warm with the cover on and it will soften. Let me know how it goes!!
Joan says
Delicious. I made it without the pasta so I could freeze a bunch. I added some mushrooms and sliced olives. Thanks!
Rachel Gurk says
Great idea! It wasn’t too runny/liquidy without the pasta?
Amanda Erwin says
I love this recipe and have made it so many times that I’ve memorized it making it so quick and easy on a night when I’m low on time. Thank you for sharing!
Rachel Gurk says
I love that! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, made my day!
Allison says
We’ve made this meal several times and it’s become a family favorite. My kids (11, 9 and 6) eat it like they’ve never been fed before! Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
Oh I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Ashley says
Does the pasta have to be cooked Al dente before I add to pot?
Rachel Gurk says
No! Put it in uncooked, it cooks in the sauce. :) That’s the beauty of this recipe!
Trish DeWald says
I LOVE this recipe! I made my chicken broth with a billion cube and used frozen spinach instead of fresh. This is low calorie and satisfying. I heat it in a mini lunch crockpot every day for lunch. I’m all about low calorie lunch meal prep!!! Another bonus was I got the sausage for $2 as a markdown.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you like it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment with your thoughts and adaptations!
Evanna says
Hi Rachel! I’ve been making this recipe monthly for almost a year now. It is very tasty and easy to make. I did add a bell pepper as suggested, but also added a handful of chopped sundried tomatoes and cut the pressure cook time to 4 minutes so that the pasta is more al dente. Most recently, I accidentally bought white cheddar instead of mozza and used it and it was super tasty! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad to hear it! I bet it was super yummy with cheddar, I love a stronger flavored cheese. That’s the great thing about this recipe, it’s very flexible and adaptable to what you have on hand.