Instant Pot Sausage Pasta with Cream Sauce
Pasta is always a great option for a quick dinner. But with all the pots and pans needed to prepare a delicious pasta meal, a ton of clean-up is involved. With the help of this Instant Pot sausage recipe, you'll have dinner ready and cleaned up in no time! It's a one-pot meal packed with flavor thanks to the mix of spicy sausage and creamy tomato sauce coating each piece of penne pasta.
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What Do I Need to Make Instant Pot Sausage Pasta?
This simple pasta dish is packed with flavor thanks to the delicious combination of Italian sausage, cream cheese, and spinach. But the best part about this one-pot recipe is that you can make it with just a few simple ingredients. To prepare your penne pasta in the Instant Pot, you'll need:
- Olive oil
- Hot Italian sausage
- Minced garlic
- Chicken broth
- White wine vinegar
- Italian seasoning
- Italian parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Penna pasta shells
- Baby spinach
- Salted butter
- Cream cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Half and half
How Do I Make Instant Pot Sausage Pasta?
Making pasta for dinner is often a messy process. But with the help of your Instant Pot, you can cook and prep all the elements of your pasta dinner - from browning the meat to making the sauce - all in one pan! Follow these simple instructions for making your own Instant Pot sausage pasta for dinner tonight.
Step One: Cook the Sausage
Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, remove the sausage from the casing and place it in the pot. Brown the meat until it's fully cooked and crumbled, then add the garlic to the pot and saute for another two minutes.
Step Two: Add the Liquid
Once your sausage is cooked, pour the white wine vinegar into the pot. Use your spoon to lightly scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all the stuck-on pieces. After that, add the broth, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, pepper, and sundried tomatoes. Stir to mix.
Step Three: Stir in the Pasta
Pour the pasta and spinach into the pot and lightly press the pasta into the liquid, ensuring all the noodles are fully covered.
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Step Four: Cook the Pasta
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal the vent. Cook the penne on high for five minutes, then manually remove the pressure from the pot when the cook time is up.
Step Five: Make the Sauce
After all the pressure has been removed from the pot, remove the lid and add the butter, softened cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and half and half. Stir to mix the sauce ingredients into the pasta and continue stirring until all the cheese is melted and the penne is fully coated in the sauce.
Instant Pot Sausage Pasta Tips & Tricks
Using your Instant Pot to cook your pasta is a great way to make clean-up a breeze! And since it's so simple to prepare, it will be your new favorite weeknight dinner. With the help of these tips and tricks, you'll be able to whip up this pasta dish in your sleep.
- Don't stir the pasta and broth. Once you add the pasta to the broth and sausage in the Instant Pot, do not stir it. Instead, lightly press the pasta into the liquid. You must ensure all the pasta is covered in the broth to ensure all the noodles cook evenly.
- Slowly release the pressure. While manually releasing the pressure is the best way to ensure your pasta doesn't overcook, it's a good idea to let the pressure release gradually. That's because there may still be some liquid left in the pot after the cooking time is up, which could spray out the vent if the pressure is released too quickly.
- Stir the pasta well after cooking. When your cooking time is up, the pasta may not be finished cooking. That means you may notice some liquid left in the pot after removing the lid. Stir the pasta into the broth a few times, which will help the noodles soak up the remaining liquid. Stirring well will also help keep the pasta from sticking together as it thickens.
Can You Overcook Pasta in the Instant Pot?
It's very easy to overcook pasta in the Instant Pot, so it's a good idea to use the shortest recommended cooking time when preparing noodles in your pressure cooker. If your pasta is undercooked after the cooking time is up, turn the pot on saute mode and allow the noodles to continue cooking until they're tender.
Why Did I Get a Burn Notice When Making Sausage Pasta in the Instant Pot?
Your Instant Pot can be a little sensitive when food gets stuck to the bottom. If the pot senses something is about to start burning during cooking, it will result in a burn notice. The burn notice will shut off the pressure cooking process, requiring you to remove the lid and remedy the problem.
The most common cause for a burn notice when cooking this pasta dinner is that bits of sausage or garlic have gotten stuck to the bottom of the pot. Luckily, it's easy to keep this from happening!
After browning the sausage, add a small amount of liquid to the pot while it's still on saute mode. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape all over the bottom of the pot. The simmering liquid will help loosen the stuck-on bits and the spatula will help remove those bits from the bottom of the pot, keeping them from getting burnt.
Instant Pot Sausage Pasta with Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage raw
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup White wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley dried
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 16 oz penne pasta shells
- ½ cup Baby spinach frozen
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 8 oz Cream cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese Grated
- ½ cup Half and half
Instructions
- Set the instant pot to sauté and add the oil.
- Once the oil is hot, pinch squeezes out from the casing of the sausage meat into bite-size pieces. Brown the sausage until completely cooked. Once cooked, add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the vinegar and scrap the bottom of the instant pot removing any stuck particles.
- Add the broth, spices, and dried tomatoes and stir.
- Add the pasta and spinach. Don’t stir but press down into the broth.
- Seal the lid and pressure valve. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Manually release the pressure when done.
- Remove the lid and add the butter, softened cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and half and half. Stir the pasta until the cheeses are melted and the pasta is fully coated.
- Serve and enjoy.
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