An easy recipe, Instant Pot Penne Pasta With Homemade Pasta Sauce is a quick way to get a delicious pasta dinner on the table. Made with canned crushed tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes and a few basic seasonings, our homemade tomato sauce surrounds the penne pasta making every forkful flavorful.
Penne Marinara
A delicious pasta dinner will be on the table in literally minutes, including a homemade tomato sauce! And it will all cook together in your instant pot. It really doesn’t get much easier than this folks.
The best part? You'll be using real wholesome ingredients and not a jar of pasta sauce that is laden with sugar and preservatives. Because, really, why do that when it’s so easy to make a sauce from scratch?
How to cook pasta in your instant pot
The rule of thumb for cooking pasta in the instant pot is to take the number of minutes of suggested cooking time on your package of pasta, divide that number in half and subtract one.
For example, if a pasta package recommends cooking your pasta for 12 minutes, to cook it in the instant pot you would divide 12 by 2 giving you 6 and then subtract 1 giving you a 5 minute cook time in the instant pot.
So be sure to check the timing recommended on your pasta box when making instant pot pasta recipes. Timing differs between some pasta brands.
Also, for this recipe that includes cooking the pasta in sauce, I added an extra 2 minutes to the cook time from what is rrecommended above for cooking pasta without sauce.
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Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like heat
- Stir in canned green chiles for a Mexican flair
- Top with a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese
Ingredients you will need to make this recipe
- canned crushed tomatoes
- canned diced tomatoes
- dried Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- kosher salt
- onion powder
- water
- penne pasta
- fresh basil leaves, optional
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- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 Tbs. dried Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 3 cups water
- 1 lb. uncooked penne pasta
- Fresh basil leaves , optional
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Combine crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, kosher salt and onion powder in instant pot. Stir in water until blended.
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Add pasta. Cover and set to cook 7 minutes on high.
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Release steam, uncover and stir.
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Top with fresh basil leaves, if desired.
Makes 8 servings.
Adjust your timing for cooking the pasta according to the brand you are using and the texture you prefer your pasta to be, such as al dente or softer.
I used Barilla pasta when making this recipe and found that 7 minutes gave me the desired texture of pasta that we love.
This recipe is part of Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck.
I love the consistency of the dish. Ratio of sauce to pasta is perfect for my taste.. Do you think I can add
a dollop or two of ricotta to the pot? Before or after its pressure cooked?
Hi Susanjane, I'm so happy to hear that you like my recipe! Adding a dollop of ricotta will be a delicious addition for sure. I would recommend adding it after it's pressure cooked. Happy Cooking and Savor The Moments, Gwynn