How To Cook Pasta In The Instant Pot

If you've ever wondered: "Can you cook pasta in an Instant Pot?", the answer is YES!! Cooking pasta in the Instant Pot is the quickest and easiest way to perfectly cooked al dente pasta every time... AND this method works with your favorite regular pasta!

I've been an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker owner for 4+ years at this point, but it occurred to me recently that I haven't really been utilizing it to its fullest potential. So I've decided that 2021 is going to be the Year of the Instant Pot...

I'll be exploring a variety of different Instant Pot basics and the ways they can be used to create quick and easy recipes that help get dinner on the table fast - starting with PASTA!!

Honestly, I can't believe that it took me so long to try cooking pasta in the Instant Pot, but it's quickly become one of my favorite recipes. YES, it totally works, AND it's a total weeknight game changer. I know, I know, you're probably thinking: "But it's already so easy to just boil a pot of water on the stovetop..."

Instant Pot Pasta Ingredients

For the purposes of this quick & basic tutorial, we're going to be cooking plain pasta in the Instant Pot. So the three essential ingredients are: pasta, water, and kosher salt.

• 🍝 Short dry pasta: like the regular kinds of pasta you find in a box or cellophane bag, NOT a refrigerated fresh pasta. In this case, I'm specifically referring to hearty short pasta varieties, such as penne pasta, bowtie pasta, rigatoni, shells, etc.
• 💧 Cold water: add just enough liquid so that the the pasta is barely covered. Roughly 4 cups for one pound of dry pasta should be will enough to cook the pasta through without triggering a burn notice.
  
  Chicken broth may substituted for more flavorful pasta, if you desire. I recommend reducing or omitting the kosher salt if you do so.
• 🧂 Kosher salt: I use 2 teaspoons of my preferred kosher salt per pound pasta. Reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon if fine salt is used.

Long thin pastas, like fettuccine and spaghetti noodles, require a slightly different treatment, which I'll address in a separate post. Small delicate pasta shapes (ditalini, acini de pepe, etc.) will likely overcook and are best prepared on the stovetop, as is gluten-free pasta, which can turn into a gummy mess.

How To Cook Pasta In Instant Pot

With this easy method, overcooked pasta is a thing of the past. Cooking plain pasta in the Instant Pot is as simple as adding your dry pasta, water, and kosher salt to the inner pot, pushing a button, and then walking away until it's done!

Versus the traditional stovetop method, there's NO stirring so the pasta doesn't stick, NO watching to make sure it doesn't boil over, and NO constantly checking while the pasta cooks to see if it's perfectly al dente yet...

In fact, you don't even have to drain the pasta when it's done, since all but a little bit of water is absorbed during the pressure cooking process.

To Make Instant Pot Pasta:

1. Add the dry uncooked pasta, water, and kosher salt to the Instant Pot insert. Don't stir the ingredients. Just place the lid on top and turn the valve to "seal".
2. Use the Pressure Cook function to cook the pasta at high pressure for 5 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 11-12 minutes to come to pressure before the actual cooking time begins.
3. When the cook time is up, perform a quick release with the pressure valve.

Voila, your perfect pasta is ready use in your favorite pasta dishes! Top it with your favorite tomato sauce, stir in some butter, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper (one of my childhood faves!), or use it in a pasta salad, mac and cheese, and more...

SHORT DRY PASTA	WATER	KOSHER SALT
4 ounces	1 cup	½ teaspoon
8 ounces	2 cups	1 teaspoon
1 pound	4 cups	2 teaspoons
1.5 pounds	6 cups	3 teaspoons
2 pounds	8 cups	4 teaspoons

Pasta Water Ratio

When pressure cooking pasta, I typically prepare a 16-ounce package pasta at a time. The Instant Pot pasta to water ratio I use is one pound of dry pasta, 4 cups of water, and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.

However, you can easily scale this Instant Pot pasta formula up to a maximum of 2 pounds of dry pasta in a 6-qt. Instant Pot or down to as little as 4 ounces of pasta, depending on your needs. Just adjust the water and kosher salt accordingly.

Note that it's perfectly normal for there to be a little bit of water left in the bottom of the pot after the pasta is done cooking. This super concentrated starchy water is pure gold when it comes to thickening a simple sauce!

How Long To Cook Pasta

When I first searched for how to cook pasta in an Instant Pot, I found a lot of conflicting information on exactly how long to cook it.

Often the directions were accompanied by some complicated math equations to determine different cook times based on the type of pasta and original cooking instructions on the pasta box... NO THANKS, I'd rather keep things simple!

I always cook the pasta on high pressure for a flat 5 minutes, followed by a quick pressure release, and I've never been disappointed with the results.

Of course, there's definitely some leeway for personal preference. My general rule of thumb would be to set the pressure cook time for 5 minutes the first time. If you find that you'd prefer the pasta be slightly less cooked, next time you make it just cook it for 4 minutes!

On the other hand, if you prefer it to be slightly more done, you'll know to add an additional minute and cook it for 6 minutes in the future.

Foaming During Quick Release

A common complaint when making Instant Pot pasta is that you may experience sputtering and foaming upon performing a quick release of pressure when the pasta is done cooking.

To be honest, I've only had this happen once, and it was when I used a different brand of pasta from my normal one - which leads me to think that it could be brand dependent.

If you do experience this issue, there are a few tactics you can use to minimize and/or prevent it:

• Add some olive oil to the ingredients before pressure cooking. About one tablespoon per pound of pasta should do the trick.
  
• Release the pressure more slowly by turning the steam release knob just slightly instead of full open.
  
• Place a trivet over the pasta. Similar to the wooden spoon across the top of the pot stovetop trick, setting a trivet on top of the uncooked pasta is said to reduce foaming. Add the water and kosher salt and pressure cook according to the recipe directions.

Instant Pot Pasta Recipes

Once you master cooking pasta in the Instant Pot, the possibilities are endless! Use this plain pasta in ALL of your favorite pasta recipes, or just toss it with some jarred marinara sauce or meat sauce for a super simple weeknight dinner...

If you need a little inspiration, one of our favorite Instant Pot pasta recipes for busy nights is this super easy cream cheese pasta. It can be prepared right in the Instant Pot insert once the pasta is done cooking.

The small amount of remaining starchy pasta water left in the bottom of the pot helps emulsify a little butter with some cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and a touch of garlic powder into a dreamy flavorful pasta sauce.

My kids ask for this super simple one pot meal weekly. Add a simple green salad and this super easy 15-minute garlic bread recipe to have dinner on the table in under 25 minutes TOPS!! (Not even joking - I've timed myself, LOL.)

Printable Recipe ↓